Over the past 20 months, we at APRRN have been implementing a co-leadership model, as co-Secretaries General with and without lived experiences of forced migration. We want to share with our membership and wider network and partners some of the lessons we’ve learned, the challenges we’ve faced, and the positive impact we’ve witnessed, on our journey towards more inclusive leadership and a shift in organisational culture.
So, why co-leadership?
Our dedication to empowering people with lived experience has long been part of APRRN’s DNA. We have recognised that the human rights and humanitarian sector often excludes refugee-led organisations (RLOs) and people with lived experience, including refugee leaders, from policy-and decision-making processes as well as resources. By adopting a co-leadership model, we have aimed to challenge this status quo and actively involve individuals with lived experience in leadership and governance, influencing solutions, advocating for rights, and leading our initiatives at the local, national, regional and global level.
The model also serves as an experiment and an example of how grassroots organisations, alongside INGOs and RLOs, can work together toward meaningful refugee participation;
"Shifting power and changing systems demand co-design and co-leadership between people with lived experiences and those with sector expertise. Only by valuing the expertise of refugees can we respond effectively, ensuring justice and dignity are at the core." — Hafsar Tameesuddin