Global Humanitarian Lab: Enabling bottom-up innovation powered by people, partnerships and networks
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Download document A partnership to incubate, make and accelerate innovation to address humanitarian needs
Introductory note: the future of bottom-up humanitarian innovation is present
About six months ago ICRC and UNHCR triggered a growing flurry of activity and interest around the idea of a Global Humanitarian Lab. The energy was targeted at building momentum and buy in for two simple ideas:
The humanitarian sector and humanitarian disaster affected populations have yet to benefit from the same innovation and efficiency boosters that the digital revolution, new business models and bottom-up innovation have generated through successful developments in the private sector.
As representatives of the humanitarian sector agreeing to work on collective challenges we are inspired by the principle that together we can achieve more and better.
The idea of a Global Humanitarian Lab got sticky and attracted supporters, big and small, from all sectors, thrilled by the potential of change and the opportunities to leverage.
A few days ago the Global Humanitarian Lab idea got real, thanks to the steadfast support of our partners. The partnership is now established as a programme administratively hosted within the United Nations Office for Project Services.
We used to talk about the Global Humanitarian Lab and its activities in a tentative and cautious future tense. Now we can change this conditional attitude to reality. In this document the future of bottom-up humanitarian innovation is present. True, we have a lot to deliver yet, however since the Global Humanitarian Lab partnership is now live, we have the space to make it happen together.