Se debe establecer cual es la misión de las ONGs internacionales para lograr dar una respuesta mas directa.

Si Oscar eso seria correcto

Pero como estbalecemos cual es su mision?

Saludos Ronaldo

Having experienced the great contribution of international NGOs during and after the homeland war in Croatia, I strongly believe in its positive impact. There are few examples of misconduct, but in general they were very beneficial.

Mirna Leko Šimić says in relation to NGOs I strongly believe in its positive impact. There are few examples of misconduct, but in general they were very beneficial.

That is interesting and it would be good to hear from experiences elsewhere? My sense is that we cannot generalise. I have negative views in some places but have also seen positive cases eg Trocaire here in Ireland.

But I think we cannot escape the big question such as Who gives them their mandate?

Other views?

To be honest it was international NGOs who first came to help in the 1991, while all the governments, officials, agencies etc. were "analysing" what was going on in ex- YU

Yes that was a pivotal moment ok

But does it mean ngos are 'good' per se?

My question remains I think

Who do they represent?

Who sets their agenda?

They are not good per see....I see them representinggroups of people who have different ideas about problems and enough courage to go for it. And their agenda is defined b their mission, i.e. the common goal/ idea they share

NGO's in developing countries are generally a problem rather than solution. However, there are those that are truely dedicated to achieving their aforementioned stated objectives, but they are very few. additional problems are corrupt local officials that mislead or sabotage efforts for their selfish interests.

Mirna Leko Šimić says re INGOs that They are not good per se.

Umar Aminu says NGO's in developing countries are generally a problem rather than solution

I think those of us who have worked with INGOs in developing countries know they have good people but some dubious practices. They sometimes suck the life out of local civil society with their superior respurces for example.

And even when they have good objectives I always wonder who gave them a mandate? A trade union or community group may be bad or good but it is usually elected and representative in some way.

What other experiences?

But who sets INGO‘s agendas? Do they reflect about their own positioning and power in the various Third World Contexts their are working in? What about their financial growths obejctives and global goal setting? Last but not least: how do they make decisions? Who gets involved?

Hard to generalise. Anyway, NGOs should act as the agents of social change. But in some cases NGOs are nothing else but donor driven organizations looking for funds or they are focused on their own goals rather than beneficiaries’ needs and social change.

So that would make NGOs basically like a business organisation and not an altruistic movement for social change? Marketing it as something benefiting social need would make sense then?

In the context of this article, would an international student government like the International Association for Political Science Students (IAPSS) or the International Union of Students (IUS) be classified as an NGO or a level of government?

I would see the IUS as a trade union, part of civil society not an NGO

IAPSS? A civil society organisation?

I agree that NGOs may not be the best way to classify these kinds of representative student organizations. However, it is interesting to note that UNESCO includes both IAPSS and a variety of student unions among its collective consultation of NGOs to assess progress on its Sustainable Development Goals pertaining to education. Is this grouping just for the sake of ensuring all stakeholders are consulted or do student governments appear as NGOs on the international stage? If they are seen as NGOs, is this good or should they be recognized as something else? Is it rather a practical means for student governments to enact their advocacy goals and/or for UNESCO to work with as many partners as possible to achieve its goals?

As can be seen from the attached document, a key takeaway from the most recent of UNESCO's NGO consultation meetings is the importance of recognizing student governments in education decision-making processes, so a bit more than the consultative role of a typical NGO or a trade union. As this is a fairly recent development, could this cause perceptions of the role of student governments to evolve further in the future? In any case, I thought you might find this interesting.

In terms of whether student governments are good if they are indeed classified as NGOs or should be, I would argue that they are good because they are in many cases students' best hope of advocating for their interests.

