Are Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO's) increasing in legitimacy and effectiveness?

Résumé du document

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's) are essentially organizations that exist for serving the interests of under-represented groups directly for and on behalf of their welfare. Whether this helps to increase their rights and status or simply create an awareness of their plight, they neither represent nor are components of any official governing body. As transnational actors, some of the more significant NGO's are established and recognized globally as world motivators for change and harmony; like Oxfam, Action Aid, Salvation Army and Amnesty International. Most of these organizations can be categorized into those that have a more generic, broader approach to global issues like Greenpeace or the Society for International Development, or as specific NGO's that represent one particular interest group or minority including the American Jewish Committee or World Federation of Trade Unions. In addition, there are different classifications of NGO's; these include INGO, BINGO, ENGO, GONO and QUANGO. Respectively these translate as International, business oriented, environmental NGO's for aid or political gain and quasi-autonomous NGO's.

Extraits

[...] There may alternatively be a need to focus all the attention's of NGO's towards International or business interests. In the 200 years of NGO endurance, many changes have already taken place which have placed them either publicly in or out of favour. How they align themselves to funders, governments and policymaking activities in the future is unpredictable. It is anticipated that organisations and acting bodies continue to turn to them for expertise, knowledge and ability to exact change at grass roots level. [...]

[...] To use as an illustration, how can the policies that drive nations such as the US and the UK lead to the futile war in the Middle East? Why are these powers legitimate, when they have proved to be so overwhelmingly unpopular amongst the voters and public at large? There are many considerations required in terms of defining legitimacy. For the benefit of shaping this essay certain common factors may determine what is meant by legitimate in its simplist form; for example the moral issues associated with human suffering and inhumane behaviour prevalent throughout society. [...]

[...] The Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) is an association comprising of and working for NGO's within International aid and development. They interpret the effectiveness of NGO's very specifically as ‘promoting sustainable change that addresses the cause as well as the symptoms of poverty and marginalization, i.e. (that which) reduces poverty and builds capacity within communities, civil society and government' to address their own development priorities. ACFID lists the essential principals of effectiveness to include providing ‘priority to the needs and interests of the people they serve', to ‘encourage self-help and reliance among beneficiaries' and ‘respect and foster internationally recognized human rights, both socio-economic and civil-political'.[10] A number of serious incidents involving the bad practices carried out by NGO's have been publicised in recent years and brought to the world's attention by extensive media coverage. [...]

[...] Are Non-Governmental Organisations (NGO's) increasing in legitimacy and effectiveness? NGO's are essentially organisations that exist for the benefit of serving the interests of under-represented groups directly for and on behalf of their welfare. Whether this assists to increase their rights and status or simply to create awareness of their plight, they neither represent nor are parts of any official governing body. As transnational actors, some of the more significant NGO's are established and recognised globally as world motivators for change and harmony; like Oxfam, Action Aid, Salvation Army, Amnesty International. [...]

[...] Ashgate 2001 ACFID NGO Effectiveness Framework [11]Omara-Otunnu.A,., Western Humanitarianism or Neo-Slavery? Black Star News [12]Omara-Otunnu.A., Western Humanitarianism or Neo-Slavery? Black Star News TSUNAMI IMPACT: NGOs Can Add to Disasters ,Inter Press Service 2005 A.S., Sawitri., Jakarta Post Charnovitz, S. (2005) Accountability of NGO in Global Governance, George Washington University Law School, no Fonjong., L.M., The Challenges of Non-governmental Organisations in Anglophone Cameroon., Nova Lewis, D., The Management of Non-governmental development organisations. Routledge Lewis, D., The Management of Non-governmental development organisations. [...]