Susanna Kremer
Seeing Without Defining: Michael Steffen on Photography and Power Dynamics
At this year’s European Humanitarian Forum, Michael Steffen’s photographs from South Sudan, taken during his field work with Malteser International, are being exhibited publicly for the first time. In our conversation, we talk about photography as a form of listening, the ethical boundaries of representation, and how power dynamics still shape the stories we tell - even when we try our best to get it right.
“Standards Without Listening Are Just Control”: William Anderson on the Sphere Rewrite, P-FIM, and the Future of Humanitarian Accountability
It has been described as the second most essential thing after a toothbrush for humanitarians. But the Sphere Handbook is about to undergo its most significant transformation yet. William Anderson, CEO of Sphere, explains why a moment of crisis may offer the opportunity to get things right, by rethinking what standards are for, how dignity gets lost in systems thinking, and why the next version of the Handbook will be more contextualized and community-fed than ever before.
“This Is Not Idealism—It’s Realism”: Ilona Kickbusch on Global, One and Planetary Health
Global Health, One Health, Planetary Health. These concepts are on everyone's lips—from humanitarian practitioners to international donors, from academic conferences to G7 communiqués. But how well do we truly understand them? What do they mean in a time of shifting geopolitics, environmental crisis, and institutional uncertainty? OneSec spoke with Prof. Dr. Ilona Kickbusch, one of the most influential voices in global public health, about the political power of language, the responsibilities of the sector—and why it’s time to rethink what we mean by “health.”
“It’s Growing Together”: Building Partnerships, Resilience, and Local Leadership in Humanitarian Work
After 23 years of leading regional program work at Malteser International, Roland Hansen is transitioning to his new role as Senior Business Partnership Advisor. What does it take to adapt and lead in a sector as dynamic as humanitarian work? In this exclusive OneSec interview, Roland reflects on his remarkable journey and offers insights into localization, leadership, and the evolving landscape of humanitarian-development-peace (HDP) collaboration.
Post-Assad Syria: True Justice Means Transforming Pain Into Purpose
Ahmad Helmi on rebuilding Syria post-Assad: justice for victims, fostering resilience, and empowering civil society for lasting change.
GFFO: Localization Needs Both Our Efforts and INGOs to Step Up
Dr. Sebastian Neubauer leads the team for humanitarian assistance in Africa within the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO). His work involves balancing multiple priorities, from risk management to localization in challenging environments like Sudan and Somalia. In this interview, Dr. Neubauer shares his insights on the complexities of localization, the role of INGOs, and what’s needed to turn localization from policy to practice.
Do No Harm in NGO Communications
There are good and necessary alternatives to the b-word and to undignified imagery. Article by Susanna Kremer, Editor-in-chief at OneSec Magazine.
Beyond the Buzzword: Why Localization Must Center on Community Voices
Localization is often presented as the panacea for transforming humanitarian aid. But what does it really mean, and are local NGOs automatically better equipped to represent communities? We sat down with Gerry McCarthy, who has extensive participatory engagement experience and is the co-creator of the P-FIM method, to unpack these questions.
Trust, Prevention, and Action: The Pulse of World Health Summit 2024
From October 13 to 15, 2024, global leaders, health experts, and advocates gathered in Berlin for the World Health Summit 2024 to discuss some of the most pressing challenges facing global health. The summit focused on critical topics such as rebuilding trust in health systems, addressing the mental health impacts of crises, and tackling the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance (AMR).