This speech was delivered at the "Local Action, Global Accountability" UNGA-Side Event on September 20, 2024, at the Ford Foundation Center for Social Justice in New York City, USA.
By Sita Supomo, Executive Director of Indonesia untuk Kemanusiaan (Indonesia for Humanity - IKa) on behalf of Femme Forte, Trend Asia, CAPAIDS Uganda, IKa, Africa Philanthropy Network and Innovation for Change East Asia, the Convening Partners of the Local Leadership Labs – CIVICUS
Good morning everyone.
Thank you for this opportunity to speak on behalf of six CIVICUS Local Leadership Labs partners in Southeast Africa and Southeast Asia. It is an honour to be part of this crucial conversation.
Today, I will share insights on the challenges and strategies we are employing to support civil society in Indonesia, working alongside communities as equal partners so they can confidently shape their own futures.
Before discussing our work in Indonesia, let me briefly introduce the Local Leadership Lab (LLL). This pilot initiative tackles barriers preventing governments, donors, and stakeholders from supporting diverse local civil society groups as key development actors.
LLL is implemented with support from CIVICUS Alliance and Hilton Foundation. Another "sister" initiative called Localization Labs, is led by NEAR Network.
LLL centers the political power of communities, especially those excluded from decision-making. It creates inclusive spaces for dialogue and co-creation at various levels, where local civil society groups co-shape policies alongside key actors.
Five elements characterize LLL's approach:
- Being locally-driven,
- Building power,
- Promoting relational strategies,
- Encouraging innovation and flexibility,
- and Fostering a collective learning mindset.
Indonesia is facing a shrinking civic space, with restrictive policies, increased state surveillance, and other forms of restrictions. These pressures undermine social movements and public support. Beyond visible restriction, resourcing, such as funding sustainability, threatens the independence of social movements. Without addressing these issues, their capacity for transformative change will falter.
At Indonesia for Humanity (IKa), we are strengthening resources for the social justice movement. We raise and channel resources to support them in challenging environments. Our approach is rooted in mutual trust, solidarity, and community-driven change.
Over the past six months, we've facilitated four FAJAR dialogues with over 60 organizations, conducted three sensing journeys, and identified seven local resourcing models. All of which helps guide partner selection across four provinces. FAJAR (Forum for New Resourcing), a forum initiated by IKa, strengthens connections between local and national dialogues, amplifying community-driven issues within broader alliances.
So what have we learned in six months with LLL:
Building trust, practicing patience, intently observing and actively listening are essential for amplifying local voices. We've learned that providing spaces for communities to co-create their visions and articulate their demands effectively is critical to closing gaps and fostering collective action.
To conclude, I want to offer a reflection and a call on the international donor community to rethink its roles. We know, donors in the Global North are also grappling with your own social, political, and economic shifts. But this moment calls for more than just adaptation. It demands a fundamental rethinking of how we operate and the roles we play as enablers of change. It's not just about increasing funding; it's about transforming partnerships to create equitable, sustainable futures.
So, let us LLL partners, urge you to:
First - Invest in institutional strengthening through flexible, predictable funding.
Second - Intentionally show up as allies by participating in locally-led dialogues.
Third - Ensure accountability by prioritizing local needs and being transparent.
Together, we can shift power to communities, fostering a just, inclusive world where every community shapes its path forward.
In the words of Arundhati Roy: "Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing."
Thank you.
