| Role of NGOs in India | | | | this becomes the cause of a rift between |
| The poor of the land does not need charity; what | | | | government and NGO's. Moreover government |
| they need is access to equal opportunities and | | | | cannot have access, even for accountability |
| levelling of the playing field so that they can also | | | | reason, into the financial affairs of any NGO. This |
| compete in the market-place on an equal footing. | | | | in fact increases the risk of exploitation and |
| It is the capacity-building, not income transfers, | | | | misuse of funds granted by the donors for the |
| that can transform the lives of the poor. Only the | | | | cause of community development. And with no |
| grass root movement reach the poorest of the | | | | accountability, no interference, some NGO's have |
| poor. Government projects face great difficulty in | | | | played havoc with the resources provided by the |
| targeting such groups. The poorest section of the | | | | donors. |
| society needs to be organised into viable groups, | | | | IIRC-International Information. Resource Centre, |
| which can assume the responsibility of their own | | | | Shaheed-I-Azemat Road, Nambalbal, Pampore PPR |
| development as a community. And this is where | | | | JK 192121, e.mail : , has been collected the details |
| the NGO's come in with the role of civil society | | | | of 55,000 International Development organizations |
| organisations or non-governmental organisations to | | | | and brought out a directory on CD-ROM, It |
| chalk out programmes and projects targeting | | | | containing International Social welfare |
| community problems. | | | | Organisations, , Religious, Charity organisations, |
| The tradition of civil society initiatives for | | | | Faith-based organisations such as International |
| community development is still in its infancy in our | | | | Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Sikh, Jain, Buddhist |
| part of the world. But it is only fair to recognise | | | | organisations, NRIs Associations, International |
| the fact that all NGO's efforts are not motivated | | | | Human Rights Organisations, National/International |
| by the community itself. Self-interest is an | | | | Women's Organisations,UN/Amnesty International |
| important motivation too. In fact, many NGO's | | | | Offices, Solar Promation Organisations, |
| reflect the personal ambitions of some rich | | | | International Chamber of Commerces, Trade |
| do-gooders or a cynical effort to exploit the | | | | & Business Institutions, Some indivaduals and |
| generosity of foreign donors or the patronage of | | | | organisations who provide Material/Technical |
| the Government. For instance, out of more than | | | | Financial Assistance, give funds for various |
| 2 lakhs of NGOs//Trustus/ formally registered in | | | | projects. On various social developmental |
| India, there are only a few which have credibility | | | | Schemes. Here you find complete information of |
| and standing. A thorough, in-depth evaluation of | | | | Donors & Funding Sources from around the |
| NGO activities in India can easily prove the | | | | world. And hundreds of Organisations added |
| credibility of their working. | | | | every month and much more... |
| Going through the history of the development of | | | | This database also covers Ministry wise schemes |
| NGO's, it becomes evident that there has been an | | | | in all the sectors including the policies and more |
| impressive growth of civil society organisations | | | | Then 2000+ schemes of Government of India. |
| and NGO's only in the recent decade. There are | | | | The directory aims to promote interaction and |
| well over 85,000 NGO's in the region today. Out | | | | active partnerships among governments, private |
| of these, 25,000 are in India, 10,000 in | | | | sector and key dev. organizations in civil society, |
| Pakistan,3000 in Jammu and Kashmir, 19,0000 in | | | | including NGOs, trade unions, faith-based |
| Bangladesh, and some 30,000 in Sri Lanka. Some | | | | organizations, indigenous peoples movements, |
| of these NGO's are quite small and some only | | | | foundations and research centres. In creating |
| exists on papers. | | | | opportunities for dialogue with governments and |
| The range of NGO activities varies from one | | | | private sector, civil society organizations are |
| country to the other. In Pakistan, nearly half of | | | | helping to amplify the voices of the poorest |
| the NGO's are committed to programmes for | | | | people in the decisions that affect their lives, |
| women development. In fact, several civil society | | | | improve development effectiveness and |
| efforts now target women as a preferred group. | | | | sustainability and hold governments and |
| NGO's enjoy a great advantage over government | | | | policymakers publicly accountable. |
| programmes in displaying much greater | | | | There are several instances of financial misuse |
| gender-sensitivity than for Government projects. | | | | and mismanagements in the civil society |
| The long term sustainability of any NGO's effort is | | | | organisations, with exceptions of course, have led |
| ensured only if it manages to mobilise resources | | | | to a general mistrust among the masses. And |
| from its beneficiaries, and if it is operated on the | | | | then very few NGO's have their own data and |
| principle of self-help. | | | | statistics on the subject they are working on. |
| Several successful NGO initiatives have suffered | | | | They either depends on the media or the reports |
| because of their over-dependence on foreign | | | | of UN agencies working in various sectors. |
| donors support or on financial assistance from | | | | Though the NGO's are required to do their own |
| their own government. But then if an NGO is | | | | basic research and have their own records of |
| based only for the purpose of extracting money | | | | data and statistics on the subject they are |
| from the donors, then it simply cannot continue | | | | working on. These civil society initiatives are not a |
| to fool them for a long time and can't expect | | | | routine bureaucratic exercise, but a mass socio |
| them to play the role of a money minting | | | | political movement, involving people who normally |
| machine. The failure of many NGO's in our part of | | | | have no voice in decision making process of the |
| the world is due to such personal preferences and | | | | country. To empower them requires both |
| ambitions to become richer using the name of | | | | charismatic leadership and a life long commitment. |
| community development. And then the direct | | | | It is for this very basic reason that NGO's have |
| relationship between foreign donors and NGO's | | | | failed to a large extent to replicate their |
| leads to a certain degree of tension with | | | | experience, and the question of credibility looms |
| governments. Foreign grants are often scarce and | | | | large on the faces of the NGO's. |