Beyond the Buzzword - What it Really Takes to Build Equitable Partnerships

21 Oct 2026
Discussion Room

If we broadly agree on what equitable partnerships should look like, how can we navigate the competing demands that make their implementation so difficult in practice?

This Middle Ground Debate – an interactive format that moves beyond positions, exploring where these tensions originate, perspectives diverge, and where common ground exists.

Drawing on experiences from the panelist’s perspectives, the debate will explore where assumptions, incentives and partnership arrangements have not worked as intended, what lessons emerged to translate Locally Led Action commitments into more equitable partnerships practices. 

Speakers
Christian Modino Hok
Christian Modino Hok, Humanitarian Director - Caritas International
Irene Dawa
Irene Dawa, Founder and Technical Advisor - CEPAD (Community Empowerment for Peace and Development - West Nile)
Gloria Soma
Gloria Soma, Executive Director - Titi Foundation South Sudan
Wael Darwish
Wael Darwish, Regional Director Middle East Programme - Caritas Switzerland
Medinat Malefakis
Medinat Malefakis, Senior Lecturer Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences - ETH Zurich