About Us

Our goal is to improve programming and policy to support durable solutions for displacement-affected communities.

The search for durable solutions to the protracted displacement situation in East Africa and the Horn of Africa is a critical humanitarian and development concern. Displacement is a regional/cross-border issue with a strong political dimension, demanding a multi-sector response beyond the existing humanitarian agenda.

Background & History

The Regional Durable Solutions Secretariat (ReDSS) was created in 2015 to maintain focused momentum and stakeholder engagement towards durable solutions for displacement-affected communities in East Africa and the Horn of Africa.

ReDSS seeks to improve joint learning and programming, inform policy processes, enhance capacity development, and facilitate coordination in the collective search for durable solutions. It is a coordination and information hub that acts as a catalyst and agent provocateur to stimulate forward-thinking and policy development on durable solutions for displacement.

The timeline below gives a snippet of our journey through the years since our inception

(click the black arrows on either side to scroll through the timeline)

2015
ReDSS is founded
A coalition of NGOs agrees a common agenda for durable solutions in the Horn of Africa.
1
2016
Expanding to Somalia
ReDSS opens a presence in Somalia and builds the evidence base for an investment case for durable solutions.
2
2017
Expanding to Ethiopia
ReDSS establishes a presence in Ethiopia as the New York Declaration and the Comprehensive Refugee Response Framework (CRRF) take shape.
3
2018
Expanding to Kenya
Working with its members, ReDSS turns regional thinking on durable solutions into country-level policy engagement, and opens a presence in Kenya.
4
2019
Expanding to the Great Lakes
ReDSS opens a hub in Bujumbura, serving Uganda, Tanzania, Burundi, and the DRC.
5
2020
Adapting to COVID-19
ReDSS works with its members to adjust to a shifting funding environment and the wider effects of the pandemic.
6
2023
One regional team
ReDSS merges its Great Lakes and Horn of Africa operations into a single regional outlook on durable solutions.
7
2024
Coalition engagement on the Shared Agenda
ReDSS coalition members engage on the Shared Agenda.
8
2025
Shared Agenda adopted
The core group endorses the Shared Agenda after a year of consultations with members.
9
2026
Shared Agenda baseline completed
Baseline assessment findings are validated and will be used to track progress in implementing the Shared Agenda over time.
10

How ReDSS works

The challenge of promoting durable solutions for displacement-affected communities is highly complex because of the range of stakeholders that need to be involved. Within a given context, it requires displacement-affected communities to negotiate new relationships with sub-national and national authorities to determine their rights and entitlements in locations of displacement.

Given this vast array of actors, it is no wonder that effective coordination and coherent action are a challenge. Evidence may be generated, but translating it into policy and programming is far more difficult.

This is where ReDSS sees its role, with our unique position within the landscape in the diagram to the right.

Our Members

Since its inception, ReDSS has maintained focused momentum and stakeholder engagement toward durable solutions for displacement-affected communities in East Africa and the Horn of Africa. Our members keep us on the sharp end of implementation, and there is collective accountability for ReDSS work across its membership.

ReDSS comprises 14 NGOs (icons and links to their websites below): Action against Hunger (French: Action Contre La Faim – ACF), ACTED, CARE International, Concern Worldwide, the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), INTERSOS, Mercy Corps, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), Oxfam, the Refugee Consortium of Kenya (RCK), Save the Children, World Vision, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF).

The Danish Refugee Council (DRC), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), and the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) form the ReDSS steering committee.

Meet the ReDSS Team

The ReDSS team comprises an illustrious team of individuals spread across the region. They bring a wealth of experience in research, capacity development, engagement in policy dialogue, and donor relations.