Resource Bank
Mates is built through action, but we do not want to act without thinking. This resource bank brings together papers, articles, videos, project notes and practical explainers that help shape the way we work. Some are directly connected to our projects. Some help explain the bigger ideas behind Mates: community-led work, transparency, education, inclusion, disaster response, water access, volunteering, development and dignity.
It also includes our active surveys and photo banks from recent fundraisers!
We are not sharing these resources to look clever. We are sharing them because good work should stay curious, open to challenge, and willing to learn.
Simply click on the image and a fresh tab with open up!
Active Links
Photos from our 3rd birthday party
May 8 2026
Our most recent survey about the social life of Australians
Research & papers
This section includes research, reports and papers that help us think more clearly about the issues connected to our work. Simply click the image and a PDF will open in a fresh tab.
Navigation by Judgment
Trusting Local Leaders on the Ground
Grassroots trust outperforms rigid, top-down international aid bureaucracies.
Localizing Development: Does Participation Work?
True Community Ownership Drives Success
Why community ownership ensures sustainable, long-term village infrastructure.
The Grand Bargain Independent Report (IFRC)
The Global Mandate to Localise Humanitarian Aid
Demands international aid shift funding directly to grassroots local actors.
The Challenge of Improving Water and Sanitation Services
Smarter, Localized Clean Water Solutions
Practical, community-managed clean water installations over over-engineered systems.
Women Empowerment and Economic Development
The Ripple Effect of Educating Girls
Funding builds generational wealth across communities
Fiji Climate Vulnerability Assessment (World Bank / Fijian Government)
Building Climate Resilience in Small Island States
Highlights urgent local infrastructure needs required for Pacific water security.
