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Saturday, 19 July 2014

NGOs in question

A reminder of who the fishing industry (worldwide) is up against these days - it used to be fishermen and the weather - now the industry fights on all fronts.

Translated by Google from http://bit.ly/1rpGEDU (Alain le Sann)

"The role of NGOs is often debate whether at their field operations and their results, their funding or their questionable networks (dealings with multinationals), the question of legitimacy is regularly raised. Back on some analyzes and positions, including that point the finger at the close ties between some large NGOs and financial powers (particularly multinationals) ... Arundhati Roy asks in 2004 on the legitimacy of the intervention of foreign NGOs with their financial power in the South. "NGOs are accountable to their funders, not the people with whom they work." For its part, Naomi Klein also questioned the legitimacy of large environmentalists in their climate action NGOs. She says, "they have done more damage than climate deniers right." Policies implemented and their results were disastrous, as based on market principles .

In the United States, Mark Dowie, historian of the environmental movement, also calls into question the practices and objectives of environmentalists and large foundations that distract citizens legitimate democratic process NGOs to strengthen their role as intermediaries (what he calls " philanthocratie "welding portmanteau word" philanthropy "and" technocracy ") between citizens and governments, marginalizing small grassroots groups are not receiving funds from large foundations. This analysis is most recently confirmed by two academics in a book "Protest Inc., the corporatization of activism." They involve the development of large NGOs, because of their size, are increasingly being managed like businesses, and for some of them maintain close relationships with large multinationals , in a complex philanthropic capitalist. Two recent reports confirm the appetites and excesses of some big international networks in dealing with finance and large companies. They relate to Greenpeace International , who made ​​up in smoke million donors due to improper operation and market -Max Havelaar France , which triggered the wrath in the middle of fair trade through the establishment of a new label "fair light." It is pleasing to note that these developments raise indignant reactions from within these organizations.

On international solidarity associations (ASI), it is also their mode of intervention and some of their practices on the ground that raise many questions in the South. And in Haiti , the neo-colonial behavior of some humanitarian cause adverse effects and a sense of marginalization among many Haitians. In his blog, the Pakistani journalist Raza Rumi also point drifts humanitarian aid to Pakistan . The considerable weight of American NGOs raises legitimate questions about their role and impact. Raza Rumi considers that the superiority of the work of NGOs is a myth : they fail in their goal of reaching the poorest and most marginalized.

Basically, NGOs do not they have a weak state that they themselves contribute to worse? Question terrible ... but there are tracks real partnerships and interesting examples to support, based on the idea that development is a political process that allows the poorest to reinforce their rights, as pointed out the blog Irish NGOs Network for Global Justice . Some NGOs do not they tend to favor their own power instead of supporting the capacity of the poorest and most marginalized? Each case is different and there are still happily and NGOs really serve the poor. Aware questions about their actions, NGOs rely on the professionalism of their staff, and some structures do not want to operate on logic and large companies also refuse collaboration with private inadequate with their ethics and their goals actors. Finally, the need to establish real partnerships South / North is shared by more and more NGOs concern. An exit door to balanced reciprocal relations, free of paternalism?"