Non-Government Organisations - Red Cross - Case Study Example

Non-Government Organisation Student’s Name: Institutional Affiliation: University: Table of Contents Page Executive summary …………………………………………………………………………. 4 Non-Government Organisations …………………………………………………………….. 5 Introduction .……………………………………………………………………………..…... 5 Definition of Non-Government Organisation ………………………………………..……… 6 Categorization of NGOs……………………………………………………………………… 7 NGOs and Development …………………………………………………………………..… 8 Operational NGOs …………………………………………………………………………… 8 Community-Based Organizations ………………………………………………………….…8 Approaches to Health Facilities offered by NGOs ………………………………………..… 9 Health Facilities ……………………………………………………………………………… 9 1. International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement ……………………… 9 i. Goals and Objectives ………………………………………… 9 ii. International Business ……………………………………… 10 iii. Scope ………..……………………………………………… 10 iv. Emergencies ……………………..……………………….… 10 v. Hospital support ………………………………………….… 11 vi. Weapons and Health ……………………………..………… 11 2. Oxfam International ………………………………………………………… 12 i. Accountability ……………………………………………………… 12 ii. Approach to provision of health facilities ………………………..… 12 3. Amnesty International i. Amnesty International Operational activities ……………………………… 13 ii. Validity of Amnesty International source of information ………………..… 13 Conclusion ………………..………………………………………………………………… 15 References …………………………………………………………………………………. 17 Executive summary An NGO is an organisation that runs not for profit while enhancing and facilitating for human needs like education, health and the necessities through its operation, which is separate, form any national government. Non-Governmental Organisations always have three areas of concern and influence. Community organisations work within a small regional area of a country, while national Non-Governmental Organisations work within a country basis. According to World Bank and NGOs (2007), international NGOs, estimated to about 40,000 worldwide, effect international policy change and enhancing the status quo on the ground of every country, they operate (Wylie, 2002, p. 192). The Red Cross is committed in facilitating to all workers and stakeholders for a guaranteed safe and secure environment. As per the need for a healthy and safety conditions, the rules and regulations, together with the organisation’s policies governing health and safety are the core engineers in ensuring that they offer their facilities efficiently to humanity. Oxfam International is founded on the understanding that all people have a right to hold the regime government accountable and to anticipate them to give respect to their human rights and fulfil their promises. In the same line, the understanding that NGOs should in the same way be accountable to the society, which they offer their services together with their partner organisations, and those they receive financial support. Amnesty International is a worldwide NGO with over three million stakeholders in over one hundred and fifty countries and territories who support the campaign against violation of human rights. Non-Government Organisations Introduction An NGO is an organisation that runs not for profit while enhancing and facilitating for human needs like education, health and the necessities through its operation, which is separate, form any national government (Wylie, 2002, p. 197). According to University of California (2006), Some Non-Governmental organisations work directly with national governments while others work with the United Nations to realise their mission, goals and objectives. Tackled with the necessity to fulfil their ends, some NGOs had the opportunity of being granted consultancy status by the United Nations in an effort to work efficiently in its area of specialisation. Further, it enhances the United Nations (UN) humanitarian effort to be complimented in competency of handling the matters. NGOs have gained immense recognition around the world in an increasing degree in the light of increasing environmental degradations, health concerns, quest for education that will bring to the same level all humanity and great call for deserving essential needs. These NGOs have endeavoured to provide this service in a service-oriented mission rather thank for profit. The Non-Governmental organisations come in all different structures and sizes. Today, the world marks of the largest Non-Governmental Organisation, the International Red Cross, also popularly known as the Red Crescent society whic has pursued its mission in facilitating medical care and offering disaster relief within the globe (wiseGEEK, 2011). The Red Crescent Society, founded as far back as 1863, has contributed immensely in caring for human life and saving lives. It was founded in the 19th Century, while most organisations were founded in in the second part of the 20th Centry, at the time when most nationals turned to the call on addressing their challenges dragging development like poverty, poor sanitation, HIV/AIDs, Illiteracy and employment and technological advancement. The Red Crescent Society (The Red Cross) is an illustration of an international operational Non-Governmental Organisation, which pursues the application of policies and processes directly to progress living conditions and recover those affected with disastrous events. Non-Governmental Organisations always have three areas of concern and influence. Community organisations work within a small regional area of a country, while national Non-Governmental Organisations work within a country basis. According to World Bank and NGOs (2007), international NGOs, estimated to about 40,000 worldwide, effect international policy change and enhancing the status quo on the ground of every country, they operate; all in an effort to integrate operational activities and sponsorship in their tasks (University of California, 2006). It is worth noting that the size of these organisations is proportional to the size of their budgets as others have very large budgets while others trail in limited funding. However, The World Bank and international Monetary Fund have addressed the issue, and today, they have collaborated with a number of NGOs to enable for adequate and relevant financing. Thus, the NGOs are