Introduction to NGOs
What does NGO stands for?
NGO stands for “non-governmental organization”.
What is NGO?
Non-governmental organization (NGO) is a term that has
become widely accepted as referring to a legally constituted, non-
governmental organization created by natural or legal persons with
no participation or representation of any government. In the cases
in which NGOs are funded totally or partially by governments, the
NGO maintains its non-governmental status and excludes
government representatives from membership in the organization.
The primary purpose of an operational NGO is the design and
implementation of development-related projects. One frequently
used categorization is the division into relief-oriented versus
development-oriented organizations; they can also be classified
according to whether they stress service delivery or participation;
or whether they are religious or secular; and whether they are
more public or private-oriented. Operational NGOs can be
community-based,national or international.
The primary purpose of an Advocacy NGO is to defend or
promote a specific cause. As opposed to operational project
management, these organizations typically try to raise awareness,
acceptance and knowledge by lobbying, press work and activist
events.
NGOs are defined by the World Bank as "private organizations
that pursue activities to relieve suffering, promote the interests of
the poor, protect the environment, provide basic social services, or
undertake community development"
What are NGOs for?
As mentioned earlier every NGO has some basic principals,
goals and tasks on which it is based on. NGO performs variety of
functions and services. They work as channel to inform the
Government of civilian problems as well as sometimes they fight
for the rights of minorities. They advocate and monitor policies
and encourage political participation through provision of
information.
Most organizations are organized around a specific issue like
human rights, environment and health.
Even though they are the upfront goals of an NGO, some
people also believe that an NGO may have ulterior motives as
well which aren't so pure and history also agrees with this view at
times.
How does a NGO work ?
They have a mission statement -- this is the reason they exist,
the cause they address, and all of their work is focused on this
mission.
They have a business strategy -- this is the plan for the
activities they will carry out to meet their mission, what expertise
they will bring through paid staff and volunteers, their budget,
their fund-raising plan, etc.
And they have a board of directors, a group of unpaid people
who provide some initial funding and who "own" the NGO; they
approve the budget, approve large expenditures, and are held
accountable for the performance of the organization. They may be
a "working board", where each person volunteers (that means
unpaid) to take on an area of responsibility for the organization,
or, they may they may hire an executive director, fix that person's
salary, and hear regular reports from this person regarding the
progress of the organization.
The organization can charge for services or products, but the
profits for such from such must go back into the expenses of
organization.
In some countries, NGOs are limited regarding what
advocacy and political activities in which they can engage.
Types of NGOs
NGO type can be understood by orientation and level of co-
operation.
NGO type by orientation
• Charitable orientation;
• Service orientation;
• Participatory orientation;
• Empowering orientation;
NGO type by level of co-operation
• Community- Based Organization;
• City Wide Organization;
• National NGOs;
• International NGOs;
Apart from "NGO", often alternative terms are used as for
example: independent sector, volunteer sector, civil society, grass
roots organizations, transnational social movement organizations,
private voluntary organizations, self-help organizations and non-
state actors (NSA's).
Non-governmental organizations are a heterogeneous group. A
long list of acronyms has developed around the term "NGO".
NGO area of activity:
NGOs are involved in a very diverse range of human
activities, and human influence on the environment. These
activities are usually topical, but oriented at different strata of
societies they are involved in: local, popular, economic or
political.
• Children & Youth
• Communications & Media
• Conflict Resolution
• Development
• Education
• Environment
• Family
• Governance
• Health & Nutrition
• Human Rights
• Indigenous People
• International Organization
• Labour
• Law & Legal Affairs
• Narcotics, Drugs & Crime
• Peace and Security
• Population & Human Settlements
• Refugees
• Relief Services
• Religion, Belief & Ethics
• Science and Technology
• Social and Cultural Development
• Sports & Recreation
• Trade & Interna'tional Finance
• Transportation
• Women`s Status & Issues
Steps in establishing NGOs
The first step in the establishment of the NGO is to identify
the area of peculiar needs of the society, such as health,
HIV/AIDS, Maternal Mortality, Polio, food, shelter,education,
civil liberty and poverty alleviation among others.
The second step is to identify people of similar minds; there
must be a unity of purpose. The third step is to engage the services
of a qualified legal practitioner for guidance for the Registration
process. Some NGOs can be registered with the regional or central
government and that depends on the scope of the operations of the
proposed NGO. The next important step also is to identify the
internal or external partners with a clearly stated objectives and
plan of actions.
Are NGOs important for the development of a
country ?
