‘If you could speak to anyone in the world about the challenges facing your community today, who would you speak to?’ Across nine contexts facing humanitarian conflicts and crises, fourteen civil society leaders were nearly unanimous in their response, citing global leaders, the UN Security Council (UNSC) and the UN Secretary General.
This paper centres the voices of civil society leaders living and working on the frontlines of conflict. These individuals are frequently excluded from the institutions and negotiations that shape their lives – not because they lack expertise or solutions, but because power remains concentrated in the hands of actors who are rarely held accountable to the people most affected by their decisions. Civil society representatives live with the consequences of actions taken by governments, occupying powers, armed groups, donors and multilateral institutions. While these individuals bear the weight of the crises as both service providers and civilians, they are not helpless victims. They are leaders in their field, delivering civilian protection, advocacy and humanitarian response efforts across their communities.