Degan has courageously led much of the practical thinking and advocacy that has uncovered the racist and colonial practices in humanitarian aid. She is a powerful speaker and gifted teacher who reaches out to people with reason, evidence and humour. Degan is strategic and persuasive, and she has a very clear view of how to decolonize aid and make it work better for everyone.

Degan is one of the most important figures in the humanitarian sector. She has led critical conversations about how we modernise and decolonise, establishing herself as voice that is uniquely credible amongst both the highest levels of policymaking and in the frontlines of humanitarian action. And, importantly, she isn’t just a commentator – she is a practitioner who draws on years of organisational experience.

Degan is a force of nature, a clear thinker who speaks truth to power and is determined to redress injustice where she sees it. She has been playing a decisive role in highlighting the ills and hypocrisies of the current international aid system and in creating networks and approaches that offer an alternative to the status quo. And she is a pleasure to work with!

Degan is a true inspiration to me. The sector needs urgent reshaping and it is through the challenges that Degan poses to us, her deep reflections, and her courageous voice, that the issues that need to be urgently addressed become visible and clear. Degan not only calls out power dynamics, she also proposes specific solutions for dignified and locally-led humanitarian response and development. Whoever has interacted with Degan will know about the deep mark she leaves in every interaction with her. Am deeply grateful for Degan’s leadership, commitment and passion, and for the journey that lies ahead of us, which I wholeheartedly join.