Synopses & Reviews
Non-government organisations working in the humanitarian and development sectors won official approval in the 1980's and 1990's but there are signs now that they are losing favour. The NGO sector stands accused by some of complacency and self-interest on the one hand and of being ineffectual and irrelevant on the other. NGOs are increasingly challenged to demonstrate their legitimacy as representative voices of civil society. NGOs themselves are taking a hard look at their mandates, their core values and their role on a changing international stage. Contributors to this volume reflect on what kind of development will eradicate poverty and what types of agency are best suited to the task. Leading representatives of NGOs, development think-tanks and civil-society organisations, as well as scholars and activists, ask: What model of international co-operation can deliver social and economic justice? And what does this mean for NGOs in the future?
Synopsis
While NGOs have enjoyed a high profile in recent years, there are signs that their heyday is over. The spotlight has fallen on the failings of NGOs, and on the limitations in what they can achieve. The NGO sector stands accused of complacency and self-interest, on the one hand, and of being ineffectual andnirrelevant on the other. This collection, originally commissioned as a tenth anniversary issue of the journal Development in Practice, reflects on what kind of development is needed today, and on what kind of organizations are needed to spearhead this agenda. Leading NGOs, development think-tanks, universities, and civil society organisations, scholars, and activists from over 15 countries around the world ask: What model of international cooperation can deliver social and economic justice? And what does this mean for NGOs in the future?
Synopsis
Students of humanitarian action - academics and practitioners alike - will find this volume a rich repository of data and insights. Larry Minear, Former Director, Humanitarianism and War Project.