When we see thousands and millions of NGOs working on a
day-to-day level and the question that always comes to our mind
is; Is it all necessary ?
Yes indeed, more and more important. But it is a complex
story, When an economist looks at the world, he or she sees profit
maximizing producers, utility maximizing consumers and
governments which correct market failures and look after
collective welfare. In reality, the institutional landscape of life is
much more complex. There are many other organizations in
society like, to name just a few: charities which try to help
people; foundations created by rich businessmen so they give
something back to society; churches and temples which look after
citizens spiritual welfare and provide an array of social services;
and political groups that try to influence the exercise of power in
society.
How did all this come about?
If you go back in time, even just a century or two,
government was only a minor player in our societies. Its share in
GDP was low. Political power was exercised by local players like
princes, counts and barons. And in the West, the Church possessed
greatest power and wealth, and was a major player in terms of
providing charity, health, education and spiritual services, while in
Asia temples and monasteries often played a similar role.
History of NGOs
In an earlier phase of globalization, these religious places initially
became involved in development as missionary partners of
colonial explorers.
The next piece of the tale is the rise of humanitarian
movements. 150 years ago, Henri Dunant, a Swiss merchant
banker, witnessed French and Italian forces clashing with troops
of the Austrian empire in one of the bloodiest battles of the 19th
century. His subsequent efforts led directly to the creation of the
International Red Cross movement, and also to sixteen European
nations signing a treaty – ‘the Geneva Convention’ – pledging to
allow medical workers and supplies onto battlefields and to
recognize and respect the famous red cross on a white background
as an emblem of neutrality.
Such humanitarian organizations have grown steadily in
number and size over the last 150 years. The Save the Children
Fund was first established in the UK in 1919 in response to the
malnutrition and starvation in Germany. In 1942, during World
War II, a group of British citizens established an Oxford
Committee for Famine Relief to send relief supplies to civilians in
Greece. ‘OXFAM’ has grown into one of the world’s largest, non-
government relief and development networks. The war in Biafra in
the late 1960s gave rise to Médecins Sans Frontières -- the
founders were disturbed by the failure of international
humanitarian agencies to prevent genocide in Biafra. Cambodia’s
humanitarian crisis in the 1970s also prompted the establishment
of Handicap International for landmine victims.
Recent decades have seen the establishment of NGOs in
response to global environmental problems. But many such
organizations have quite long historical roots. For example, in
1903 colonial naturalists living in Africa established a Society for
the Preservation of the Wild Fauna of the [British] Empire that has
endured and evolved into Fauna and Flora International. The
Ecological Society of America, established in 1915, has evolved
into The Nature Conservancy, with a global project portfolio.
More recently, the World Wide Fund for Nature was established in
1961 to serve as a ‘Red Cross for Nature’.
There has also been a significant growth in development
NGOs in the past few decades. They have been active both
operationally in managing development projects, and also in
advocacy work. In this context, there has been convergence in the
positions of environment and development NGOs, as sustainable
development has become the buzz concept. NGOs promoting
good governance have also risen in importance with Transparency
International (anti-corruption), Amnesty International (human
rights) and Freedom House (democracy).
And finally, the past 15 years or so has seen the rise of the
anti-globalization movement, led by NGOs like France's ATTAC.
In fact, almost all NGOs are to some extent anti-globalization,
even though they themselves have become a global phenomenon.
Most of the NGOs discussed above are Western NGOs,
which operate globally. Most developing countries themselves,
including China and Pakistan, have vast numbers of NGOs. These
tend to be smaller, community-based and operational, filling gaps
in the delivery of social, health and education services.
Operational and advocating NGOs
While a distinction is made between operational and
advocacy (campaigning) NGOs, this distinction is now blurring.
Many operational NGOs increasingly undertake advocacy
activities, drawing on the lessons of their field work. Advocacy
NGOs are increasingly more than they, they often function more
like research institutes, generating research which is used in their
advocacy campaigns.
Operational NGOs tend to raise money for each project,
whereas advocacy NGOs derive a significant proportion of their
operational income from donations by members. Donations are
supplemented by income from wider, fund-raising appeals, and
also from bequests. Some NGOs accept contributions from
corporations, and are referred to as BONGOs (business financed
NGOs). This can lead to compromises in the purity of their
mission, with some NGOs arguably being 'bought out'. Other
NGOs accept financing from governments; they are referred to as
GONGOs (government-financed NGOs). The European
Commission provides substantial financing to NGOs.
In reality, NGOs work increasingly in partnership with other
stakeholders like government and international organizations.
