Charter for Change

Director of Karuna Myanmar Social Services (KMSS) Dr Win Tun Kyi talks to the Forum about the Charter for Change for localisation of humanitarian aid.

Forum: Can you tell us about the Charter for Change and why you think its important?

Charter of change is an advocacy effort by CAFOD (and others) to the humanitarian community. CAFOD is a long term partner of KMSS and other local organisations in Myanmar to humanitarian community. This is a rare effort of international NGOs to advocate the global humanitarian world to work more directly with local organizations. According to CAFOD, as of 2015, only 0.3% of the fund in humanitarian work goes directly to local organizations. CAFOD is advocating 25% of the fund to channel through local organizations and it is really empowering the local organizations. This “Charter for Change” shows the recognition of local organization capability in humanitarian response.

Forum: KMSS is the first Myanmar local organisation to sign the charter. Can you tell us about this decision ?

KMSS is one of the local organizations working on various humanitarian responses in Myanmar. This decision to sign the “Charter for Change” not only shows the endorsement and solidarity to CAFOD (KMSS partner) effort but also signal the important role that local organizations play in this field of work.

Forum: Would you recommend other local groups to sign?

KMSS dedicated to encourage all local groups in Myanmar to sign this important step of promoting the local capabilities.

Forum: Do you think a Charter like this can actually change the way that donors and international agencies operate?

The global humanitarian aid is much wasted and unbalanced in a way the resources are being channeled and distributed. This is an undeniable fact. This inefficient mechanism has to be changed and it is the role of the local organizations of various countries to loudly raise this point to the donors and international agencies