https://fennia.journal.fi/issue/feedFennia - International Journal of Geography2025-06-18T11:00:50+03:00Kirsi Pauliina Kallioeditor.fennia@geography.fiOpen Journal Systems<p align="left">Fennia is a non-profit peer-review journal published by the Geographical Society of Finland since 1889. It is an international scientific publication dedicated to all fields of geography with attentiveness to northern dimensions. In 2010, Fennia became an open access electronic journal with two yearly issues. It is devoted to a fast publication process, including the open access publication of forthcoming papers before inclusion in an issue. The journal has no submission or article processing charges, and authors retain all rights to their work throughout the publication process and after publication. We appreciate that authors clearly bring up that the text has been originally published in Fennia. We also offer the opportunity to publish short, popularized texts based on research articles through the <a href="https://www.versuslehti.fi/english/">Versus</a> platform that aims to make research more visible, dialogical and effective in societies.</p> <p align="left">Fennia publishes papers of high scholarly merit in three categories: Research Papers, Reviews and Essays, and Reflections. Research Papers are original full-length articles that make a significant contribution to geographic and related research. Reviews and Essays introduce empirical, theoretical or methodological insights from ongoing research, including dialogical literature reviews. Reflections section includes commentaries, debates, discussion pieces, interventions, lectio praecursoria, and other argumentative short texts related to contemporary issues, including commentaries to our published articles stemming from open review process. With these three publication formats, Fennia seeks to take forward geographical research and discussion in a critical and responsible spirit. In addition to individual contributions, the journal welcomes proposals for special issues and sections.</p> <p align="left">The fully open access Fennia publications are under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (<a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CC BY 4.0</a>). The journal is member of the Committee on Publication Ethics (<a href="http://publicationethics.org/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">COPE</a>) and follows the peer review standards set by the Federation of Finnish Learned Societies (<a href="http://www.tsv.fi/en/services/label-for-peer-reviewed-scholarly-publications" target="_blank" rel="noopener">TSV</a><a href="http://ip-science.thomsonreuters.com/cgi-bin/jrnlst/jlresults.cgi?PC=MASTER&Word=fennia" target="_self">)</a>. It is indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (<a href="https://doaj.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DOAJ</a>) and the Thomson Reuters Emerging Sources Citation Index (<a href="http://ip-science.thomsonreuters.com/cgi-bin/jrnlst/jlresults.cgi?PC=MASTER&Word=fennia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ESCI</a>), and is part of the <a href="http://freejournals.org/">Free Journal Network</a>. The main language of the journal is English.</p>https://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/162405Reimagining humanitarianism: relational accountability in locally-led responses 2025-05-30T21:41:02+03:00Cindy HorstHilde RefstieCathrine BrunMohideen Mohamed AlikhanMarta Bivand ErdalDanesh JayatilakaAhmed MusaEria SerwajjaEmmanuel Viga<p><span data-contrast="auto">In debates on humanitarianism in the last decade or so, ‘localisation’ has been a central concern, broadly referring to the transfer of decision-making power, resources, and responsibility to local and national actors. While the inclusion of certain actors such as local and national non-governmental organisations (NGOs) is relatively straightforward, incorporating others — like affected communities themselves or local less formal civil society — is often more complex. The special issue on </span><em><span data-contrast="auto">reimagining humanitarianism</span></em><span data-contrast="auto"> examines the transformative potential of centering communitarian practices, including mutual assistance networks, relational support systems, and local accountability frameworks, in order to rethink humanitarian action from the ground up.</span><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":0,"335559740":360}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">In this editorial, we focus on core themes in the individual articles in connection with research on local understandings and practices of accountability. ‘Local’ refers not only to actors in geographic proximity to the affected populations, but also to the embeddedness in social, cultural and accountability systems of the crisis-affected contexts. We argue that formal accountability mechanisms — systems that hold donors, NGOs, and implementing agencies responsible for their actions, decisions, and resource use — are valuable but can create an illusion of control in crisis settings. Humanitarian </span><span data-contrast="none">response is enacted by human beings, and it is ultimately human beings who hold each other to account. If accountability is truly understood as an opportunity to learn, grow, improve, in ways that include different stakeholders’ perspectives, it should be possible to achieve more reciprocal and genuine forms of accountability. This requires a perspective that centres and redefines understandings of power from a relational perspective.</span></p>2025-06-25T00:00:00+03:00Copyright (c) 2025 Cindy Horst, Cathrine Brun, Hilde Refstiehttps://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/144448Beyond accountability? Exploring the promises and challenges of citizen collectives2024-07-01T11:06:11+03:00Robin Vandevoordt<p><span class="TextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">While humanitarian accountability has been a </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">trending</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0"> topic for quite some time, most of the debate has revolved around formal mechanisms that are used by large, professional (</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">i</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">nternational</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">)</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">n</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">on</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">-</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">g</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">overnmental </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">o</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">rganisation</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">. </span><span class="NormalTextRun AdvancedProofingIssueV2Themed SCXW231471760 BCX0">In spite of</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0"> the ‘localisation of aid’ agenda, only a handful of studies have explored how grassroots actors deal with questions of accountability, and how this differs or aligns with the practices of