Some NGOs function to some extent as implementing agencies for
government development co-operation programs. This can blur the
distinction between consulting firms and NGOs.
The governance of NGOs is becoming an important issue.
The classic NGO is created by an inspirational leader, with
admirable dreams and ambitions. But it may not be managed in a
business-like manner. To obtain funding and maintain credibility,
NGOs are increasingly having their books audited by accountants,
and are trying to operate with the transparency and accountability
that they demand of government.
The Other side of the Picture
There has always been a tendency to have a romantic image
of NGOs. But they are not all socially minded, left wing
organizations. Some are right wing and lobby for tax breaks for
the rich, and also lobby against things like President Obama's
health care reform. Professional associations for lawyers, doctors,
etc, could also be considered to be NGOs, even though they serve
to promote the professional interests of their members, not the
greater public good. And research institutes and 'think tanks',
which are most prevalent in the US, could also be regarded as
NGOs. Especially in the case of US think tanks, it is important to
know the source of their funding when interpreting the results of
their research.
Some NGO charities are fronts for terrorist groups. And
terrorist groups and crime organisations like Japan's yakuza are by
definition NGOs.
This is a good point to introduce the philanthropic tradition
which started in the 19th century with nouveau riche industrialists
devoting part of their fortunes to creating charitable trusts or
foundations – these are in many ways like NGOs, and in fact
foundations often provide financing to NGOs. The philanthropic
tradition is most prevalent in the United States than in Europe.
Private foundations start with an endowment donated by their
founder, and each year a proportion of the income from the
invested endowment is given away in grant funds. One of the most
prominent early American philanthropists was Andrew Carnegie,
the son of a Scottish weaver who settled with his family in
Pennsylvania in 1848. Carnegie started his working life at twelve
years of age as a factory hand in a cotton mill, but he went on to
make a fortune by establishing a steelworks in Pittsburgh. In 1901,
when he was 65, he sold the company for $480 million – a
stupendous sum in those days – and devoted the rest of his life to
giving that money away. He created over 2,500 free public
libraries across the English-speaking world, and endowed a
variety of trusts and foundations that continue to this day to
support education, science and culture.
In an essay called The Gospel of Wealth, he argued that it
was a disgrace to die rich: the wealthy should first dispose of their
fortunes for the benefit of the wider community. This idea drew on
Carnegie’s contempt for the old and undemocratic power
structures of Europe, where landed wealth, titles and privilege
passed from generation to generation. Many other American
industrialists also set aside huge sums for charitable purposes like
Henry Ford, creator of the Ford Motor Company, who endowed
the Ford Foundation; William Kellogg, who amassed a fortune
from sales of the breakfast cereal, Corn Flakes, and the
Rockefellers, whose interests in oil and banking made them one of
America’s great, capitalist families throughout the 20th century,
and who created a string of foundations. This philanthropic
tradition remains strong among American business leaders today,
the most notable example being Bill Gates.
Historically, NGOs have made contributions to the world.
While there are many examples, the abolition of slavery and the
granting on suffrage (the right to vote) to women are two major
issues. The whole environment movement would not exist without
NGOs, which became a major force at the time of the Rio Earth
Summit in 1992. A more recent initiative is the International
Campaign to Ban Land-mines which is a global network in over
70 countries that works for a world free of anti-personnel land-
mines and cluster munitions, where landmine and cluster munition
survivors can lead fulfilling lives. The Campaign was awarded the
Nobel Peace Prize in recognition of its efforts to bring about the
1997 Mine Ban Treaty. Since then, we have been advocating for
the words of the treaty to become a reality, demonstrating on a
daily basis that civil society has the power to change the world.
What do NGOs achieve for economic development today?
NGOs have also been major players in promoting human-
oriented development strategies. They have been a major force in
driving the growing movement of corporate social responsibility.
They are a powerful force for promoting good, clean governance.
They provide social support that governments are unable or
unwilling to provide. They provide critical humanitarian relief in
war-torn and natural disaster-affected areas. ad most importantly,
they can represent the voices of the poor.
But, while NGOs are usually working for good causes, as
with all organizations, they usually have their own agendas!
An article reporting suspecting activities in the name of
NGOs:
According to an article published in nation.com.pk on March
06, 2009. Sudan kicked out a lot of NGOs suspecting having an
agenda.
GENEVA (AFP) - Some aid groups who had been working in
Sudan came to the country with ulterior motives, Sudan's deputy
justice minister said Thursday, after Khartoum expelled 10 NGOs
and threatened to kick more out.
