NGOs and their stakeholders need to redefine their vision periodically in accordance with the changing socio-economic environment to serve the emerging needs of the people rather than those of the donors. Popular support and self-financing provide the basis for the legitimacy of NGOs. They need to diversify their funding sources
Non-governmental organisations, or NGOs, are briefly introduced as non-profit making, non-governmental and social development organizations working for socio-economic empowerment, transformation of skills and education, and overall development of society.
It works as one of the wings of mainstream development endeavours of state building initiatives.
The role can be catalytic in the form of empowering society, social interest groups and as part of the civil society movement.
NGOs have the core objective to tackle the poverty and social emancipation of the underprivileged and marginalised segment of our society. Rural development, poverty reduction, social transformation, and human rights, climate change and disaster mitigation are the key issues in which NGOs are working these days.
Obviously, their role and responsibility in the present context are quite crucial inproviding development goods to the rural people. The common philosophy of development is encompassed in the truth of a common proverb, 'Give a man fish and feed him for a day, teach him to fish, and feed him for a life-time'.
The entire goals of the rural development paradigm are rural people's self-reliance, their sustained initiative to improve the quality of life, and to maintain the given assets and infrastructure.
The major question is, however, 'whether NGOs are really working for the sake of the people and community or for their vested interests? Transparency, accountability and response to the people, society and state mechanism are ultimately the prerequisite of the current times.
Talking about the emergence of the rural development phenomenon, we have to remember the philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi.
His vision of rural development was to build a self-governing and self-reliant village community known as gram swaraj. The salient characteristics of this programme were the charkha (spinning wheel), khadi (hand-woven cloth), gramodyog (village industries), basic education, sanitation and eradication of untouchability from the entire society.
Due to the failure of the top-down approach of the development initiative, poverty, hunger and diseases either worsened or remain unaltered, leading to the emergence of voluntary organisations or NGOs as a counterweight to state power.
NGOs are ultimately private and non-profit making organisations that pursue activities to relieve people's sufferings, promote the interests of the poor, protect the environment, and provide basic social services or undertake community development activities. They are value-driven organisations, and primarily act on the principles of voluntarism and altruism.
NGOs enable and empower the poor people, deprived segment of our society and underprivileged people through education, local people's organisation, and build self-reliance plus self-confidence. Ultimately, people have a sense of ownership through participation by contributing material, capital, labour and time.
NGOs are identified with four successive stages or generations. The first generation was illustrated as 'relief and welfare'; the second with 'community development'; the third with 'sustainable systems development' and the fourth with 'people's movements'.
In contemporary times, NGOs have implemented government programmes, transferred technology, and researched and advocated for development initiatives, too.
When we talk about the type of NGOs and their role in rural development initiatives, we do have valuable information. On the basis of vision (philosophy), working patterns or approaches, structure or composition and funding partnership, NGOs are classified and differentiated.
According to the categorisation by the World Bank, they are mainly of two types - operational and advocacy types. From the Indian perspective, they are mainly of four types, namely, operational or grassroots NGOs; support NGOs; network NGOs; and funding NGOs.
NGOs have the commitment and devotion to reduce the sufferings of the pervasive poor. They implement programmes in remote and inaccessible villages and communities where government intervention can barely reach.
Finally, NGOs are viewed by many official agencies and members of the public as more efficient and cost-effective service providers than the government, giving better value for money, especially in reaching out to the poor people of our society.
NGOs and their stakeholders need to redefine their vision periodically in accordance with the changing socio-economic environment to serve the emerging needs of the people rather than those of the donors. Secondly, popular support and self-financing provide the basis for the legitimacy of NGOs. NGOs need to diversify their funding sources and pursue strategies to raise funds locally. Thirdly, transparency between the management, field staff and other stakeholders about the objectives and approaches of rural development projects would ensure accountability.
Reasonable funds to NGOs for small and diverse activities in different areas can make NGOs honest, innovative, and create a wider impact. Fourthly, rural development would become meaningful with a trilateral collaboration between NGOs, GOs and bilateral donors.
In the meantime, the Social Welfare Council (SWC) can play the role of a catalyst to foster strict monitoring and evaluation of the development activities initiated by the NGOs. The present resources and manpower cannot, however, be sufficient for the SWC in order to perform its duties properly. There is the need of sufficient and appropriate change in the policy programme of the SWC in order to achieve the anticipated outcomes.
Karki is an anthropologist and advocate
A version of this article appears in the print on September 23, 2022 of The Himalayan Times.
