The Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) South Sudan, in partnership with Oxfam and the Humanitarian System Transformation through Local Humanitarian Leadership (HST-LHL) initiative, recently held a one-day quarterly localization roundtable with journalists and media houses in Juba. This event aimed to strengthen media partnerships and promote locally led humanitarian action in South Sudan. The roundtable was organized under the theme “Stronger Media Partnership for Locally Led Humanitarian Action in South Sudan,” and it was part of a three-year project funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
The roundtable brought together journalists from various media houses, representatives of women-led organizations, civil society groups, and other stakeholders. Discussions focused on advancing the localization agenda, building practical partnerships between media organizations and local humanitarian actors, and ensuring that communities affected by humanitarian crises have a greater voice in decisions that affect their lives. The meeting provided a platform for participants to explore opportunities for collaboration and promote greater visibility of locally led humanitarian initiatives.
YWCA South Sudan Managing Director Namisio Joy Bage emphasized the importance of placing local communities, particularly women and girls, at the center of humanitarian decision-making and leadership. She stressed that women-led organizations have an important role in transforming humanitarian responses by ensuring that affected communities are recognized not merely as recipients of assistance but as active participants in developing sustainable solutions.
Bage highlighted the media’s responsibility to promote balanced and responsible reporting that recognizes the contributions, resilience, and leadership of South Sudanese communities. She urged journalists to move beyond narratives that portray communities solely through their vulnerabilities and instead highlight locally developed solutions and the leadership of people responding to humanitarian challenges.
The roundtable featured panel discussions exploring the media’s role in advancing humanitarian localization, strengthening partnerships between journalists and local organizations, and amplifying community-driven responses to humanitarian challenges. Participants engaged in open and practical discussions aimed at identifying concrete ways media organizations can support the localization agenda and strengthen collaboration with local humanitarian actors.
The three-year initiative, funded by the Netherlands’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs, seeks to support efforts to strengthen local humanitarian leadership and promote greater participation by local actors in humanitarian responses in South Sudan. This project aligns with the goals of the HST-LHL initiative, which aims to transform the humanitarian system by empowering local actors to take the lead in humanitarian responses.
The meeting concluded with a renewed commitment from participants to promote locally led humanitarian action in South Sudan. By engaging journalists and media houses, YWCA South Sudan and Oxfam aim to amplify local voices and promote community-driven humanitarian solutions. This collaboration is expected to contribute to a more effective and sustainable humanitarian response in the country.
Key points
- The YWCA South Sudan and Oxfam are partnering with journalists to promote locally led humanitarian action in South Sudan.
- The three-year project is funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands.
- The initiative aims to strengthen local humanitarian leadership and promote greater participation by local actors in humanitarian responses.
