Demonstrating change on locally led humanitarian action in the Pacific: Ki Namuka Vata Ga Nikua

Ki Namuka vata ga nikua is a Fijian idiom that literally translates to “We will all reach Namuka today”. It means that it makes no difference if one travels one way or another, or faster than someone else. The result is the same. We will all get there at the same time. In the journey of localisation, different actors have their own philosophies, approaches and speeds of making progress - but everyone must play their part in this journey.

This report is the culmination of four years of research on localisation in the Pacific. At a time when the humanitarian sector is trying to understand and reorient approaches to supporting locally led response, this research shows how far we’ve come and how far we’ve yet to travel. It is part of a broader effort across the sector to explore how our ways of working can become more locally led, appropriate and fit for purpose.