Page 206 - Volume 1_Go home mzungu Go Home_merged with links

m̩
ɡ
20 century 'zuŋ u 'not for profit' empires
th
"Veni, Vidi, Vici ",Steti - ego adduxit amicis meis

and social commentators who continue to ask what NGOs really are doing in Africa.
NGOs have further been accused for being Africa's long-term problem even as they
preach that more aid, fair trade and debt forgiveness is needed for Africa's development,

notwithstanding the fact that they voluntarily monitor policy implementation and good
governance indicators.

Despite their long involvement in African affairs, they continue to produce harrowing

pictures of a continent gravely stricken by poverty and disease. The issue that then
arises is whether Africa should discard NGOs, or whether NGOs working in Africa should

be more grassroots-oriented in order to achieve more results.

The central question is: How can NGOs best serve Africa's development interests? The
purpose of this paper is to review these issues. It argues that the mandate of NGOS in

Africa should be shifted from that of a conduit for advocating good policy, good
governance, and disseminating western aid, to that of a channel for capacity building and
local community empowerment. This is the only way that long-term development and

economic growth can be encouraged and achieved in Africa.”

"NGOs and Africa's Development and Economic Growth," 2006 199
International Institute for Justice and Development
International Conference on the State of Affairs of Africa (ICSAA) (2006)
*****

INGO in Africa (neo-colonialism?)

First, Hearn found that through (financially dependent) NGOs, western states have
expanded their influence in Africa from a few African states to the rest of the society. As

a result, NGOs should be considered as political actors rather than mere "neutral
humanitarians".

"NGO-Ization" 179
Wikipedia
*****

“ Colonial powers had no desire to finance state welfare programmes for Africans.
Government social services for the indigenous population were minimal. Social policy

was geared towards ensuring the integrity of the structures of colonial rule.

For the majority of the rural population, it was left to a clutch of charities and missionary
groups to exchange their spiritual wares for material support in education, health or

other social services.

In short, charity was not only designed to help the poor, it also served to protect the rich.