There is no such thing as “business as usual” anymore. These turbulent times are forcing us, as an organization dedicated to international cooperation, to evolve. Increasingly complex operating conditions also present an opportunity to refine our understanding of our role. Together with over 40 Swiss NGOs, we have adopted a manifesto that encapsulates the principles of our work.
Pressure on international cooperation organizations has been mounting for years; massive cuts in government funding and anti-democratic trends in many countries are increasingly restricting civil society’s scope for action. Geopolitical events are unfolding at a rapid pace, and certainties are wavering. The rules-based international order—built on shared principles and international treaties governing how states should interact with one another—as well as international humanitarian law are being openly flouted.
The challenges we face in our work are enormous. Especially in times of great instability, it is essential that international cooperation organizations reflect on their important role. At the same time, they must continue to evolve.
Partnerships on Equal Footing
terre des hommes schweiz is convinced that our local partner organizations must be at the heart of our work. Only in this way can international cooperation be fair, effective, and sustainable. At the same time, we are aware of the problematic historical roots and colonial legacy of development cooperation. These continue to shape power imbalances today and stand in the way of equal partnerships.
Manifesto: Rooted locally. Connected globally.
With the launch in February 2026 of the Manifesto for Locally Rooted International Cooperation, we are embarking on a process of learning and development together with over 40 Swiss organizations. How can we overcome traditional structures and patterns and, step by step, decolonize our work?
We want to reduce power imbalances, strengthen local ownership, foster equitable partnerships, ensure high-quality financing, and safeguard the space for civil society. More on this.
For terre des hommes schweiz, it goes without saying that our project funding goes directly to local partner organizations; they are the experts in their own contexts. In doing so, we invest in long-term, trust-based partnerships built on shared values.
But even though the principle of partnership-based collaboration with local organizations is part of our DNA, we are still in the midst of a transformation process on the path to decolonization. We are currently taking a close look at our organizational structure. What functions, roles, and responsibilities are needed at our headquarters in Basel? What tasks and responsibilities can our country offices in Brazil, El Salvador, Colombia, Nicaragua, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe take on ?
Locally Led Development
Responsibility and decision-making authority should be consistently shifted to where programs are implemented. A concrete example is the shared leadership and shared thematic responsibility in Southern Africa: Since early 2023, one person in Switzerland and one in Zimbabwe have shared responsibility for the programs as well as for thematic learning in our projects. As a result, decisions are more closely aligned with the local context, and responsibility is shared. This enables joint decision-making and co-design at the strategic level. These experiences are encouraging and are now being implemented in Latin America as well.
Further changes aimed at strengthening local roots include, for example, the promotion of flexible funding approaches that allow partners to invest in institutional development and innovation. They facilitate the promotion of learning processes in program countries, in which responsibility for knowledge management is fully transferred to our national country offices.
New Roles—Even in Switzerland
When we transfer responsibilities from Basel to the local offices of terre des hommes schweiz in Africa and Latin America, it changes our role in Switzerland. We can engage more deeply in development policy debates and work harder to ensure that Swiss policymakers take global justice and human rights seriously worldwide . This will help ensure that Switzerland does not lose sight of its values, even in turbulent times.
Andrea Zellhuber, development policy