strengthened while simultaneously guaranteeing humanitarian work, conservation of valuable resources and technological advancement. Definition of Non-Government Organisation Various authors, organisations, and field professionals, in a way that best suits their applications at hand, have compiled non-Governmental organisations definitions differently. For instance, The World Bank defines organisations as a privately owned [non-profit] organisation that endeavours to offer - through its operational activities – to the society the most essential social services in a way that relieves suffering and enhances the interests of the less fortunate, conserving the environment and humanity (World Bank and NGOs, 2007). The varieties of definitions derived from the fact that the organisation referred to by several words intended to define the same thing; non-profit organisation (NPO), Private voluntary organisation (PVO) and the famously used nongovernmental organisation (NGO). In essence, the definition also varies between a narrow lines from nation to nation, however, most of the organisation definitions fall within this framework (Wylie, 2002, p. 189). However, this paper will limit its definition to the common scope of engagement in their activities (social issues), full separation, or semi-separation from the government. It is worthwhile mentioning at this stage of the paper that non-governmental organisation definition as initiated by the UN in 1945 was focused on expressing its distinction from the government. Therefore, this paper defines an NGO as an independent voluntary association of individuals professing as a unit on an unceasing basis for some common endeavour apart from succeeding government office, for profit or illegal activities, but rather, achieves operational activities and campaign for human rights and social welfare (Burg, 2003). Categorization of NGOs Non-Governmental Organisations is a broad term that covers many different kinds of organisations. In the category of development, these organisations vary from the big, Northern-based charities for instance, CARE, Oxfam and World Vision to community based self-help groups in the south. Encompassing this category is the research institutes, churches, professional associations, and lobby groups (Burg, 2003). The World Bank leans towards to interact with two main categories of Non-Governmental Organisations: 1) operational activities - whose most important pursuit is the design and implementation of development projects. 2) Advocacy activities - whose principal purpose is to look after or promote a specific cause and who seek to influence the policies and practices of the government, the Banks e.g. World Bank and International Monetary Fund (IMF). A growing number of NGOs engage in both operational and advocacy activities, and some advocacy groups, while not directly involved in designing and implementing projects, focus on specific project-related concerns. NGOs and Development In the past number of years, Non-Governmental Organisations have become fundamental players in the sector of international development. From early 1980s, in developed and developing countries the field has had an increasing influence in aid disbursement. According to Wold Bank and NGOs (2007) over $7 billion of aid funds was channelled to NGOs in an effort to aid the developing countries. Currently it is approximated that over 15.5% of the total foreign country developments are enabled by the NGOs. In fact, statistics have confirmed of the intense growth in the number of the NGOs, with developing countries numbering to about thirty thousand. Operational Activities of NGOs Operational initiatives of Non-Governmental organisations can be well classified into community based, national organisations, and international organisation according to the scope of their operation. The international NGOs are characteristically headquartered in developed county and perform their operations in several countries enhancing globalisation and integration of their activities. Throughout the mid-1970s and 1980s, majority of the World Bank collaborating with NGOs were international NGOs, however, the change in trend, to increase number of project and enhance efficiency of the UN has called for a great number of community-based organisations being funded by the bank (wiseGEEK, 2011). Community-Based Organizations Community Based Organisations (CBOs) are reputable of their ground touch with the real people receiving their services. They are outstanding in nature and purpose to serve others, constituted of membership individuals who have come together to fulfuil their interests for instance the women associations (Wylie, 2002, p. 192). Approaches to Health Facilities offered by NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations range in their approach and methods. Others perform specifically as lobbyist, as some largely as programmers and activists. For example, as the Red Cross is largely concerned with the exclusive goal of protecting the lives and dignity of fatalities of violent conflicts or natural disasters, Oxfam professes on poverty alleviation, which facilitates the less fortunate with the equipment and skills to provide for food, water and sanitation. On the other hand, FFDA supports in the investigation and documentation of human rights defilements and harms, and facilitates for legal support to targets of human rights abuses. Health Facilities 4. International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement The Red Cross is committed in facilitating to all workers and stakeholders for a guaranteed safe and secure environment. As per the need for a healthy and safety conditions, the rules and regulations, together with the organisation’s policies governing health and safety are the core engineers in ensuring that they offer their facilities efficiently to humanity (International Committee of the Red Cross, 2011). i. Goals and Objectives The objectives and goals of Red Cross Health activities offer the society affected by artificial conflicts and natural disasters access to main preventive and curative health care designed to facilitate for a globally recognised standards. To this end, enablement of regional health facilities has been realised. The ICRC health unit has enabled