The 2025 Humanitarian Leadership Conference was held in partnership with the Center for Humanitarian Leadership. The conference took place from April 8-9, 2025 in Doha, Qatar.
This panel discussion was chaired by Jan de Wagemaker (Head of Humanitarian Aid, Finn Church Aid) and moderated by Rozan Khalifeh, Country Director, Plan International Egypt.
Panellists:
Amal Wagih Al-Hajj, Protection Programs Manager, Qotof Al Khair, Gaza
Rita M. Lopidia, Co-founder and Executive Director, Eve Organisation for Women Development, South Sudan
Sajid Ali Siddiqui, Executive Director, Banke UNESCO Club, Nepal
Jennifer Dabis, Senior Policy Manager, Juzoor for Health and Social Development, West Bank.
Together, they explored what genuine recovery looks like when led by local actors — women, youth, and community organisations — who respond first, rebuild with courage, and lead despite persistent structural neglect. The conversation challenged the humanitarian sector to reframe localisation not as a future goal, but as a current reality that must be funded, centred, and respected.
You can watch selected sessions from the HLC Conference at the CHS YouTube channel