At Local Staff International (LSI), our mission is driven by a deep commitment to safeguard the rights and dignity of local staff worldwide. The catalyst for our formation was the urgent need to address the gaps in support that were painfully highlighted by the crisis in Afghanistan in 2021. We at LSI came together to ensure that this history does not repeat itself.
Why We Came Together
The story of our formation is one of urgency and necessity, but it did not happen overnight. Discussions about the challenges faced by local staff in Afghanistan began as early as 2017 when our co-chairs, Marcus Grotian and Dr. Sara de Jong, collaborated with international advocates in Potsdam, Germany, to build the capacity for a future NGO. At that time, no one could foresee the events that would unfold years later, and no concrete action on how to move forward was reached.
The planned US military withdrawal from Afghanistan, known as the Doha Agreement, signed by the Trump administration and the Taliban in February 2020 and initiated on May 1, 2021, led to a series of unintended consequences, hastening the Taliban’s control over the country. The collapse of the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) resulted in the disintegration of daily life, particularly for local staff who were forced to flee their homeland due to their association with NATO forces. Previous warnings to help protect and resettle local staff abroad in a timely manner had gone unheeded, leading to an overwhelming number of urgent applications that Western powers struggled to handle. These individuals, who had played critical roles in development, diplomatic, and military missions, faced significant and immediate danger, knowing they would be targets of Taliban retaliation and at risk of death.
In 2023, recognizing the urgent need to advocate for the rights and dignity of local staff, advocates from various organisations around the world came together with the outcome of forming a united front. This united effort led to the formation of LSI.
The Importance of Our Mission
Having worked with local staff in various locations around the world, both in military and humanitarian contexts, I have seen firsthand the critical roles they play. Without local staff such as translators, cultural advisors, or interpreters, I would have been stuck on the wrong side of conflict in the Former Yugoslavia or walked into an ambush in the early days of conflict in Afghanistan as a young soldier. Frankly, the reality is — I would not be here today!
Local staff are the backbone of many global operations, yet they often work in the shadows without adequate recognition or protection. They face constant threats, violence, and instability, all while supporting international missions that promote peace, development, and humanitarian aid. It is crucial that their contributions are recognized and that they are provided with the support and protection they need after the international community leaves.
Upholding Our Vision and Values to Support Local Staff
The situation in Afghanistan serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of neglecting local staff and failing to uphold our moral and ethical obligations to the Afghan alliance which had placed its trust in our country. If we do not alter our course, the international community may face difficulties in recruiting local staff in future conflicts, leaving us vulnerable and unable to provide critical support to nations in crisis.
As such, through our efforts at LSI, aim to influence national and international policies, provide comprehensive support to our Afghan Allies, and advocate for their rights and dignity as we strive to create lasting change.
Our Commitment
LSI was formally incorporated in Berlin in June 2024. Thank you for being part of our journey. Together, we can make a significant impact. Stay tuned for more information in the future on how you can get involved.
Feel free to share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments below!
Photography by Andy Barnham
I worked for the Canadian funded project in UNOPS and while Taliban took over the government my agency supported us with documents to leave the country we applied for Canada immigration on October 2020 and since then I have never heard from my case what happen and where is the documents do the embassy received the documents or not we know nothing what is going on. And now I completely lost my hope on the case not even following up and even if I want to follow up there is no email for contact details to follow up. We are very disappointed
We are sorry to hear of your situation. Upon investigation, it seems you have advocacy support from a partnered Canadian NPO (Aman Lara). We suggest you continue to follow up with them.