Distinguished Speakers Series: “When the Money Moves: Localization and the Future of Humanitarian Aid" with Professor Hector Vivero

The San Diego World Affairs Council Presents

 “When the Money Moves:Localization and the Future of Humanitarian Aid” 

featuring:

Professor Hector Vivero 

Thursday, August 28th, 2025

10:00am - 11:00am

Zoom link to be sent to all registrants via the

registration confirmation email.

About the Program

The impact of funding on international humanitarian organizations have been widely documented including a potential deficit of $1.1 billion for the United Nations which, according to the Economist, if materialized, the UN could run out of cash to pay for salaries in September. But conversations about how funding reductions from institutional donors including USAID and European governments are impacting local NGOs have not been as prominent despite the fact that many local NGOs are at the forefront of most humanitarian responses. Focusing on Ukraine, Hector will discuss the ecosystem of local NGOs, their role within coordination mechanisms, the agenda of localization, and both the challenges and opportunities that the sudden reckoning of the humanitarian architecture presents for local organizations.

About Hector Vivero 

Hector is a humanitarian and development expert with over 15 years of experience working with major International NGOs across Europe, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Hector is a Lecturer at the University of San Diego for the MS in Humanitarian Action program where he teaches the Foundations of Humanitarian Action class. Hector is the former Emergency Response Representative in Moldova for Helvetas, a Swiss Development NGO, where he performed the role of Country Director for Humanitarian Operations managing a regional response that included Poland and Moldova. He was Head of Programs with the Norwegian Refugee Council in Ukraine where he worked in partnership with the government of Ukraine to strengthen the humanitarian response. He also worked extensively delivering livelihoods and cash assistance in Iraq, the Middle East Region, Myanmar, Libya and Afghanistan with major International NGOs including the Norwegian Refugee Council, the Danish Refugee Council, and Save the Children. In addition, Hector currently serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for nonprofit Plastic Beach, which focuses on recycling plastic to reduce pollution.

Hector holds an MBA from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, an MA in Post-War Recovery Studies from the University of York, UK, and a BA in Development Studies from the University of California at Berkeley.