Non-Governmental Organizations - Essay Example

RUNNING HEAD: NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS INSTITUTION NAME Non-Governmental Organizations Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are lawfully constituted associations formed by ordinary or officially authorized people. World Bank defines non-governmental organizations as private organizations that practice activities in the society for the purpose of suffering relieving, interest promotion, as well as undertaking community development projects (World Bank, 1997). They run autonomously from any form of government. The term NGO originated from the United Nations, and generally refers to associations that are not a component of a regime and are also not conformist to profit businesses Nearly all NGOs generally use a framework that involves orientation and level of operation. An NGO's orientation refers to the sort of actions it takes on. These actions may comprise of environmental, or development work human rights. An NGO's level of operation specify the degree at which an association works, such as confined, regional, national or international. Types of NGOs and Other Organizations NGO type by level of orientation: Charitable Orientation regularly involves a top-down paternalistic attempt with diminutive involvement of the "beneficiaries". It includes NGOs with actions aimed at gathering the requirements of the poor; giving out of foodstuff, outfits or medication; provision of accommodation, transportation, schools etc. Such NGOs can too carry out aid activities in the duration of a natural or fabricated disaster. Service Orientation comprise NGOs with activities such as the catering of healthfulness, family planning or learning services in which the programme is devise by the NGO and citizens are anticipated to contribute in its execution and in receipt of the service. Participatory Orientation is defined by self-help projects where local residents are drawn in mostly in the execution of projects by devoting money, equipment, land, materials, labor etc. In the standard society development project, involvement starts with the need description and progresses into the planning and execution stages. Cooperatives regularly encompass a participatory course. Empowering Orientation intends to aid underprivileged people build up a distinct understanding of the societal, legislative and commercial aspects affecting their existence, and to reinforce their understanding of their own possible power to manage their lives. Occasionally, these NGOs establish impulsively around a crisis or a concern, at other period outside personnel from NGOs performs a facilitating responsibility in their growth. NGO type by level of cooperation Community-based Organizations (CBOs) come up out of grassroots own initiatives. These can take account of games clubs, women's organizations, and locality organizations, spiritual or learning organizations. There are a wide diversity of these, a number are supported by NGOs, state or global NGOs, or bilateral or worldwide agencies, and others autonomous of external help. Some are dedicated to increasing the awareness of the metropolitan underprivileged or helping them to comprehend their civil liberties in gaining way in to required services whereas others are drawn in in provision of such services. Citywide Organizations comprise organizations such as a home Rotary International chapter or chambers of commerce, Lions Clubs International chapter and industry, ethnic or educational groups, coalitions of business and associations of community organizations. Some stand for other aspirations, and happen to be engaged in serving the poor as part of several activities, while others are formed for the definite intention of helping the poor. National NGOs comprise organizations such as the Red Cross, professional associations, etc. a number of these encompass state and metropolis branches and assist local NGOs. International NGOs vary from non religious agencies such as Save the Children organizations Redda Barna and, OXFAM, CARE, Ford Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation to faithfully shaped groups. Their activities differ from primarily financial support to local NGOs, institutions and projects, to implementing the projects themselves. It is also very important to note that all non-governmental organizations work in a heterogeneous approach especially when working out on a societal issues (Nelson, 2007). For instance, non-governmental organizations can offer technical assistance to the society, donation, protective measures (International Organization for Standardization, ISO), dispute settlement, addressing environmental issues and market advocacy. From these heterogeneous activities offered by NGOs, USAID describes non-governmental organizations as private voluntarily institutions and they exist because of variety of issues in the society. However, there are significant numbers of non-governmental organizations that are greatly involved in political and philosophical aspects. Comparing and contrasting approaches taken by several non-government organizations in addressing a particular social issue Community health promotion and education is a society issues that majority of NGOs have put concentration on. A report compiled by Clark (1991) shows that most societies especially in Asia and some parts of Africa still have many problems when it comes to general hygiene, disposal of wastes and depraved behaviors especially with the youths in the society. Red Cross in Asia (Approach in heath promotion and education-water and hygiene) Many nations have not reached the MDGs (millennium development goals). There reason being that the society has poor access to water and good sanitation (Schenker, 2011). Apparently, addressing