How NGOs Bolster Democracy
Nongovernmental organizations have the potential to undermine authoritarian governance, which must be why they face widespread crackdowns around the world.
“Why do Middle Eastern leaders loathe NGOs?” asked FP’s Steven A. Cook in 2018. “The answer,” he wrote, “is more complicated than Westerners tend to think.” According to Cook, it’s not just that NGOs have the potential to undermine authoritarian governance; they also threaten a nation’s sovereignty and, sometimes, are seen as a form of neocolonialism.
“Why do Middle Eastern leaders loathe NGOs?” asked FP’s Steven A. Cook in 2018. “The answer,” he wrote, “is more complicated than Westerners tend to think.” According to Cook, it’s not just that NGOs have the potential to undermine authoritarian governance; they also threaten a nation’s sovereignty and, sometimes, are seen as a form of neocolonialism.
Over the years, there have been many critiques of NGOs. Journalist Michael Hobbes has written about how NGOs, among other entities, have “turned the language of human rights into meaningless babble.” But, as Ronald R. Krebs and James Ron have argued, NGOs can also be a powerful force for democracy.
This collection of essays from the FP archives explores the promise of NGOs, the problems they can create, and the issues they face amid widespread crackdowns around the world.—Chloe Hadavas
Illustration by Adam Simpson
Saving the World, One Meaningless Buzzword at a Time
How corporations, activists, and politicians turned the language of human rights into meaningless babble, according to Michael Hobbes.
Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz welcomes Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at Riyadh international airport on November 10, 2015. FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP/Getty Images
The Real Reason the Middle East Hates NGOs
Western promoters of democracy aren’t seen as a threat to individual rulers but as a reminder of colonial history, FP’s Steven A. Cook writes.
Indian police clash with protestors on the beach at Idinathakarai village near the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in southern Tamil Nadu on September 10, 2012. STR/AFP/GettyImages
Democracies Need a Little Help From Their Friends
The war against foreign-funded NGOs—from India to Israel—is harming democratic governance, not enhancing it, Ronald R. Krebs and James Ron write.
Chinese President Xi Jinping poses after delivering his speech at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris on March 27, 2014.CHRISTIAN HARTMANN/AFP via Getty Images
China Is Choking Civil Society at the United Nations
The Chinese government is using every means at its disposal to do battle with NGOs, Rana Siu Inboden writes.
Women serve food in a community kitchen in Caracas on April 15, 2019. Nongovernmental organization Alimenta La Solidaridad runs community kitchens throughout the country.Eva Marie Uzcategui/Getty Images
Chavismo’s Latest Target
NGOs are essential to Venezuelan society. A new law may lead to their collapse, Tony Frangie-Mawad writes.
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