In Angola’s Moxico province, the LWF supported farmers in Chindupo village, to successfully advocate for the right to retain their land, which had been targeted for private use. Photo: LWF/C. Kastner
LWF marks 10 years of people-centered empowerment for change
(LWI) – The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) recently marked a decade of its rights-based approach (RBA) in humanitarian and development work, emphasizing that this shift has strengthened response to the rising global erosion of human rights, particularly in contexts affected by conflict and prolonged crises.
Launched in 2015, LWF’s RBA programming with its local to global to local (L2G2L) initiative remains a cornerstone of the strategic focus presented in the World Service Strategy 2025-2031. It was the focus of a recent online event, bringing together participants working to secure the rights of refugees, women, children, communities defending land rights, and more around the world.
While the commitment to human rights has long been central to LWF’s work, the pivotal decision was made 10 years ago to formally integrate human rights as a foundational principle and make RBA a flagship program, noted Maria Immonen, Director of LWF World Service. “This shift also emphasized the need for concrete, locally rooted programming that demonstrates what human rights mean in practice, ensuring communities themselves act as agents of change, advancing rights and upholding human dignity,” she noted.
Participants reflected on achievements across 15 LWF country programs where the RBA initiative has been implemented: Angola, Burundi, Chad, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, South Sudan and Uganda. LWF’s Action for Justice unit advocacy with the United Nations (UN) Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was also highlighted.
Change is happening on the ground, and this is encouraging us to move forward. Our real investment is in people, and this has proven that RBA is a mechanism that can deliver.
Lokiru Matendo, Regional Program Coordinator, Ethiopia and Nepal, focal point for Policy and Thematics.
Lokiru Matendo, Regional Program Coordinator for Ethiopia and Nepal, and the focal point for Policy and Thematics, highlighted key achievements from a decade of mobilizing civil society, communities, and refugees to claim their rights, while applying international human rights principles in local contexts. He cited milestones such as strengthened refugee protections in Chad, reduced gender-based violence in Uganda, new pathways for ex-bonded laborers in Nepal, and community-led environmental and peace efforts in Colombia. “Change is happening on the ground, and this is encouraging us to move forward,” he said. “Our real investment is in people, and this has proven that RBA is a mechanism that can deliver.”
Ester Wolf, LWF Senior Advocacy Officer for Human Rights, shared the wide-ranging advocacy across human rights, gender-based violence, borderless justice, climate justice, and refugee rights. This includes issuing statements, co-organizing side events, and engaging in meetings at the UN in Geneva and New York, the Human Rights Council, and the African Commission sessions in Tanzania and The Gambia.
People at the center, inclusive decision making
Across all regions, speakers described how RBA has advanced community leadership, accountability, and participation. Their reflections pointed to several common results: the strengthening of local organizations, more inclusive decision-making processes, new platforms for raising rights-related concerns, and improved collaboration with governments and institutions. They emphasized that RBA ensures people are not only aware of their rights but equipped to act on them, while enabling programs to remain sustainable even after external support transitions.
Other contributors detailed how RBA has been applied in humanitarian response, climate justice, prevention of gender-based violence, refugee protection, youth engagement, and inclusive governance. Their collective insights illustrated that long-term impact depends on consistent local engagement, evidence-based advocacy, and connecting community priorities with national and international systems. They also highlighted the growing relevance of RBA in fragile or polarized contexts, where rights violations are normalized and communities face structural barriers linked to inequality, conflict, and limited access to services.
Stronger local organizations
In Colombia and Venezuela, poverty, conflict, and inequality are structural symptoms of unequal distribution of resources and power, and absence of human rights, said Golda Ibarra, the representative for both countries. LWF’s humanitarian action involves women, children, mine survivors, peace agreement signatories, indigenous groups and community councils, to ensure people’s rights and dignity, while protecting women and children, from violence and exploitation. “We place people at the center of the process, ensuring their legitimate and meaningful participation in all phases of the projects,” she said. This approach ensures that initiatives are concrete, realistic, and designed to create long-term impact by strengthening local community organizations.
Defenders of people’s rights to land and natural resources advocating for the protection of the River Atrato in Colombia. Photo: Tierra Digna
Mr Yagya Gautam shared success stories and best practices from a transformative education program in Nepal, which supports ex-bonded laborers and marginalized groups. Through this initiative, communities understand their rights and speak out against discrimination, and some of the individuals have been elected into public leadership positions in the country.
Looking to the future, the rights-based approach remains central to LWF’s work. “It is clear that RBA is more foundational than ever. At the programming level, we are committed to deepening our understanding and application of the RBA across all areas of our work,” noted Caroline Tveoy, Head of International Programs. She encouraged country programs to share their rich experiences and practices so that others can build on collective learning.
“The local to global methodology is one of the success stories of LWF’s advocacy work, bringing together voices from member churches and country programs,” said Isaiah Toroitich, Head of Global Advocacy. “Lessons learnt from this first decade of the RBA work, continue to inform our work as we advocate for justice and dignity, locally, regionally, and globally.”
