Team Cordaid and Oxfam Novib: Care. Act. Share!

In uncertain times, the need for humanitarian cooperation is more urgent than ever. The Dutch government recently announced an unprecedented cut in development aid subsidies to NGOs, reducing the budget from 1.4 billion euros to around 400 million euros. This drastic budget cut will have significant consequences for recipient countries where NGOs work daily to support communities impacted by internal issues and global disasters.

Cordaid and Oxfam Novib, organisations committed to this mission, are especially affected by this financial measure. With the public support for international humanitarian cooperation declining, particularly among young people, the future of these crucial efforts is increasingly at risk.

We are Annabel, Emma, Jennifer, Tobias and Valentina, students from the University of Groningen, and we are passionate about humanitarian work. Currently, we are participating in the Career Minor, with the opportunity to work on a project for Cordaid and Oxfam Novib. Our project aims to increase engagement and awareness of international cooperation among young people outside the “Randstad” bubble. NGOs mostly focus on organising events and spreading awareness in the Randstad which leads to an awareness gap in the other regions. Our project aims to bridge this gap, as we emphasise that the younger generation plays an important role in shaping future support for humanitarian initiatives. With this project, we aim to raise both awareness and engagement. Together, we put the "aid" in Cordaid!

We are excited about this project and believe deeply in Cordaid and Oxfam’s mission to support communities living in difficult conditions. Through this initiative, we hope to positively impact how people perceive and engage with NGOs and international cooperation as a whole.

Our project will include two main outreach events and a policy advice on how to engage young people with international cooperation.

Countless less-developed communities around the world are experiencing a dramatic decrease in support from developed countries, with the Netherlands following this trend. That is why our message is simple: “care, act, share.”