these issues perhaps leads to increase in health of the population. Swiss Red Cross believes that access to water and good sanitation in the region contribute to the improvement of health at the community level. Besides, in fostering sustainable solutions in the society, Red Cross believes that when a community is involved and given an opportunity to participate then definitely it would lead to effective solutions. Red Cross uses a capitalized community-based approach that accompanies water and sanitation projects as a means of addressing health problems associated with poor sanitations. The approach intends to aid in informing program coordinators, duty delegation to the staff and giving a like-minded to hygiene programs in Asia (Gray, 1989). The aim of this kind of a plan (Swiss Red Cross Plan on health education and promotion) is to provide a feasible image on the improvement of water quality and hygiene in the regions that experience poor access to water. Swiss Red Cross tends to focus on the main things in the society: 1. Supporting the government’s projects in health, water and sanitation, 2. Poverty reduction through addressing water safety and hygiene needs, and 3. Working on the well-being of the target population The three objectives are driven by an integrated community-based approach that considers financial, environmental and social accounts of most of the states in Asia. The features of Swiss Red Cross approach are: Its interventions are placed in the development context therefore, the state play a major role in guiding the programs in the region. Majority of Swiss Red Cross water projects are rurally placed. This means that the society is highly involved in the programs. The beneficiaries of the programs who are the major target of Swiss Red Cross are in remote area characterized by access of poor infrastructure, for instance poor roads and poor means of communication. Most of Swiss’s Red Cross Water and sanitation activities are entrenched to various government health projects. Swiss Red Cross uses simple and locally adapted technologies in majority of the projects. The success of Swiss Red Cross projects on community health promotion and education is majorly linked with strong partnership with Union Parishad Councils (UPC) and local government units (Schenker, 2011, 13). In this case, communities plan their needs and negotiate them to be included in the national budget while Union Parishd Council chooses the contractors of the project. Integration comes in when Red Cross, UPC and local government jointly monitors the project. African Ministers’ Council on Water African Ministers’ Council on Water (AMCOW) is a charitable non-governmental organization that has 8 years of existence. Its focus is on African among other developing nations of the world. AMCOW’s approach on water security is based on key actions to be enhanced at four levels: 1) Regional, 2) Trans-boundary, 3) Local Government and 4) AMCOW. Like Red Cross, AMCOW has an integrated approach in managing water problems. However, their work plan defer since AMCOW has seven themes to integrate into its plan (AMCOW Work Plan, 2013). These themes include: Improving water infrastructure for the purpose of growing the states economy, Regional water resource management, Working on the millennium development gaps brought by poor hygiene and sanitation, Focus on the global adjustments (climate change) and risk management, Financing, Governance and leadership, and Health education and capacity development. During the implementation of the policies related to the above themes, AMCOW, like Swiss Red Cross, does it with the consultation of the regional players, national government as well as Millennium Development Goals partners besides relevant stakeholders. However, the difference comes in during health promotion programs management. AMCOW ensures sustainable funding for the program initiated by the community and responsible for the maintenance of program services (Sanitation and Hygiene-African Ministers' Council on Water, 2013). As a responsible charitable organization, AMCOW controls procurement activities of the program and put the traffic policies in place in order to achieve sustainable operation of the health program. Another difference exhibited by AMCOW is on knowledge building and capacity development. The organization tends to emphasis its capacity development to the people who are running the project not actually to the community. The society in this case benefit indirectly from the organization through well-trained and educated practitioners of the water projects (Water Governance and Management, 2013). The organizations that has had the most influence on both public opinion and government policy on health education and promotion-water security and sanitation Clark (1991) pointed out some of the ways in which voluntary sector (non-governmental organizations) would influence the development in terms of public opinion and government policy. Therefore, an organization with more influence; Encourages executive aid agencies and government departments (ministries) to approve successful approaches developed within an NGO, Directly and indirectly educate the public and sensitize the society to know their rights when participating in a state program, Standardizing official programs to public needs as a means of expressing public opinion and state experience on social issue. Supports local development policies of national, regional and international organizations, and By helping state government and donors to enhance a more effective development strategy on the issue in the society by strengthening and supporting other integrated institutions, staff training and expanding leadership capacity. Considering the above characteristics therefore, charitable organizations