Our Stopgap

We are individuals who work in the fields of international development, peacebuilding, humanitarian action, and climate change response. We see major changes to our field playing out across the world, in communities for whom essential programs have been halted, and for thousands of people who have lost their jobs. There are many more whose work has changed, due to new funding requirements, as well as people who are simply reeling and trying to process the abrupt systemic transformation we are witnessing.

We need a stopgap.

We see a few clear needs:

1. Emotional processing: Space to feel & permission to feel feelings (including despair, fear, and joy)

2. Clarity: ⁠As much accurate information about what’s happening as possible

3. Mutual Aid: Solidarity and emergency support to those in need or in danger, in terms of financial and many other resources

4. ⁠Perspective: Wisdom from the people who have been working on system change for a long time, whether from a decolonial or Indigenous perspective or via complexity work, engaging wisdom from the technical to emotional levels

5. Alliances: A sense of who cares about what and which fields are not being cut, as well as friends in high places 

6. Possibility: Permission to see and develop the art of the possible

We recognize that there are people (1) who have just lost their job, or had their job majorly altered, (2) who haven't lost their job but are struggling to process these changes, and (3) who have energy and ideas for systems change. These three rough groupings could and should interact, but likely have different and specific needs. 

To address these needs, we've created a few helpful structures

Funding information hub - We're collecting and collating as much information as possible about what is happening, particularly when it comes to funding cuts and programmatic or structural changes. We're also developing advice compilations for people dealing with different kinds of job situations, including notes on how to survive those situations emotionally, 'permission' to make the leap out of a job or the sector, and ideas for on how to navigate the aftermath. 

Peer groups - We're setting up peer groups, each moderated by a facilitator, to which participants can commit for a 2-month period of time. Rather than having large meetings in which people come and go, peer groups can support individuals through transitions in a smaller container of trust. Depending on the needs of the peer group, a facilitator could provide support for processing emotions, navigating job decisions, and/or systems change. 

Monthly masterclass-style online learning sessions - At the same time, we'd like to offer an online learning session each month that will be free and open to the public. We're currently recruiting professionals to teach on topics like processing professional transitions, systems change in the international system, and more. 

Mutual aid fund - We have also launched a mutual aid fund, creating an opportunity for people to contribute to and access funding as we navigate this transition. The fund is designed to support those whose livelihoods have been directly affected by recent policy decisions and budget cuts. It can be used for things like emergency rent coverage, food assistance, and urgent programming needs. We have built this mutual aid fund based on successful models from similar social movements, and are dedicated to full transparency. 

Fundraising support - Starting in April, a volunteer from our team with expertise in non-profit fundraising has started to lead a small peer training group in Spanish. This group is now closed, and we'll gladly announce future trainings as they become available.

To get involved

At this point, we're just volunteers trying to build the stopgap we think we might need. We welcome individuals with time and energy to give to this idea. Every good project needs a range of expertise, including communicators, coordinators, artists, facilitators, process designers, knowledge managers, fundraisers, interpreters, counselors, and maybe even a web designer to jump in. For example, you could:

• Sign up to collect data in stories

• Sign up to build a mutual aid fund

• Sign up to facilitate or hold spaces

If you'd like to join us, whether to benefit from the spaces we'll create, or to contribute to their creation, please send us an email to ourstopgap@gmail.com. 

If you're aware of similar initiatives or platforms, please send us an email and let us know! We don't aim to duplicate, but rather to meet the needs we see. 

Thank you for your support, 

Annika, Gabriel, Malena, Becca, Gabi, and Peter