the affected by violence by enhancing their access to necessary and efficient health care services. Its main endeavour is to play an important role in bringing down the number of mortality, morbidity, suffering, and poor sanitation that arises from inadequate precaution (Kathy & Melanie 2010). ii. International Business The Red cross is geared towards efficiently carry out its operational activities free from discriminating influence of corruption or inducement and to foster anti-corruption cognizance among its employees, associates and stakeholders around the globe. According to the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) bars bribery, presenting or promising whatever thing of foreign political parties, party officials, or candidates for the reason of favour or misuse of capacity to gain advantage. iii. Scope According to International Committee of the Red Cross (2011), apart from the military and civilian injured persons, conflict mostly ends up in infrastructure damage, degradation of the environment, disturbance of supply lines and refugees quest for security. In case health facilities are partly continuously operational, access can be quite impossible, perilous or prevented for parts of the society and eventually in most cases be overwhelming by the loss of employees and significant escalation of emergency cases. Actually, most normal health facilities needs like sick children and pregnant mothers are left unattended. In essence, Red Cross advances to offer a broad number of health facilities from antenatal care, increasing capacity for attending to chronic diseases and surgical cases. iv. Emergencies Red Cross has won its reputation over the years due to its quick and presence in many conflicts, and natural disaster. Emergency health requirements demanded by majority of medicines and medical apparatus help from professional medical and surgical specialists groups, and the capacity building of additional health employees, to the reconstruction of medical health, and management and administrative provision. As such the organisation is able to handle conflicts the moment they arise in a way to subside them, and enhance long-term rehabilitation and facilitation of an efficient health system. Now of emergencies and very crises, in the light of risk to access the medical health services and provide care to the victims, Red Cross has made long strides in ensuring that the basic health facilities are available. In such circumstances, First Aid, emergency vehicle or helicopter ambulances, not to mention of the emergency hospital facilities are at the disposal of the organisation for the sake of preserving life. The most fundamental services, including outpatient treatment, vaccinations, dealing with the results of sexual violence are widely dealt with at this stage. v. Hospital support International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement has made wide strides in ensuring that it has facilities in Hospital support to equip the organisation with the ability and enough capacity to sufficiently contain surgical, paediatric, obstetric and internal medical emergencies. Further, during wars, political violence or other forms of conflicts, that may result to complete physical damage of the victims body, and subsequent need for amputations, or other major disabilities, the organisation is able to effectively perform such operations and offer further physical rehabilitation programmes. vi. Weapons and Health The inception of making of the treaties marks centuries ago but their significance and application is still too fresh to be ignored. All international treaties that prevented the use of weapons were fundamentally basing their understanding for the concern of human health and life in general. To possess weapons puts the health of the people at risk, in as much as health professionals have contributed in the recognition that the consequences to human health are a threat globally (International Committee of the Red Cross, 2011). Other than treating the conflict victims, the health professionals have advanced to assist in the application of essential principles in reducing the tendencies of using medicine. For instance, by bringing together and publishing data to create easier understanding of the overwhelming effects of weapons on people and the whole world. 5. Oxfam International iii. Accountability According to Oxfam International (2011), founded on the understanding that all people have a right to hold the regime government accountable and to anticipate them to give respect to their human rights and fulfil their promises. In the same line, the understanding that NGOs should in the same way be accountable to the society, which they offer their services together with their partner organisations, and those they receive financial support. iv. Approach to provision of health facilities The company is working hand in hand with the community-based organisations, agencies and local authorities and organisations in an effort to enable for sufficient reaches of the most vulnerable individuals. To this extent, the organisation has endeavoured to pursue more than fifty nine thousand individuals taking cooked food, drinking water, and sanitary pads. Not to mention of the mosquito nets, tarpaulins, women, men’s wear, and providing rescue missions (Oxfam International, 2011). In order to restore the health status of the affected individuals into a stable and healthy condition, the organisation has made tremendous steps in relocating centres, coming up with volunteer committees of women and men separately as a fair decisive mechanism to distribute the relief materials. For instance, in the persistent monsoon rains in the early part of January 2011 that leads to floods and displacement of people over the central Sri Lanka. Over one million individuals felt the impact. In turn, Oxfam International persists to expand its rapid rescue facility to more than ninety per cent of the whole population. In an effort to save life, the organisation facilitated immediate food, water, shelter, and hygiene as a priority. 