We are a movement of Local and National Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) from the Global South rooted in our communities who share a common goal of promoting fair, equitable and dignified partnerships in the current aid system. We focus on genuine local participation at all levels of development and disaster management, to ensure effective aid is delivered to people in need.

'NEAR' stands for Network for Empowered Aid Response. It acknowledges the vital role played by our members, who are closer to their communities and often first to respond in times of crisis. It is their effectiveness and speediness in responding that often saves lives within the first few days of an emergency.

We are a consortia of local organisations who are entrepreneurs and innovators in finding solutions to challenges that they intimately understand. We want to build on this and shape a system where local communities are empowered agents of change with the capacity to address the challenges that impact their own communities