Start Network is pleased to announce that 12 new local and national aid agencies, based in India, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo, have joined the network. The new members have joined as part of Start Network’s plans to build a more balanced network made up of more local and national actors.
The new members are:
- Appui aux Femmes Démunies et Enfants Marginalisés (AFEDEM) – based in DRC
- Association des Femmes pour la Promotion et le Développement Endogène (AFPDE) – based in DRC
- Bright Star Development Society Balochistan – based in Pakistan
- Caritas Goma – based in DRC
- Caritas India – based in India
- Health & Nutrition Development Society (HANDS) – based in Pakistan
- Help Foundation – based in Pakistan
- Initiative for Development and Empowerment Axis (IDEA) – based in Pakistan
- Midefehops-Asbl – based in DRC
- North-East Affected Area Development Society (NEADS) – based in India
- Sustainable Environment and Ecological Development Society (SEEDS) – based in India
- Yuganter – based in India
Start Network’s plan is that a greater diversity of organisations will lead the formation of Hubs, which are decentralised collectives of organisations at the national and regional level that will lead their own responses. These 12 organisations have working with organisations to set up Hubs in India, Pakistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Work has also begun on establishing Hubs in Guatemala and the Pacific region. Start Network intends to grow its membership base gradually, this will include supporting Hubs to bring in more members in those locations.
The new members were accepted into the network in 2019 and since then have been going through a rigorous due diligence and thorough induction process. This process has taken place because the new members will be able to access funding for humanitarian response through the Start Fund and other Start Network programmes. To ensure its funding is more accessible to local actors, Start Network has been trialling a new tiered due diligence system, which instead of a pass/fail model, enables organisations to pass at different levels.
Christina Bennett, CEO of the Start Network said:
“I am delighted to welcome these 12 local and national organisations into the Start Network. Together we are creating a new era of humanitarian action and local actors are central to catalysing important changes needed within the humanitarian sector. Local and national organisations have been marginalised from the global humanitarian system for too long, the Start Network is aiming to change that.”