“Some came for humanitarian reasons, but others did not come for
humanitarian reasons”,Adel Daeim Zumrawi told reporters in
Geneva. Sudanese ambassador to the UN, John Lueth Ukec,
meanwhile, accused some NGOs for spreading lies among the
population as well as having fabricated reports.
Doctors without Borders (MSF) and the Norwegian Refugee
Council, both of which have been expelled, were among the
NGOs singled out by the Sudanese diplomats.
MSF warned that the consequences of the expulsion would be
very devastating for 400,000 people, including many refugees
whose depend on the aid group for humanitarian relief.
Omar al-Bashir. On Thursday Sudan warned that it could expel
more aid groups.
Meanwhile, Zumrawi stressed that Khartoum would not recognise
the arrest warrant, as Sudan is not a signatory of the Rome Statute
of the ICC, the treaty that established the court.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on Thursday
again urged Sudan not to expel NGOs operating in Darfur after an
International Criminal Court arrest warrant for President Omar al-
Beshir. “The decision by the government of Sudan to expel 13
non-governmental organizations involved in aid operations in
Darfur will, if implemented, cause irrevocable damage to
humanitarian operations there,” the UN chief's spokeswoman
Michele Montas said in a statement.
NGOs in Pakistan
In a publication of UNDP in 2001, number of NGOs was
suggested to be between 8,000 to 16,000. If non-registered NGOs
are added to registered one, number of Pakistani NGOs could be
anywhere between 25,000 to 35,000.
Here is a little something about some of the major NGOs
working in Pakistan.
Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (1986)
Mandate includes work for the ratification and
implementation by Pakistan of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and of other related Charters, Covenants, Protocols,
Resolutions, Recommendations and internationally adopted
norms; to promote studies in the field of human rights and
mobilize public opinion in favour of accepted norms through all
available media and forums, and to carry out every category of
activity to further the cause.
Edhi Foundation (1951)
The Edhi Foundation is a non-profit social welfare program
in Pakistan, founded by Abdul Sattar Edhi in 1951. Edhi is the
head of the organization and his wife Bilquis, a nurse, oversees the
maternity and adoption services of the foundation. Its headquarters
are in Karachi, Pakistan.
The Edhi Foundation provides 24-hour emergency assistance
across the nation of Pakistan and abroad. The Foundation
provides, among many other services, shelter for the destitute, free
hospitals and medical care, drug rehabilitation services, and
national and international relief efforts. Its main focuses are
Emergency Services, Orphans, Handicapped Persons, Shelters,
Education, Healthcare, International Community Centres, Blood
& Drug Bank, air ambulance services, Marine And Coastal
Services.
Al Khidmat foundation (Mid 1940's)
The Al-khidmat ( )اﻟﺧدﻣﺖFoundation claims to be the biggest,
comprehensive and most organised network providing
humanitarian services all across Pakistan. This organisation is
registered as a non governmental Organisation (NGO) under the
Societies ACT XXI of 1860 with the Government of Pakistan.
Presently this organisation is headed by Naimatullah Khan,
Advocate and ex-Nazim (Mayor) of Karachi, with the sole aim of
“service to humanity” without discrimination by religion, race,
cast, sect, language, or political affiliations. Al-khidmat
foundation has also helped the affected people in times of natural
calamities like earthquakes, floods, settling of displaced and
refugees at national level.
HOPE
HOPE (Health Oriented Preventive Education ) is a NGO based in Karachi, Pakistan
working towards Community Development, comprising of professionals ( Doctors, Social workers,
Educationists ) as well as grass-root workers.
HOPE is presently addressing the following issues in the
community.
• Community Development and Organization into CBO'S.
• Community Motivation.
• Provision of Primary Health Care Services.
• Awareness raising in community through Literacy
programmes.
• Income-generation activities.
• Environmental Sanitation.
• Promotion of Hygienic Health Practices.
WWF Pakistan (1970)
World Wide Fund for Nature - Pakistan was formed in 1970
to address the growing environmental and conservation issues in
Pakistan that not only affected the flora and fauna, but were also
affecting the human population. For the first fifteen years, it was a
small organisation which relied on individuals for financial
support and honourary scientific input. It was in the late 80s that
the first formal project for environmental education was started.
Since then, the programmes of WWF – Pakistan and its staff have
expanded rapidly to increase its conservation efforts. WWF -
Pakistan works through 31 offices with a team of approximately
340 dedicated staff members. They have their Head Office in
Lahore, regional offices in Karachi, Islamabad, Peshawar, Gilgit,
Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Quetta, and project offices
wherever there is need and the potential to make a difference.