@justin

This is indeed very interesting

I did not know UNESCO was using this nomenclature

At one level its not a problem and can even be positive as you imply

But for me student representative bodies are CSOs civil society organisations like trade unions

But the concepts here are very slippery and imprecise

I have tried to clarify the related global civil society concept

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226061190_Global_Civil_Society

Issa G. Shivji is one of Africa's leading experts on law and development issues as an author and academic. His critique on NGOs is found in two essays: "Silences in NGO discourse: The role and future of NGOs in Africa" and "Reflections on NGOs in Tanzania: What we are, what we are not and what we ought to be". Shivji argues that despite the good intentions of NGO leaders and activists, he is critical of the "objective effects of actions, regardless of their intentions". Shivji argues also that the sudden rise of NGOs are part of a neoliberal paradigm rather than pure altruistic motivations. He is critical of the current manifestations of NGOs wanting to change the world without understanding it, and that the imperial relationship continues today with the rise of NGOs.

Shivji, Issa G. (2007). Silence in NGO discourse: the role and future of NGOs in Africa. Oxford, UK: Fahamu. p. 84. ISBN 978-0-9545637-5-2.

Lewis, David; Kanji, Nazneen (2009). Non-Governmental Organizations and Development. Oxon: Routledge. pp. 12–13. ISBN 978-0415454308.

Shivji is very sharp analyst OK

Thanks

Algunos sectores consideran que las ONGs son para quitar presión a las demandas sociales, porque estas se dedican a apaliar los problemas, y no a reolverlos desde el punto de vista estructural.

Oscar Martínez Peñate si esa es una posicion bastante comun. Pero a veces las ONG existen para poner presion politica en relacion a una cuestion social no?

Si, es cierto, se podría afirmar, que son las excepciones a la regla.

Generalizations are misleading, especially in the last 20 yeras or so when NGO/INGO profiles are more diverse. Still, I would propose that one general trend is that much of the essentially good/altruistic inclination of NGOs has been curtailed in the wake of the aid effectiveness turn and especially since mid-/late 1990s. This has likely not only resulted in NGOs aiming for large numbers of 'beneficiaries' (at the expense of meaningful but narrow long term focus). It has also ment that NGOs choose the type of intervention whose impact can be docummented (e.g. technology distribution) (Article Climate Change Adaptation Through Humanitarian Aid? Promises...

Article ‘What Exactly Are We a Part of Now?’ Norwegian NGOs’ Engagem...

Andrei Marin yes 'generalizations are misleading'

Oscar Martínez Peñate yes the exceptions prove the rule as they say

I'm enjoying this dialogue and wanted to jump in. I agree with many other comments (like Andrei Marin and Ronaldo Munck ) that generalizations are misleading. Asking if INGOs are part of the problem or solution is a bit like asking whether carbohydrates are healthy or not. While this isn't a post on nutrition, I think we can all agree that depends a lot on if we're talking about an apple or a candy bar!

Similarly, many will agree that INGOs have been neocolonial or neoliberal mechanisms ( D A Gayan Nayanajith ), or used to relieve local pressure to reduce collective action ( Oscar Martínez Peñate ), or creating problems that didn’t exist before (e.g. Oxfam scandal). But haven’t there also been times when INGOs have acted in ways to support the development of local capacity (like Mirna Leko Šimić mentioned)? What is the difference? I have some of my own thoughts, but I’m curious on the thoughts of others -- especially those in the Global South.

What are the characteristics of positive vs. negative impacts of NGOs? And perhaps for whom? As many people in the same community might view the impacts differently.

Whether international non-governmental organizations are helpful in the context of effectively supplementing the functions of state institutions depends on whether they realistically pursue pro-social statutory goals, or implement the demands of society and people's needs. Public central and local government institutions do not always fully correctly implement specific pro-social goals and functions of the state in the field of providing public goods and services to the society. NGOs operating in the national and international scope can fill the gaps in the effective functioning of public institutions. NGOs operating internationally should also organize and implement medical, food and economic aid for the poorest countries, characterized by weaker economic development and low income of citizens. International NGOs can also support the cross-border transfer of technology and capital to stimulate economic development in poorer countries. In addition, internationally active green NGOs can support the implementation of the ecological transformation of the economy in poorer countries. In this way, the disproportions in the economic and technological development, etc. will be reduced. International disproportions in terms of income, standard of living and the pro-ecological transformation of the economy should be reduced.

Have a nice day, Stay healthy! Best wishes,

Dariusz Prokopowicz