In September 2025, Sri Lankan members of MCLD met in person for the first time, alongside organisations exploring membership. The gathering created a rare space for honest reflection on how development is practiced, and how it needs to change.
Participants named shared challenges across the sector: development shaped by donor priorities rather than community realities, communities excluded from decisions that affect their lives, and past experiences of networks weakened by power imbalances and competition. These conversations made one thing clear. There is a strong appetite for doing development differently.
MCLD was seen as an opportunity to build a network grounded in solidarity, self-reliance, mutual accountability, and one that values communities as knowledge holders and focuses on collective learning and action. Participants also identified key questions for continued dialogue, including navigating donor power, responding to Sri Lanka’s shifting policy landscape, and strengthening organisations to truly practice community-led development.
This first gathering marked the beginning of a shared journey: building a civil society network that supports communities to lead change on their own terms, together, patiently, and with purpose.