Partnership

Cambodia 5110 — **Photo:** Werner Anderson

Partners

Norwegian People's Aid engages in partnership with organizations with which we share common values. We work with actors who can mobilize for democratization and a fair distribution of resources because we believe popular mobilization is the driving force for achieving social, economic and / or political change. Norwegian People's Aid seeks to foster trust, open dialogue and mutual sharing of, for example, information, networks, skills and knowledge with the partners.

Advocacy

The partnership also commits us to speak on behalf of our partners in national and international conflicts where Norwegian People's Aid has taken a stand.

In accordance with the principles and value basis adopted by the General Assembly in August 2019, Norwegian People’s Aid should:

Cooperate with popular organisations and civil society to promote democratisation and thus contribute to a more just distribution of power and resources.
Support our partners’ work to ensure that strategic natural resources are managed sustainably and benefit the population at large.
Promote democracy, human rights, equality and a just distribution of power and resources between women and men.
Lobby for an increased focus on power and the distribution of resources in Norwegian development policy.
Strengthen resilience in communities prone to crisis by strengthening local agencies.
Promote the role of local organisations in response to humanitarian crises and strengthen their capacity to undertake this role.
Contribute to increased engagement and understanding of development issues in our local chapters, among members and in the population at large.
Strengthen cooperation with the Norwegian trade union movement concerning democratisation and international solidarity.

Democratisation

Norwegian People’s Aid international development work is founded on a political tenet: A prerequisite for just distribution is that people have the opportunity to participate in, and influence decision making. Development is not just about economic growth, knowledge or proper technical solutions. The most important factor is how power and resources are controlled and distributed. Therefore, the Norwegian People’s Aid International Strategy is about strengthening people’s opportunities to organise.

Mobilisation and public debate are crucial in a democracy.

Norwegian People’s Aid focuses on the actors because we believe that mobilisation is the driving force behind social, economic and political change. Norwegian People’s Aid aims to strengthen people’s own organisations in their struggle for democracy and greater political influence. Norwegian People’s Aid also undertakes active lobbying, both in Norway and internationally, based on the experiences and issues pursued by our partners in their respective countries.

Women’s rights and gender equality also play a key role in the Norwegian People’s Aid strategy.

A just distribution and access to land and natural resources is a prerequisite for those living from small-scale agriculture, animal husbandry or trading, to have food security and opportunities for economic development. Moreover, access to, and control over land is key to people’s social and cultural identity.

Lobbying

Cooperation with our partners obliges Norwegian People’s Aid to raise our political views on democracy and just distribution of resources with Norwegian authorities and the Norwegian public. The partnerships also oblige us to speak on behalf of our partners in national and international conflicts where Norwegian People’s Aid has adopted a political position.

Norwegian People’s Aid is working for Norwegian development policy to focus more on the distribution of power and resources, including the imbalance between women and men. In this work our partners in over 20 countries, in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East, play a key role.

Norwegian People’s Aid cooperates with a number of LO (The Norwegian Confederation of Trade Unions) associations in political lobbying of Norwegian authorities. We also work closely together with other political groupings and organisations in Norway on various issues.