their professional counterparts. This article contributes to this emerging line of inquiry by zooming </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">in </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">on a specific type of grassroots actor</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">: citizen collectives in Europe, who act in solidarity with people on the move. </span><span class="NormalTextRun AdvancedProofingIssueV2Themed SCXW231471760 BCX0">In spite of</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0"> the </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0">apparent</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW231471760 BCX0"> absence of scholarly and practical debates on accountability within such collectives, I argue that issues of accountability lie at the heart of what citizen collectives do, and that they deal with these issues in a way that distinguishes them from other actors. By drawing on a re-interpretation of several ethnographic projects, I formulate four exploratory theses on what accountability looks like within such collectives, and what promises and pitfalls their approach may hold for broader debates on humanitarian accountability.</span></span></p>2025-06-18T00:00:00+03:00Copyright (c) 2025 Robin Vandevoordthttps://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/145435Reimagining diaspora humanitarianism in the digital age: exploring the near and far diaspora dynamics among Congolese refugees in Nairobi, Kenya 2024-06-14T15:52:18+03:00Marie GodinCadeau Heritier<p><span class="TextRun SCXW33379354 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW33379354 BCX0">The study of diasporas has traditionally focused on the relationship between the ‘Global North’ and ‘Global South,’ while often overlooking the transnational and trans-local connections that exist across different territories. To date, there has been limited research on how diasporas that are geographically close to their homelands engage in humanitarian efforts and development initiatives. In this case study of the Banyamulenge Congolese refugee community in Nairobi, Kenya, we explore new forms of technology-mediated diaspora humanitarianism. We </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW33379354 BCX0">demonstrate</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW33379354 BCX0"> how social media platforms, particularly YouTube, are reshaping power dynamics between the ‘near-and-far diaspora,’ especially among the youth. Importantly, we highlight how traditional support systems, such as the </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW33379354 BCX0">‘</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW33379354 BCX0">mutuality system</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW33379354 BCX0">’,</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW33379354 BCX0"> have been successfully adapted to the digital age and integrated into platforms like WhatsApp. The impact of multiple crises</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW33379354 BCX0">—</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW33379354 BCX0">including humanitarian and economic hardships both in their home country and in exile, the COVID-19 pandemic, and legal uncertainties surrounding refugee rights</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW33379354 BCX0">—</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW33379354 BCX0">alongside increased digital connectivity has significantly altered roles and responsibilities in diaspora humanitarianism.</span></span></p>2025-06-23T00:00:00+03:00Copyright (c) 2025 Marie Godin, Cadeau Heritierhttps://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/145439The localization of aid in protracted conflicts: rethinking the Triple Nexus through the grounded temporality of Syrian refugees2024-08-08T08:37:06+03:00Nell Gabiam<p>This article enters ongoing debates about the definition and purpose of localization by drawing on interviews conducted in 2017 with members of Syrian refuge-led Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) based in the border city of Gaziantep in southern Turkey, who were involved in cross-border assistance and support networks targeting civilians inside Syria. Syrian individuals and NGOs have played a major role across the Triple Nexus of humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding assistance to war-affected Syrians. Additionally, Syrian refugee-led NGOs have been a crucial link in the cross-border aid effort targeting Syrian civilians living in rebel-controlled parts of the country, areas that were deemed too dangerous to work in by most international organizations. Drawing on the narratives of members of Syrian refugee-led NGOs whose past lives in Syria, diasporic experience as refugees in Turkey, and aspirations for Syria’s future informed their cross-border assistance to fellow Syrians, I argue that the work of these refugee aid providers is informed by a ‘grounded’ temporality. This temporality emerges out of refugees’ personal connection to Syria and contrasts with the linear, donor-centric one that informs institutionalized international aid. I end with a reflection on whether localization as empowerment can be achieved by incorporating the grounded temporality that informs the work of Syrian refugee aid providers into efforts to design an effective Triple Nexus response to protracted conflict.</p>2025-06-18T00:00:00+03:00Copyright (c) 2025 Nell Gabiamhttps://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/145327From accounting to accountability: social and relational accountability among civic humanitarian actors in Uganda 2024-06-14T15:21:29+03:00Emmanuel VigaHilde Refstie<p><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">This article</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> examines</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> how accountability is understood and practiced in refugee and community</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> led</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> assistance among South Sudanese refugees in Uganda. Although the humanitarian localisation agenda advocates </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">greater</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> support </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">for</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> local actors, accountability remains contested and complex. Dominant</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">frameworks emphasi</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">e formal mechanisms</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">such as reporting, audits, and compliance with donor requirements</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">rooted in a </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">technomanagerial </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">logic of control and risk management. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">By constrast, this article</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">highlights</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> how accountability is enacted through informal, socially embedded practices shaped by soft power, collective expectations, social standing, and relational responsibilit</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">ies</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">.</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork conducted between 2020 and 2023, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">it </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">explore</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> accountability as it emerges in diaspora networks, c</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">ommunity</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> leadership, familial and neighborly </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">assistance</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">, and communal practices. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">The analysis is grounded in four main bodies of literature: African relational philosophies such as Ubuntu</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">,</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> scholarship on socialising forms of accountability, decolonial critiques of humanitarian governance, and literature on community driven development. Together, they offer a framework for understanding accountability not only as technomanagerial procedures, but as a dynamic, negotiated social process. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">Through ethnographic vignettes, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">the article</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">shows</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> that relational and technomanagerial forms of accountability are not necessarily opposites or mutually exclusive</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">, but </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">operate with different logics.</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">This has </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">implications for</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> the humanitarian localisation agenda</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">:</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">w</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">hen </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">community and refugee led accountability </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">is made </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">legible</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> to international actors</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">,</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">informal relational practices are often t</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0">urned</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW98729667 BCX0"> into formal indicators, distorting local meanings and reinforcing hierarchies. The article calls for redefining accountability in humanitarianism as a process attentive to context, culture, relationships, and lived experience.</span></p>2025-06-18T00:00:00+03:00Copyright (c) 2025 Emmanuel Viga, Hilde Refstiehttps://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/145428‘A trusted person is cursed’. Trust as an accountability mechanism in the Somali collective response to crises 2024-09-10T05:47:55+03:00Ahmed MusaCindy Horst<p><span class="TextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">A wide range of actors respond to humanitarian crises, including those present in or socially embedded in the local context. How are local responders held accountable by those who provide them with funds to support collective responses to crisis, and by those they </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">provide assistance to</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">? We answer this question through empirical research on collective crisis responses during droughts in Somaliland.</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">Somaliland is a self-declared republic in the northern region of Somalia, seeking international recognition and functioning with its own government and institutions since 1991.</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">In Somaliland, social security is rarely provided by the </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">state, but</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0"> is </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">rather supplied</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0"> within kinship- and locality-based networks, which also play </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">a central role</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0"> in times of crisis. We argue that elaborate accountability systems exist, embedded in social practice. These systems are built on long-term relationships and are more holistic in scope than narrowly defined technical-financial understandings of accountability common in international humanitarianism. Drawing on literature on trust and our empirical research, we argue that </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">locally-embedded</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0"> humanitarianism needs to be understood from a relational ethical perspective. In Somali collective crisis response, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">accountability </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">practices are </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">upheld collectively. They are</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0"> built and </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">maintained</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0"> through reciprocity and individuals fulfilling expectations, thus further cementing existing social relations</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">.</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">Informal a</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">ccountability measures to sanction an abuse of trust</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0"> in this context serve to </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">strengthen the social support system</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0"> rather than punish individual wrongdoings</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">.</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">Wrongdoers</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0"> are thought to receive their punishment through </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">being </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">curse</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">d</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW179784613 BCX0">face the wrath of God, and societal condemnation.