What will it take to stop the killing of land rights activists?
Mining companies and governments need to understand and respect the right to free, prior, and informed consent. The lives of land rights activists are on the line. New research from an Oxfam partner provides a compelling starting point for defending community consent in Southern Africa. Last year, at least 207 land and environmental activists across 22 countries were reportedly killed for …
6 lessons on building resilience for displaced people in the Middle East and North Africa
Jude Powell and Shekhar Anand share the lessons learnt from Oxfam in the Middle East and North Africa on building the resilience for displaced people in the region. By the end of 2017 over 68 million men, women and children had been forcibly displaced from their homes through conflict, violence and persecution. The protracted armed conflicts in the Middle East …
Trust and democratic change – reflections from Myanmar
What lessons can be learnt from a governance programme in Ayeyarwady, Myanmar? Araddhya Mehta reflects on the complexity of building trust in a changing political context. Building trust – vertically between citizens, civil society organizations (CSOs) and local government institutions, and horizontally between citizens and within and across social groups – is at the heart of democratic change, including effective …
Leaving no one behind in our evaluation practice
Stephen Porter reflects on the importance of understanding why people are left behind in development practice and acknowledging what goes unseen and unsaid in evaluations. Leave no one behind is a call for action within the Sustainable Development Goals. The Goals are meant to be met for all people, especially groups who are marginalized and vulnerable. In the Sustainable Development …
A model for philanthropy in uncertain times?
Meditor Trust recently stepped up to underwrite Oxfam’s life-saving humanitarian work at a time of financial difficulty. Bridie Layden reflects on the benefits of this type of philanthropy and what Oxfam has learnt from the experience. In February 2018, following criticism of how Oxfam handled past safeguarding cases including sexual misconduct by former staff in Haiti, some institutional donors suspended …
