A Better World is Possible: Re-Imagining Humanitarian Leadership

Our mentorship program has a new name! (Re)introducing, In-Sight Collaborative's Global Humanitarian Leadership Program: A journey of critical reflection and collaborative learning for people from all walks of life who want to build a better world. 

Our goal was, and remains, to create opportunities for collaborative learning so that we can individually and collectively combat the harms perpetuated by the nonprofit industrial complex (NPIC) and other intersecting systems of oppression and violence while also radically imagining and creating a new way of being.

As global humanitarian needs change, we change, too! In-Sight Collaborative strongly believes that an organization moves in the direction of the questions it is asking. It is our job as an entity in the humanitarian space to constantly critique and assess whether or not our programs and offerings are relevant and fit for purpose, especially in the fast-changing context of humanitarian and activist spaces. Originally a mentorship program designed to provide mentoring, learning, and networking opportunities for young professionals during the isolation and limitations of COVID-19, the program has grown to fit the evolving needs of humanitarian actors, activists, and organizers in the current context.

Our program mission is to cultivate future humanitarian leaders by giving them the tools, resources, and professional network that they need to participate in the sector in a meaningful way. We believe that anyone with the right mindset and a willingness to engage can be an effective part of the humanitarian response from any background, profession, or sector. Our program rebranding aims to better communicate the offerings of this radical program and to emphasize the unique dynamic of a collaborative, non-hierarchical learning space. 

Why did we change the program name? The In-Sight team recognized that the language describing the program did not adequately reflect the structure of the program materials or the program outcomes. “Mentorship” implies a power dynamic that is not reflective of the co-learning environment that the program fosters. While there are mentoring elements to the roles of program facilitators and educators, we believe that the program goes beyond mentoring and is more of a collaborative, non-hierarchical space where people can come to share ideas, ask questions, and gain new insights along with potential mentoring if that fits their needs. 

What is our goal? The goal of the program remains the same: cultivating future humanitarian leaders. The mentorship program was born in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic to offer a novel opportunity to collaborate across professions, movements, and with people in different sectors and geographic spaces. The global halt and abrupt disruption of the status quo gave us all an opportunity to reflect and critically analyze the true impact of the work we were doing and, we believe, acted as an awakening for many of us as the pandemic intensified preexisting social injustice, inequities, and harmful global narratives that so many of us passively accepted in our daily lives. Our goal was, and remains, to create opportunities for collaborative learning so that we can individually and collectively combat the harms perpetuated by the nonprofit industrial complex (NPIC) and other intersecting systems of oppression and violence while also radically imagining and creating a new way of being.

Who is the program designed for? We are hoping that the more broad and inclusive name of the program will provide an invitation to participate for people at varying levels of humanitarian and activist engagement from aspiring grassroots volunteers up to established leaders at large NGOs. This may include any of the following: 

• The self-identified “Average Joe” - people who are aware and engaged in social justice work, activism, and/or humanitarian work at a grassroots level but don't identify as a career humanitarian, full-time activist, or someone who participates in the non-profit sector professionally but wants to learn more about how to engage meaningfully with social justice issues at a grassroots level

• Current students of all ages (we recommend participants be at least 15 years of age and need parental permission if they are under 18) who are pursuing or exploring a career in humanitarian work 

• Current actors in humanitarian and/or nonprofit work, activism, or other forms of social justice work or organizing who want to connect with like minded people and explore emergent strategies that will help us break free of the non-profit/aid industrial complex and into a new world of solidarity and care

• Newly graduated individuals looking for practical experience and professional networking opportunities after obtaining their degrees

• Established professionals with lots of experience in the NPIC who have likely experienced moral injury and recognize the ways that nonprofits are tools of colonialism and co-opt social justice and liberation movements

• Those in a transitional period of their lives either looking for a new job, exploring a new sector, or looking to get engaged in social justice movements as retirees

We are very excited for this new chapter of our program and we hope that you will consider joining us and spreading the word about the program in your network and community! Learn more and apply here!