2024 is set to be another busy year for SIDA, but global inequalities keep growing and humanitarian crises are expanding so we’re always going to be kept busy.
This year, we have plenty of plans in place to achieve our strategic goals and support our members in creating a fairer world. We also hope you’ll get involved to help steer and deliver our activities, so that we can become a truly member-led organisation.
A priority for the start of the year will be drumming up interest in the Scottish Government’s wellbeing and sustainable development bill consultation. This legislation could potentially mean that all public bodies consider their global impact when making decisions, meaning long-term thinking that connects domestic and international policies. But we really need to ensure that the legislation wording acknowledges the impact of decisions beyond our borders. The consultation closes on 14th February and we need your help to make this important point which otherwise might get dropped
Later in February we’ll be launching a report to outline what a transformative approach to global affairs would look like, aimed at both the UK and Scottish Governments. Our researchers have developed recommendations for decolonised, anti-racist, feminist, inclusive policies and we’re grateful for all members who contributed to this process. We’re looking forward to sharing the findings with you, and hope you’ll support our advocacy work in this space.
You’ll be able to find out more about the report at our Spring Conference (mid April, date tbc), which is going to be jam-packed full of workshops so you can exchange knowledge and ideas amongst our community. We’ll be delving into language policies (with our new policy hot off the press); locally-led working; raising diaspora voices; and general election campaigning.
At some point this year we’ll see a UK General Election so we’re planning to work hard to engage parliamentarians and policy-makers to ensure that the new government understands the transformations needed in their approach to global sustainable development. Get in touch if you’d like to be involved in our planning process.
One year closer to 2030 and the SDG Agenda has never been more important. We’re hitting the road with our SDG report, bringing iNGOs and academia together to explore how collaboration can improve SDG progress. We’ll be visiting at least six universities around Scotland and hope to see you along the way.
In 2024, we will also continue our work to encourage and grow active global citizenship in Scotland. This will involve a few different areas of focus, including supporting the aims of the Diaspora Steering Group on Global Citizenship and strengthening and connecting local and national networks of organisations and communities committed to raising consciousness about global citizenship. We will also be coordinating the co-development of shared guidance and learning resources around community-based responses to overseas humanitarian emergencies. We will be sharing more information on this work and how you can get involved over the coming months.
This year our knowledge exchange programme will be adding to its foundational events on safeguarding and grant writing, etc. with events on using AI in an iNGO, and programming support to lead locally. This will include support on finding alternative funding models, developing local language policies, and anything else you tell us might be useful to support organisational shifts of power and resources. We are also launching some podcast episodes to accompany these topics and support deeper exploration of these themes and networking of members. So, if you have AI experience, or successes and failures in your own shifting of power that you’d like to share with other members, please do get in touch! Likewise, please listen out for our upcoming AI, and Leading Locally podcasts! We’ll also continue to support our Scottish executives peer group with a great line up of topics ranging from funding support, working with boards in multiple countries, to finding good staff and any other topics that may arise.
Get involved
In the spirit of new year’s resolutions, here are 5 ways you could consider helping us do better!
- Complete our annual survey. Your feedback will be invaluable for our planning and you could even win a £100 ethical shopping voucher!
- Start a conversation on our members hub. We really want this to be a thriving community where members learn from each other, but we need some of you to make the first move!
- Hub feedback – perhaps you’re not keen on the hub, think we could create a different online community, or love it but want more people on there? Let us know! Drop David a line: david@intdevalliance.scot
- Ideas! We’re open to your suggestions year round, just drop us an email or fill in this form: Share your thoughts – Scotland’s International Development Alliance (intdevalliance.scot)
- Conference planning. Our annual conference will take place again in September and we’d love to work with members to develop content that reflects your needs. Can you help with session or speaker ideas, or perhaps you’d like to run a workshop? Get in touch with Francis if you can help: francis.rodgers@intdevalliance.scot