6. Amnesty International Amnesty International is a worldwide NGO with over three million stakeholders in over one hundred and fifty countries and territories who support the campaign against violation of human rights (Amnesty International, 2011). Driven by its core values and mission based on the understanding that every human being is entitled to enjoy all the rights entrusted in the universal declaration of human rights. The organisation is independent government, political ideology, economic interest, or religion and is financed majorly by the members and donations from the public. i. Amnesty International Operational activities According to Amnesty International (2011), endeavours to maintain its status and reputation through sending experts to talk with victims, observe trials, interview local officials, liaise with human rights activists, monitor global and local media, publish detailed reports, inform the news media, and publicize our concerns in documents, leaflets, posters, advertisements, newsletters and websites. Further, the organisation has harnessed its effort to assist in reducing to the lowest possible the human rights violation. This is undertaken by rallying the public to push on governments, limited institutions, and intergovernmental bodies through: public demonstrations, vigils, letter writing campaigns, human rights education, and awareness raising concerts, direct lobbying, targeted appeals, email petitions, and other online actions, partnerships with local campaigning groups, community activities, and co-operation with student groups (Amnesty International, 2011). ii. Validity of Amnesty International source of information The organisation conducts its research on specifically targeting nations and themes investigate reports on violation of justice to humanity. This is further, fined through cross checking and corroborating the data from a broad range of sources and contacts. Most of the information is therefore, provided by prisoners, survivors of abuse and their families, lawyers and journalists, refugees, diplomats, religious bodies and community workers, humanitarian agencies and other human rights organizations and human rights defenders. Conclusion In summary International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement offers the best health care facilities because it advances to offer a broad number of health facilities from antenatal care, increasing capacity for attending to chronic diseases and surgical cases. It has won its reputation over the years due to its quick and presence in many conflicts, and natural disaster. As such the organisation is able to handle conflicts the moment they arise in a way to subside them, and enhance long-term rehabilitation and facilitation of an efficient health system. Further, the organisation has made wide strides in ensuring that it has facilities in Hospital support to equip the organisation with the ability and enough capacity to contain surgical, paediatric, obstetric and internal medical emergencies. For the reason of the nature and quality of each Non-Governmental Organisation, it is very problematic to generalise about the sector as a whole with regard to public policy, social issues, and globalisation. However, in spite of this diversity, some common strength are associated with most NGOs: strong grassroots links, field-based development expertise, the ability to innovate and adapt, process-oriented approach to development, anticipatory methodologies and tools, long-term commitment and emphasis on sustainability, and cost-effectiveness (Collier, 2007). However, in an increasingly globalised world in which communities and individuals continue to face great challenges and oppression regardless of the strong array of repressive measures used against them. According to Haugen and Boutros (2010), it gives the evidence that the society affected by human rights abuses and in an effort to restore the norm, the Non-Governmental Organisation have been inefficient because of the big challenges. The weaknesses associated with the sector were limited financial and management expertise, limited institutional capacity, low levels of self-sustainability, isolation/lack of inter-organizational communication and/or coordination, small scale interventions, and lack of understanding of the broader social or economic context (Singer, 2009). References World Bank and NGOs, (2007). NGO Research Guide, World Bank and NGOs. Retrieved on 02-06-2011 from http://library.duke.edu/research/subject/guides/ngo_guide/igo_ngo_coop/ngo_wb.html Oxfam International, (2011). Accountability, emergencies, development, and Annual report. Retrieved on 02-06-2011 from http://www.oxfam.org/en/about/accountability University of California, (2006). Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs). Retrieved on 02-06-2011 from http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/doemoff/govinfo/intl/gov_ngos.html International Committee of the Red Cross, (2011). International Committee of the Red Cross Health. Retrieved on 02-06-2011 from http://www.icrc.org/eng/what-we-do/health/index.jsp Wylie N, (2002). The Sound of Silence: The History of the International Committee of the Red Cross as Past and Present. In: Diplomacy and Statecraft. Routledge/ Taylor & Francis, p. 186–204 Amnesty International (2011). Amnesty International. Retrieved on 02-06-2011 from http://amnesty.org/en/who-we-are/faq#how-ai-works Burg R.W., (2003). Amnesty, Civil Rights, and the Meaning of Liberal Republicanism, 1862-1872". American Nineteenth Century History p. 29-60 wiseGEEK (2011). What is a Non-Governmental Organization?. Retrieved on 02-06-2011 from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-a-non-governmental-organization.htm Collier, P (2007). Aid to the Rescue?” in The Bottom Billion: Why the Poorest Countries are Failing and What Can Be Done About It, pp. 99-123. Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press. Haugen, G & Boutros V (2010). “And Justice for All: Enforcing Human Rights for the World’s Poor,” in Foreign Affairs 89(3), pp. 51-62. Singer, P (2009). “How Can You Tell Which Charities Do It Best?,” in The Life You Can Save, pp. 82-125. New York: Random House. Kathy L. & Melanie B (2010). "CARE Steps Up Haiti Response as Cholera Cases Surge." Retrieved on 02-06-2011 from http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2010/11/haiti-cholera-outbreak-artibonite-20101111.asp?s_src=170760460000 (accessed November 12, 2010). Read More