Call for a manifest: Responsible Investment and Funding for Responsible Humanitarian Innovation

By Claire Barnhoorn - On

Wouldn’t it be time for a manifest? To demand to invest in responsible humanitarian innovation. A call to action for all agencies, institutes and philanthropist around the world investing, funding or supporting humanitarian innovation. To look beyond the great products or services, pitches and ideas-that-could-be and methodically raise three basic questions.

Responsible Innovation should be the norm

Responsible humanitarian innovation should be the norm. Investments labelled as humanitarian but which do not bring value to the humanitarian sector, do not benefit those in need or cause harm to people in a crisis, take away valuable resources. We need those resources to be used more efficiently and effectively; in order to save lives and provide human dignity to the people in need.

Within the humanitarian sector it is a no-brainer that we need to innovate. We need to be smarter, faster and increase the efficiency in our support and aid delivery. Needs and numbers have been rising over the last decade while the sector has become increasingly resource constrained. Last year, 2018, we were only been able to fund 60,9% of the identified humanitarian needs of people who are displaced or in need globally.  

Call for a manifest, for responsible funding and investment

This call for a manifest, request to step up and enable responsible humanitarian innovation with responsible funding and investments. We need to enable humanitarian innovation in order to support the 68,5 Million forcibly displaced people worldwide, the 133,8 Million people in need globally or the 117 Million people who lack safe water in crisis situations.

Responsible Humanitarian Innovation means adhering to ethical and humanitarian standards. Innovation by no means is allowed to cause harm to those in need. With the adoption of the innovation programs and business model concepts, we are morally obliged to also include the market scan as it is known in corporate business. Therefore, before any investment or funds to become available for humanitarian innovation, three questions need to be methodically answered:

  1. What is the use case?
  2. What other solutions/innovations exist already, or what has been done to date.
  3. Why is this innovation different, better, smarter, faster, more efficient, effective, accountable, cheaper etc.