“Localization has become a defining principle of education in emergencies (EiE)”, writes Lila Raouf.
Across the sector, agencies and donors emphasize shifting resources “closer to communities to increase efficiency, relevance, and sustainability. Yet in practice, localization often narrows to questions of who implements projects and manages grants.”
Raouf’s research with Sudanese refugee-led education initiatives in Egypt showed that localization cannot be reduced to funding pipelines or administrative decentralization, it also needs to address power relationships.
Localization succeeds only when refugee educators are recognized as legitimate knowledge holders and represented as co-governors of education systems—not just as beneficiaries or subcontractors.”