Our Commitment
As a member of the international humanitarian community, we recognise the legacy of our sector and that, as an influential, UK-based organisation, we hold a position of power and privilege that others do not. We hold ourselves accountable to be part of the change that must come and to live up to our responsibilities to those affected by crises.
So, we’re making three long-term commitments:
- Become an anti-racist organisation
- Be climate responsible
- Shift the power
These commitments formalise the things we believe in and the direction we’re taking. They’ll continue to shape our development as people and as an organisation. And they’ll help us take even greater strides towards building a better humanitarian community.
“Racism has no place in the international aid and humanitarian system, in work, in the world.”
Commitment to anti-racism
We are committed to being an anti-racist organisation. Racism has no place in the international aid and humanitarian system, in work, in the world. Deep-rooted inequalities in the global aid system are replicated in humanitarian research and innovation practices. As part of that system, we could be part of the problem. We know that conscious and unconscious racism can be present in every aspect of our work, from the expertise we choose to engage with or the way we review funding applications, to our recruitment and recognition of our staff and governing bodies.
We have made a long-term commitment to consciously and continuously consider how racism may affect our culture, working practices and decision-making, and to learn from others about how we can proactively address this.
Becoming an anti-racist organisation
We have developed a set of strategic commitments to anti-racism and are working on our detailed action plan to realise these as an organisational priority.
“We want to see a more equitable and effective humanitarian research and innovation system.”
Commitment to shifting the power
We want to see a more equitable and effective humanitarian research and innovation system that leads to better, locally informed, and culturally appropriate responses for people affected by crises. The humanitarian community has so much potential but could benefit from greater inclusion and cohesion. There is an imbalance in voice and power. Actors with global reach are favoured by research and innovation opportunities, and too often, local humanitarian actors with expertise and knowledge of local priorities, and researchers and innovators from low- and middle-income countries, are marginalised in, or excluded from, global research and innovation.
This situation is counterproductive to efforts to improve the lives and wellbeing of people affected by crises. It’s driven us to commit to shifting the power, by seeking out more inclusive and equitable models of research and innovation and community-led innovations. We’ll work towards creating greater equity in our own work and in the broader system of humanitarian research and innovation.
“We want to help minimise the impact of human-induced climate change on the world’s most vulnerable people.”
Commitment to being climate and environmentally responsible
We want to help minimise the impact of human-induced climate change on the world’s most vulnerable people, as part of an environmentally responsible international system. The human-induced climate crisis is threatening the survival of millions of people across the world. It’s leading to unprecedented increases in natural disasters, extreme weather events, greater transmission of diseases and infections, and unsustainable changes in human migration patterns.
As a member of the humanitarian community, we recognise the heavy environmental impact of our international aid system. We are part of the problem that creates the humanitarian need to which we respond. No one working in humanitarian action wants this to be the case. And it will take conscious, committed and collective action to turn this around.
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Explore Elrha
Learn more about Elrha’s mission, the organizations we support, and the resources we provide to drive innovation in humanitarian response.