Supporting Civil Society Organisations

My current support for civil society organisation is backed by my 25 years of researching  conflict, peace, faith, migration and integration.

It is also based on 1000s of conversations with people around the world about their lived experiences of living with conflict and violence, of migrating and settling into new communities or of staying and trying to rebuild everything that has been lost . Stories of hope for a better future , of fear and anxiety experienced at home and during the dangerous journey in search of safety  and of trying hard to rebuild lives while also longing for what has been lost and left behind. Stories of family, values, religion and culture and of what has made their life a little easier and what has made it more difficult.

It is influenced by my work with 100s of  pastors, imams, rabbis, teachers, pensioners, youth ,  civil servants, volunteers, lawyers, human rights activists, local peacebuilders, community organisers etc. all working to help ensure that everyone feels welcome, cared for and valued in their community. Many working with tight budgets but still wanting to make sure that their practices are informed by research and their context to help ensure that their impact is maximised.   Many wanting to get a deeper strategical understanding about what works well and what needs to be improved within their organisation. Many wanting to expand while also preserving what has already been achieved. All sharing the aim of making a positive difference to their local community.

It is also based on my experience of supporting 100s of students and the amazing work they do around the world while working for governments or local, national  and international organisations.  Examples include projects focusing on human rights training for police officers, on bringing young people together to talk about peace and reconciliation and on supporting refugees living in camps. Some have needed help with developing bespoke MEAL frameworks  while others have need support with developing resources or starting their own organisation. Others have grappled with how to conceptualise their work, how to ensure inclusion and how to make their projects sustainable. All determined to use their knowledge from their studies to improve their practices, projects and processes.

It is inspired by 100s of people and communities, who have shown me that peaceful coexistence and social cohesion is possible when  people work together to make it happen. 

All these theoretical and practical insights inform my work and enable me to support the development of people and community centred strategies, policies, processes, projects and practices.  

Each project:

  • Uses participatory processes to ensure that the project is relevant, impactful and sustainable and carefully based on the needs of all stakeholders.
  • Embeds critical lenses in all aspects of the design- and implementation processes.
  • Ensures that findings and recommendations are easy to understand and apply.

I currently mainly offer support in three different areas:

  1. Developing Impactful Resources
  2. Maximising and Measuring Impact
  3. Being a Critical Friend

Click on each area to learn more about them.

Please contact me on MLBCandT@gmail.com to initiate a conversation about, how I can help you and your team create more impact .

Thank you for your support (as always). We are glad that we have allies like you!

Feedback from client

Which Civil Society Organisations Do I Mostly Work with?

I mainly work with three clusters of civil society organisations.

Migration and Integration 

I work with people and organisations that focus on supporting  migrants and refugees and advocating for their human rights. I particularly work with local secular and faith-based organisations that focus on providing advice, information and language learning to migrants and refugees and on building reciprocal relationships with the local community.

Peacebuilding

I work with people and organisations that work on improving relationships between divided communities. I particularly work with local actors that focus on interreligious dialogue and -collaboration, social cohesion, human rights and justice. 

Peace Education

I work with people and organisations that focus on promoting and implementing peace education in schools. colleges and universities. I particularly focus on how to teach  interpersonal communication and conflict transformation techniques and skills.

Ready to Increase Your Impact?

Contact me on MLBCandT@gmail.com to initiate a conversation about how I can help your organisation. Let us work together to create peaceful and socially integrated and coherent communities, where everyone feels welcome and valued.

Why Choose Me?

My broad background and experience help me grasp the complex systems and structures that civil society organisations operate in. It also helps me understand the root causes of the challenges and dynamics they face  both internally and externally. I am also very experienced in analysing and making sense of large quantities of complex data. I have a proven ability to incorporate all these complexities in my findings, while still developing recommendations that are easy to understand and implement. Furthermore I also have the knowledge and confidence to ask the critical questions that will help your organisation realise your full potential and achieve the impact you are aiming for.

In addition to my extensive critical analysis and research skills, I also have high emotional intelligence that help me build immediate trust with a wide variety of people stimulating them to participate authentically in my projects. My context sensitive, trauma-informed and radical approach to inclusion also helps ensure that the voices of all relevant stakeholders are heard, acknowledged and valued.  These many diverse perspectives help maximise the relevance and impact of your work.

Finally, all my practices are also value-based please see: How My Values Inform My Practices