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NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS. Always angels??. Introductory Remarks. Structure of our course so far tempts us to focus on NGOs working (from outside) in conflict situations. But: Many NGOs work for humanitarian, human-rights or ‘single-issue’ causes in ‘peacetime’, inc in our own countries

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NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

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  1. NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS Always angels??

  2. Introductory Remarks Structure of our course so far tempts us to focus on NGOs working (from outside) in conflict situations. But: • Many NGOs work for humanitarian, human-rights or ‘single-issue’ causes in ‘peacetime’, inc in our own countries • Local NGOs also vital for outcomes • Even wider range of ‘civil society’ actors, crucial i.a. for Security Sector Reform

  3. IS THERE ANYTHING ALL NGOs HAVE IN COMMON? • Not governmental (or institutional, like UN agencies) • ‘Self-motivated’, free choice of action • But not always ‘self-financed’ - agents of aid delivery, recipients of aid • Can be quite ‘institutionalized’ and in weak states could be filling power gap

  4. NGOS IN THE POWER NEXUS • Work against, with or ‘for’ govts/insts • Work against, with or ‘for’ business actors (how to classify things like the Gates Foundation??) • Take resources from private citizens to private citizens

  5. SKETCH OF ISSUES: MACRO More than ‘the ladle in the global soup kitchen’: • Humanitarian vs. development or ‘caring’ vs. ‘solving’/’reforming’ goals • Caring for human bodies or human rights • ‘Neutrality’ in conflict, posn. on violence? • If transmitting standards, which standards? • Top-down, North-South vs. empowering and facilitating models • Fire-fighting, or longer engagement?

  6. SKETCH OF ISSUES: NGO GOVERNANCE • General codes + norms; self-policing?? • Answerability for impact/efficiency • Fund-raising techniques, competition • Status when delivering others’ funds • Administrative expenses • Staff qualifications, motivation • Staff safety, ‘NGOs as targets’

  7. LOOKING AHEAD • NGOs’ fear of subjection/manipulation as govts do more complex conflict management but also like using agents • Classic NGO funding/work methods (govt, private giving) overtaken by Soros, Gates, single-issue drives? • Various factors weakening ‘Northern’ leadership + control

  8. AFTER THE BREAK • Will look in more detail at challenges for NGO impacts + principles in a rather chaotic conflict situation • Not that this is the only setting for ambiguity: consider diversion of charity payments to terrorists (and Hamas humanitarian work); rights and wrongs of single issue campaigns eg on fur, whaling; misuse of ‘civil society’ organizational forms eg in Communist states

  9. ROLES OF NGO X-AID • Direct humanitarian delivery: food, drugs, medical assistance • Running a large refugee camp on the state border • Working with a local charity for aid distribution in an ethnic minority area • Working under protection of a NATO team in unstable Province Y • WHAT ISSUES CAN ARISE??

  10. DIRECT AID DELIVERY • Clues: - By what routes? To whom?

  11. REFUGEE CAMP ON BORDER • Clues: who and what is in the camp? What comings and goings?

  12. LOCAL CHARITY + ETHNIC GROUP • Clues: what will this do for the group’s and the charity’s post-conflict status?

  13. WORKING WITH NATO • Clues: Independence? Impact? Image? Pros + cons for safety?

  14. ANY REMEDIES? Look within the range: • Prohibition/avoidance • Regulation (is the ‘contract’ relevant??) • Self-regulation

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