Shabaka Celebrates A Decade Of Change

Shabaka, a diaspora-led organisation focused on the role of diaspora and migrants in humanitarian preparedness, response, and recovery, celebrated its 10-year anniversary in partnership with Centre of African Studies (CAS) at SOAS University of London on 14 November 2024 at the Brunei Gallery Lecture Theatre (BGLT) at SOAS.

‘Ten years. A decade of change, challenges, and meaningful progress. As I stood before our gathered community at our anniversary celebration, the weight of this milestone struck me profoundly. The late hour and multiple cups of coffee aside, the moment demanded reflection on our collective journey,’ said the CEO of Shabaka, Bashair Ahmed.

Shabaka’s work over the last decade has helped illuminate the pivotal role that diaspora and mutual aid have played in catalysing change through their research; striving to highlight the crucial role of diaspora and migrant communities in humanitarian efforts and collaborating with thought leaders to expand the scope and perspective within the humanitarian sector. To ensure that this work is available widely, Shabaka is launching ‘Shabaka at Ten: An Anthology’, exploring diaspora, migration, and mutual aid in humanitarian action.    

Shabaka specialises in research, policy, and practice, contributing to knowledge on the role of diasporas and migrants in humanitarian action. It provides information and insights to local, national and international actors on how diaspora communities back local actors’ first response to humanitarian crisis and the transition to longer term development.

‘Our path at Shabaka has been marked by triumph and sobering reality. While we celebrate our achievements as a team and organisation over these past ten years, we cannot ignore the bittersweet truth that our work remains as crucial. Perhaps even more so when we look at Myanmar, Sudan, Gaza, and many other parts of the world. Our world faces unprecedented challenges. Global conflicts continue to reshape communities, the climate crisis accelerates, and economic uncertainties touch lives across every sphere of society. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of these issues. Yet, this is precisely why we must remember to pause, breathe, and focus on what we can change. Progress, we’ve learned, only sometimes announces itself with fanfare. Instead, it often comes through small, incremental steps – each building upon the last to create meaningful change, even when the immediate impact might not be visible,’ said Ahmed.

On its 10-year anniversary, Ahmed has announced stepping down and passing the baton to a new CEO, Elvina Quiason, effective 1 January 2025. ‘As we look to the future, change remains our constant companion. I’m excited to announce I will be stepping down as CEO, passing the leadership torch to Elvina Quiason as of 1 January. While I will continue working on special initiatives into the new year, Elvina will guide Shabaka’s next chapter, building upon our foundation while forging new paths,’ said Ahmed.

Shabaka works extensively in Sudan. The Sudan Programme at Shabaka is a strategic initiative combining various activities to support the humanitarian and development response in Sudan and neighbouring countries. In addition, Shabaka has previously hosted the Sudan Crisis Coordination Unit (SCCU), a podcast series with Sara Abbas, a researcher of gender, the state, and social movements, with a focus on Sudan, followed by conversations with Shabaka’s Data Analyst Rania Amin on the challenges of humanitarian response in Sudan and the importance of coordination and localising efforts.

In addition, Shabaka works extensively on crisis mapping in Sudan. It has partnered with IOM Sudan to conduct the Sudan Diaspora Crisis Mapping, a research project on how the Sudanese diaspora across the UK are responding to the current crisis in Sudan (May-October 2023). The objective was to recognise and document the diaspora’s contributions to Sudan, in times of crisis and in support of longer-term reconstruction and development. This research was supported by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) – the UN migration agency – in Sudan and the UK. It sough to identify ways in which the Sudanese diaspora in the UK are responding to the current crisis in Sudan, and how these responses can be better supported. Shabaka also published The Sudan Crisis By Zone: A Map To Guide Effective And Timely Humanitarian Assistance publication.

In addition, although Shabaka’s team members – whom are mostly women – come from all around the world, it is led by Sudanese women such as the Sudanese-British CEO Bashair Ahmed, Senior Adviser Sara Ibrahim Abdelgalil, and Research and Data Analyst Rania Amin. Ahmed’s sister, Samah, sits as a Board Member. All of the team members are based in the UK. According to Shabaka, the Sudanese diaspora in the UK form the largest Sudanese community in Europe, and they remain influential because of the UK’s position as a post-imperial migration, education and financial hub. The energy and accomplishments of the diaspora have steadily built Sudan’s reach and reputation around the world.

For more information on Shabaka, visit shabaka.org.