Non-governmental organization
[2] While there is no fixed or formal definition for what NGOs are, they are generally defined as nonprofit entities that are independent of governmental influence—although they may receive government funding.
[2] According to the UN Department of Global Communications, an NGO is "a not-for profit, voluntary citizen's group that is organized on a local, national or international level to address issues in support of the public good".
[6] India is estimated to have had about 2 million NGOs in 2009 (approximately one per 600 Indians), many more than the number of the country's primary schools and health centers.
[citation needed] NGOs also play a critical role in driving change by advocating for policies and practices that benefit disadvantaged communities.
They often work in partnership with other organizations, including government agencies, to address complex challenges that require a collaborative approach.
This allows them to gain a deep understanding of the issues facing people and to tailor their services to meet the specific needs of each community.
[11][12] Operational NGOs seek to "achieve small-scale change directly through projects",[11] mobilizing financial resources, materials, and volunteers to create local programs.
They hold large-scale fundraising events and may apply to governments and organizations for grants or contracts to raise money for projects.
[11] Non-governmental organisations need healthy public relations in order to meet their goals, and use sophisticated public-relations campaigns to raise funds and deal with governments.
[17] By the end of 1995, Concern Worldwide (an international anti-poverty NGO) employed 174 foreigners and just over 5,000 local staff in Haiti and ten developing countries in Africa and Asia.
Since the end of World War II, NGOs have had an increased role in international development,[21] particularly in the fields of humanitarian assistance and poverty alleviation.
[37] Research published by the Urban Institute and Stanford University's Center for Social Innovation have shown that rating agencies create incentives for NGOs to lower (and hide) overhead costs, which may reduce organizational effectiveness by starving organizations of infrastructure to deliver services.
[38][39] An alternative rating system would provide, in addition to financial data, a qualitative evaluation of an organization's transparency and governance: In a March 2000 report on United Nations reform priorities, former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan favored international humanitarian intervention as the responsibility to protect[40] citizens from ethnic cleansing, genocide, and crimes against humanity.
[48] International NGOs were important to the anti-slavery and women's suffrage movements, and peaked at the time of the 1932–1934 World Disarmament Conference.
[49] The term became popular with the 1945 founding of the United Nations in 1945;[50] Article 71 in Chapter X of its charter[51] stipulated consultative status for organizations which are neither governments nor member states.
[54] The rise and fall of international NGOs matches contemporary events, waxing in periods of growth and waning in times of crisis.
[58] The 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, attended by about 2,400 representatives, was the first to demonstrate the power of international NGOs in environmental issues and sustainable development.
The question whether a public project should be owned by an NGO or by the government has been studied in economics using the tools of the incomplete contracting theory.
[75] Track II diplomacy (or dialogue) is transnational coordination by non-official members of the government, including epistemic communities and former policymakers or analysts.
[76] It was internationally recognised on 28 February 2014 in Helsinki, Finland by United Nations Development Programme administrator and former Prime Minister of New Zealand Helen Clark.
Diplomacy allows NGOs to navigate these complex environments and engage in constructive dialogue with different actors to promote understanding, build consensus, and facilitate cooperation.
[citation needed] Effective NGO diplomacy involves building trust, fostering dialogue, and promoting transparency and accountability.
[citation needed] In his study of NGO involvement in Mozambique, James Pfeiffer addresses their negative effects on the country's health.
[83] According to Vijay Prashad, since the 1970s "the World Bank, under Robert McNamara, championed the NGO as an alternative to the state, leaving intact global and regional relations of power and production.
[86] NGOs have been accused of preserving imperialism[87] (sometimes operating in a racialized manner in Third World countries), with a function similar to that of the clergy during the colonial era.
[93][94] Russian president Vladimir Putin made that accusation at the 43rd Munich Security Conference in 2007, saying that NGOs "are formally independent but they are purposefully financed and therefore under control".
[95] According to Michael Bond, "Most large NGOs, such as Oxfam, the Red Cross, Cafod and ActionAid, are striving to make their aid provision more sustainable.
[97] The needs of the developing world may not be addressed appropriately, as northern NGOs do not consult (or participate in) partnerships or assign unrepresentative priorities.
[104] Dependence on official aid may dilute "the willingness of NGOs to speak out on issues which are unpopular with governments",[101] and changes in NGO funding sources have altered their function.
It may also be advantageous to decentralize an NGO, increasing its chances of responding flexibly and effectively to local issues by implementing projects which are modest in scale, easily monitored, produce immediate benefits, and where all involved know that corruption would be punished.
