Decolonization of aid: from theory to practice, what stage is Italian cooperation at?

ROMA – The debate on “decolonization” of international cooperation and on the “localization” of aid it is progressively taking hold in Italy too, starting from the operators and organizations involved in the sector up to politics. This is what we read in the incipit of an article published by Info-Cooperationthe portal for Italian humanitarian workers. Recently in our country a debate has arisen around the Mattei Plan which in its declarations of intent has the precise objective of establishing egalitarian and non-predatory partnerships with African countries. An approach that will have to be substantiated by new ways of establishing collaborations, new rules and procedures and a governance shared in such a way as to encourage the protagonism of local actors.

The reflections on decolonization. They affect many areas. From power relations in partnerships to the use of resources, from fundraising to communication up to the rules that govern the international cooperation system. Mechanisms that involve all the actors involved in the system, first of all the institutions, donors, civil society organizations, local authorities but also the world of research, business and the communities of the countries involved.

A debate that mainly involves NGOs. NGOs, who have always been closer to local actors, are the first to reflect on strategic choices and operational methods that can make partnerships more inclusive and accessible to organizations in the global South. But putting “decolonization” into practice is not easy, it involves courageous choices and an environment conducive to power-sharing dynamics as well as actions to strengthen capacity and raise awareness towards broader cultural change.

Good practices that are often episodic and isolated. The good practices implemented over the years by various organizations often remain isolated exercises and at times complicated by a system that has not yet fully taken up the challenge of a vision of cooperation oriented towards the full inclusion of local civil society actors and the valorisation of the systems response systems existing on site.

The delay of Italian Cooperation. Although at a strategic level the topic of localization is present in the guidelines of theAICS (the Italian Cooperation Agency) and is considered a priority by institutional actors such as the UN, EU and OSCE-DAC, the Italian cooperation system has not yet adopted practices that facilitate real protagonism of local actors in all phases of programming and design of interventions. A series of necessary measures that other donors are progressively adopting from the United States to Great Britain, from Sweden to France.

A consultation is open. With this article – read more on Info-Cooperation – “we want to open a sort of consultation between the Italian actors involved in cooperation and humanitarian aid to understand what the level of knowledge and understanding of the phenomenon is today and what the degree of activation of the organizations is with specific and concrete measures. Here is the questionnaire.