</span></span><span class="EOP SCXW179784613 BCX0" data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":0,"335559740":360}"> </span></p>2025-06-23T00:00:00+03:00Copyright (c) 2025 Ahmed Musa, Cindy Horsthttps://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/159804Relational accountability dynamics in refugee-led education systems 2025-03-13T10:20:23+02:00Hassan Aden<p><span data-contrast="auto">Mainstream aid discourse often emphasises perceived deficiencies of refugee-led initiatives regarding their capacity to deliver quality services and meet donor requirements, including accountability standards. Despite misrepresentations, emerging evidence shows that refugee-led initiatives in some contexts outperform traditional aid organisations in quality and effective service delivery. A possible explanation for their success is that their governance system is effective, including accountability processes. There is much literature on the accountability of conventional aid organisations. Yet, little attention has been paid to understanding the accountability of refugee-led systems, especially formal ones with legal status and accountability obligations to the host state. This study fills this knowledge gap. It explores principles and mechanisms that govern accountability in the refugee-led education system using ethnographic data from nationally accredited refugee-led schools in the Dadaab camp complex. Established in 1991 in the arid north-eastern region of Kenya, it has been a home to refugees from Eastern and Central Africa, the majority of whom are Somalis. Dadaab comprises three camps: Hagadera, Ifo, and Dagahaley. The study underscores that accountability relations between refugees and refugee-led schools operate as a living process shaped by everyday direct interactions, shared educational goals, collaborative efforts, reciprocal oversight, and answerability among stakeholders. I argue that technical reporting methods that characterise conventional aid are counterproductive without input from recipients. While refugees cannot hold conventional aid organisations to account due to power imbalances, geographical distance from decision-makers and complex bureaucratic procedures, they are the founders and funders of refugee-led schools in Dadaab. Proximity and direct access between those who benefit from education and those who provide it create everyday interpersonal interactions that enable relational accountability.</span></p>2025-06-18T00:00:00+03:00Copyright (c) 2025 Hassan Adenhttps://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/146021Using photovoice methodology to capture narratives of Sri Lankan Northern Muslims displacement 2024-05-31T12:11:38+03:00Mohideen AlikhanDanesh Jayatilaka<p><span class="TextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">This paper explores the Photovoice method as a participatory research tool. Using the case study of displaced northern Muslims in Sri Lanka, it illustrates how the method can yield valuable insights into experiences of protracted displacement</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">. The study highlighted </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">four</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0"> key methodological strengths of photovoice in displacement </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">research, they </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">are</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">: </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">illustrating the power of the visual; eliciting deeper understandings of lived experiences </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">—</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0"> through dialog and images; taking meaningful steps towards co-production of knowledge; and offering meaningful processes for participants, including community dialogue, across positionalities that are different</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">A key emphasis of the paper is the usefulness of Photovoice due to its breadth and ground-up approach. We worked closely for one year with 45 Muslim Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were forcibly evicted from Northern Sri Lanka by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in 1990. The people selected had a range of displacement, resettlement and/or local integration </span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW29796153 BCX0">experiences</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0"> and they shared with us images and stories of loss, grief, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">support</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0"> and recovery in three distinct settings across a 30-year period. Their narratives </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">demonstrated</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0"> how the displaced and the local humanitarians held each other to account, as they reflected on the power of ‘their’ visuals through voice accounts. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">By participating in the research as photographers and story tellers, the IDPs together with the researchers were able to actively shape and share their experiences in the broader discourse of conflict, displacement and humanitarian assistance.</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0"> The study illustrated new ways to think as researchers, and </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">about </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">the relationships towards and with </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">participants</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW29796153 BCX0">.</span></span></p>2025-06-23T00:00:00+03:00Copyright (c) 2025 Mohideen Mohamed Alikhan, Danesh Jayatilakahttps://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/156946Humanitarian accountability in an age of impunity — commentary to Vandevoordt2025-02-12T12:07:48+02:00Heidi Mogstad<p><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)">In a time of escalating state violence and the criminalisation of both migration and humanitarian work, this paper explores how we can think and write about humanitarian accountability under these conditions. The paper is written in conversation with </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)">Vandevoordt’s</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)"> work on citizen collectives’ accountability practices, which shows how accountability is being reimagined and reenacted by citizens acting in solidarity with refugees outside state and public scrutiny. While acknowledging the risks of exploitation and abuse, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)">Vandevoordt</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)">suggests that these risks can be mitigated and that cultures of humanitarian accountability can be fostered in the absence of formal oversight and regulation. Building on these insights, </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)">the paper calls</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)"> for greater scholarly attention to informal and vernacular approaches to humanitarian accountability, as well as the </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)">difficult