like African Minister’s Council on Water (AMCOW) take an upper hand when it comes to influencing public opinion and government policies. However, it is very important also to note that even the community-based non-governmental organizations like Swiss Red Cross play a vital role in the process of policy formulation (Abegunde, 2009, 238). Therefore, public opinion and government policy is definitely a corporate social responsibility initiative that involve participation of multi-disciplinarians and multi-stakeholders to in order to be effectively influenced (Nelson, 2007). From the discussed social issue (community health education and promotion on water and sanitation), AMCOW (charitable organization) encouraged aid agencies in the water security projects in Africa to take full participation in promoting the use of safe water by the population. In addition, it pursued the appropriate government ministries to support the training program and capacity development for the groups running these projects. For instance, the most interesting trends on how charitable organizations address social issues comes in when AMCOW strongly advocate for fair procurement methods to the government for the water projects in Africa. Apparently, this is a game of high venture when it comes to public policy, finance market and above all the ecosystem (AMCOW Work Plan, 2013). Another reason that shows charitable organizations have higher influence on the public domain and state policy is that most of them enhances standardization of endorsed community programs and express it as public opinion not only within the national boundaries but also across the regional boundaries (Hivji, 2007). In addition, it found that community-based organizations are part of the system during harmonization of the set policies. As it can be seen, as much as the charitable organizations pursue effective development strategy in terms of influencing government policies, on the other side, community-based organizations play a fundamental role in supporting the local development policies of national, regional and international institutions. NGOs influence on the government policy and public opinion range from establishment of main grievances, stakeholders activism, to community-level partnership all the way to the cooperate agreements. Influencing government policy on any particular social issue is a process that involves confrontation, communication, consultation and cooperation (Lloyd and Casas, 2005). Confrontation: The activities involved at this stage include presentation of societal needs by an NGO either within the state boundary or beyond the state boundary. There are also campaigns targeted at major stakeholders to boost specific projects (training of the staff to enhance effective education to the society). Communication: This stage involves continuous presentation of information of the project to the state departments. In addition, it involves project visits by the NGOs and local community leaders in order to assess the effectiveness of the project in addressing a societal issue presented. Consultation: A two way dialogue takes place whereby the participants of the project in the community level presents the public opinion to the government. The two parties incorporate diverse views and make effective decisions for policymaking process. Cooperation: This stage of the process involves strategic charity and community investment. The formal agreements that are in a mutual supportive manner to the issue in the society become a national concern. It should also align with the objectives of the project in the society that was set to address the issue. Therefore, the strength of the issue would definitely define the steps to which the state is going to integrate relevant principles to the issue. Reference Abegunde, A. A. (2009). Community based organization in the sustainable development of the Rural Area of Atiba. Oyo State: Town plan publishers. AMCOW Work Plan - African Ministers' Council on Water. (n.d.). Welcome to AMCOW official Website - African Ministers' Council on Water. Retrieved May 9, 2013, from http://www.amcow-online.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=144&Itemid=77&lang=en Clark, J. (1991). Democratizing development: the role of voluntary organizations.. London: Earthscan Publications. Cooperation between the World Bank and NGOs: FY96 progress report.. (1997). S.l.: World Bank]. NGO Group. Social development Dept. Gray, C. (1989). Henry Dunant: founder of the Red Cross, the relief organization dedicated to helping suffering people all over the world (North American ed.). Milwaukee: G. Stevens. Hivji, I. G. (2007). Silences in NGO discourse the role and future of NGOs in Africa. Nairobi: Fahamu. Lloyd, R. & Casas, L. (2005). Non-Governmental Organization self-regulation: Enforcing and balancing accountability. www.allavida.org. Accessed March 10, 2006. Nelson, J. (2007). The operation of non-governmental organizations in the world of corporate and other codes of conduct. Harvard University: John F. Kennedy Foundation. Schenker, R. (2011). Spatio-temporal dynamics in Swiss regional unemployment. Zürich: ETH, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule Zürich, KOF Swiss Economic Institute. Sanitation and Hygiene - African Ministers' Council on Water. (n.d.). Welcome to AMCOW official Website - African Ministers' Council on Water. Retrieved May 9, 2013, from http://www.amcow-online.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=147&Itemid=80&lang=en Water Governance and Management - African Ministers' Council on Water. (n.d.). Welcome to AMCOW official Website - African Ministers' Council on Water. Retrieved May 9, 2013, from http://www.amcow-online.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=150&Itemid=82&lang=en Read More