Localisation and global social change: agency, intent and learning in INGO/supporter relations

Abstract

This research focusses on relations between UK INGOs and supporters in their efforts to promote global social change. Declining support for UK-based INGOs has led to questions about their relevance and role in a changing civil society landscape. I use one INGO’s response to this as a case study to develop new conceptual understandings of how UK INGOs might reimagine supporter relations and processes of change in turbulent times.
Christian Aid’s Prophetic Activist Scheme (PAS) over the period 2019-23 is an intentional act to engage supporters (in this case young adult activists aged 18- 30) around issues of climate justice. I analyse semi-structured interviews with PAS participants to generate new understanding of relations between Christian Aid, young adult activists, and transformational change. From this, I develop the concept of ‘prefigurative learning’ to make sense of the ways in which a large UK INGO receives, mediates, and responds to relations with young adult activists; how those relations influence change at the individual and collective level; and how they interact with organisational culture and practice. My analysis identifies the possibilities, but also limitations of prefigurative learning for supporting the reimagining of INGO relationships with young adult activists in the UK.
I argue that UK INGOs must attend to reimagining relations with supporters if they are to remain relevant. This will demand those responsible for the institutional arrangements of UK INGOs learn from existing relations and translate this into changes in organisational culture and practices. This localisation of supporter relations in the Global North should be given the same commitment as has been shown to localisation processes with recipients in the Global South. I suggest that prefigurative learning provides a perspective on this localisation process and contributes new conceptual understanding to wider concerns for reimagining supporter relations for global social change.

Date of Award	27 Feb 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Northumbria University
Supervisor	Matt Baillie Smith (Supervisor)