Abstract
This study examines the role of the Muhammadiyah Agency for International Development (MuAID) as a civil society actor in advancing paradiplomatic engagement and humanitarian governance in conflict-affected regions. While existing studies on humanitarian assistance have largely emphasized state institutions and international organizations, limited attention has been given to how faith-based civil society organizations from the Global South mobilize transnational networks, manage humanitarian operations, and function as non-state diplomatic actors. Employing a qualitative case study approach, this research analyzes MuAID’s humanitarian programs implemented between 2017 and 2022 across Palestine, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Türkiye, and Jordan. Data was collected through interviews, institutional documents, group discussions, and secondary sources, followed by an assessment of five Muhammadiyah-affiliated institutions involved in humanitarian coordination and implementation. The findings identify three patterns of civil society paradiplomatic engagement: local NGO partnerships, diaspora-enabled humanitarian responses, and domestic refugee management. These models demonstrate how MuAID combines resource mobilization, religious networks, local partnerships, and institutional coordination to deliver humanitarian assistance under politically constrained environments. The study further reveals that organizational performance is shaped by adaptive capacity, stakeholder coordination, financial management, and the ability to sustain cross-border partnerships. This research contributes to paradiplomacy and humanitarian governance literature by extending the concept of paradiplomacy beyond governmental actors and demonstrating how faith-based civil society organizations from the Global South operate as humanitarian donors, diplomatic intermediaries, and actors within multi-level humanitarian governance.