decisions</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)"> and </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)">uneasy </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)">compromises humanitarian actors must navigate in an increasingly hostile</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)"> political</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)"> climate. It concludes by advocating for scholarly accountability and deeper dialogue and collaboration with aid </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)">organisations</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW129017246 BCX0" data-ccp-parastyle="Normal (Web)"> and solidarity networks. </span></p>2025-06-23T00:00:00+03:00Copyright (c) 2025 Heidi Mogstadhttps://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/162431Filling the gap or taking the lead? Refugee led organisations in Uganda 2025-06-01T20:20:55+03:00Keluel Agook Kuol ArouSiham Ahmed Joyeux Mugisho Simon Marot TouloungHilde Refstie<p><span class="TextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0">Authored by refugee leaders in Uganda for Fennia’s special issue on humanitarian </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW32615455 BCX0">localisation</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0"> and accountability, this reflection asserts that our voices must be heard wherever displacement is </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW32615455 BCX0">analysed</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0"> and policy is set. </span></span><span class="TextRun Highlight SCXW32615455 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="none"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0">Nothing about us without us. </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0">Refugee-Led </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW32615455 BCX0">Organisations</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0"> are not only first responders. We are educators, health promoters, </span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW32615455 BCX0">peacebuilders</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0"> and advocates. </span></span><span class="TextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0" lang="EN-US" xml:lang="EN-US" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0">Our initiatives reach communities sooner, cost less and </span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW32615455 BCX0">carries</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0"> trust that international </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW32615455 BCX0">programmes</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0"> rarely match.</span> <span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0">In this piece we argue that w</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0">hat we lack is not another training manual but the resources and authority </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0">that </span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW32615455 BCX0">match</span><span class="NormalTextRun ContextualSpellingAndGrammarErrorV2Themed SCXW32615455 BCX0"> with</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0"> the responsibilities we already shoulder.</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0"> This is needed if the humanitarian </span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW32615455 BCX0">localisation</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0"> agenda is to be anything more than a slogan</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW32615455 BCX0">.</span></span></p>2025-06-23T00:00:00+03:00Copyright (c) 2025 Keluel Agook , Kuol Arou, Siham Ahmed , Joyeux Mugisho , Simon Marot Touloung, Hilde Refstiehttps://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/162748What can we learn from locally led experiences in Sudan? 2025-06-12T14:30:55+03:00Kari Eliassen-ViejoSian Olwen Rowbotham<p><span data-ccp-props="{"201341983":0,"335551550":6,"335551620":6,"335559739":0,"335559740":360}"> </span></p> <p><span data-contrast="auto">While it is easy to say that partnership is a two-way process, this is not so easy to implement in practice. Norwegian Peoples Aid (NPA) wish to respect partners’ agency and recognise the inherent power imbalances that exist in a partnership relationship. Having worked in self-implementing international non-governmental organisations, we’ve seen firsthand how traditional aid models can sometimes sideline local knowledge and reinforce Western-dominated narratives. That’s why we value the model that NPA champions. We are actively challenging those imbalances by prioritising local leadership, amplifying community voices and shifting from a model of imposition to one of genuine collaboration. It’s not just a different approach; it’s a necessary correction in a sector that has struggled to adhere to the values of anti-colonialism, independence and participation.</span></p>2025-06-18T00:00:00+03:00Copyright (c) 2025 Kari Eliassen-Viejo, Sian Olwen Rowbothamhttps://fennia.journal.fi/article/view/159961Discussions on locally-led humanitarian assistance amongst European INGOs and donors — shifting practices or challenging mental models? 2025-03-20T16:05:47+02:00Sever DzigurskiCindy Horst<p><span class="TextRun SCXW233396559 BCX0" lang="EN-GB" xml:lang="EN-GB" data-contrast="auto"><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW233396559 BCX0">This reflection piece explores the mental models underlying the formalized humanitarian system and the localization debates within it. The authors argue that these mental models draw on neoliberal and Eurocentric development logic that have been challenged in post-capitalist, post-</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW233396559 BCX0">development</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW233396559 BCX0"> and post-postcolonial theory. A demand for more radical transformation of the system would entail acknowledging other mental models that de-</span><span class="NormalTextRun SpellingErrorV2Themed SCXW233396559 BCX0">center</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW233396559 BCX0"> the global north while at the same time creating space for conversation</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW233396559 BCX0">s about power that recognize historically grounded, structural power inequalities. These alternative perspectives are grounded in a relational ethics that emphasizes interconnectedness and interdependence, is rooted in reciprocity, solidarity, and care, and values long-term relationships shaped by shared histories and collective futures. While at present, discussions on locally-led approaches often separate the realm of mental models and practical operationalisations, we argue that there are elements that c</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW233396559 BCX0">onnect the two — with mental models </span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW233396559 BCX0">impacting</span><span class="NormalTextRun SCXW233396559 BCX0"> ideas about technical solutions and vice versa.</span></span></p>2025-06-23T00:00:00+03:00Copyright (c) 2025 Sever Dzigurski, Cindy Horst