Terrorist NGOs in Pakistan
ISLAMABAD - The Pakistani-based Al-Rashid Trust is one of the
key organizations included in America's black book of terrorist
groups. American intelligence - for many a cynic a contradiction
in terms - may think that the elusive Osama bin Laden is the main
source of hard cash for Al-Rashid. But in fact it is the other way
around: Al-Rashid is one of Osama's many sources of income.
Asia Times Online has learned from a key source how the trust is
"very much part of Osama's international work" and that it is
closely linked with the Taliban and with separatists fighting in
Kashmir. The source says that "they [members of the trust] are
financially helping the Taliban, Al-Qaeda and Jaish-i-
Mohammad". The latter is a jihadi group active in Kashmir, while
Al-Qaeda is bin Laden's worldwide network. However, the source
is adamant that Al-Rashid "does not distribute any kind of funds
for military purposes".
In fact, Al-Rashid's supreme objective is to get Western NGOs out
of Afghanistan. It is unlike any other NGO, with some of its
cadres trained in Afghanistan's military camps and with close links
to jihadi organizations. But charity and relief work are its main
goals - not jihadis against "infidels". Al-Rashid says that its
activities include providing financial and legal support to jailed
Muslim militants around the world, and that all of its actions are
purely humanitarian.
Pakistan-based International NGOs with
ulterior motives:
There are a lot of International NGOs in Pakistan having not
so pure motives. Upfront, they are providing aid or working for a
cause but behind the curtain they have their agendas. Such as,
spying, creating terror, target killing and etc.
Some of these NGOs have been proved to be dangerous to
the country, e.g.
Blackwater “Xe”
Black Water hires retired army-men and villains and
criminals from around the world. Especially they target the poor
countries in Asia and Africa for the fodder. They act as NGOs and
welfare organization in poor countries and recruit people in the
name of sending them to the land of dreams; the USA. They also
reach first to the areas where earthquakes and floods strike, and
pickup the strong helpless men and give them “jobs.”
Black Water now operates under the name of “Xe”. After
Black Water name became so notorious with respect to the Iraq
war, the company president Gary Jackson changed the name.
Black Water or Xe is based in the U.S. state of North Carolina, Xe
operates a tactical training facility which the company claims is
the world’s largest, and at which the company trains more than
40,000 people a year, mostly from U.S. or foreign military and
police services. The training consists of military offensive and
defensive operations, as well as smaller scale personal security.
That’s only a cover, and the workings of this covert organization
comprises of all the dirty and murderous acts
Director of this notorious American security firm Xe Services
LLC, formerly known as Blackwater, has reportedly admitted that
his firm is operating in Pakistan.
An investigative journalist working for the Democracy Now
Foundation, Jeremy Scahill, says he has obtained an audio
recording of a private speech delivered by Blackwater chief Erik
Prince.
Prince can be heard talking about his firm's operations on
Pakistani territory, according to the report by Scahill. On the tape,
he also insults Afghans, Iraqis and Pakistanis who oppose the
United States.
On the tape, the Blackwater chief goes on to describe them as
barbarians who crawl out of the sewer, the report added. The
speech also includes other details about Blackwater's previously
undisclosed activities. Democracy Now says Prince has attempted
to keep the audio recording from the public. Meanwhile, officials
in Islamabad say the security contractor has no presence in
Pakistan. Xe 'admits' presence in Pakistan
_________________________________
Summary
So to summerize it all a NGO could either be destructive or
constructive for a country. A country may not prosper if there is no
involvement of the people living there for the development of their
country. So if every able person volunteers and provide funds for a
particular cause, a country may go from the bottom to top but we
shouldn't close our eyes to what's going on in the name of NGOs
because as good as it sounds this world is a very mean place and
there are people who can take advantage out of a good cause. So a
government shouldn't allow every organization to set up a base in
their country without knowing what their motives are. As a
Pakistani we feel that our NGOs are able enough to provide what
we lack and NGOs who are working as spies and eating our
country from the inside should be kicked out of our country
immediately. An international organization no matter how pure
their motives are would never be able to understand the pain of
our people and what mindset we have. So they should either help
us by hiring our own people so they could work on the same level
as the people who need aid or they shouldn't imply their views on
us as it could disrupt our traditions and lifestyle.
References
www.Wikipedia.org
www.nation.com.pk
www.ngopakistan.com
www.wwfpakistan.org
www.mrglobalization.com
www.nytimes.com
www.defense.pk
_______________________________
