NGOs and Community Participation

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NGOs and Community Participation

• Informal settlement intervention
• Georgine Peter
• NRF Project
• Wits University

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Structure of Presentation

• NGOs Definition
• Different categories of NGOs
• Roles of NGOs
• Legitimacy, accountability and representation
  issues of NGOs
• The context of informal settlements
• What role for NGOs ( Breaking new ground)?

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NGO Definition

• World Bank NGO as a private organisation that
  works to reduce poverty, to strengthen the voices
  of the poor or marginalized, provide basic social
  services, or facilitate community development and
  empowerment

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continues

• Van der Kooy (1992) - NGOs as voluntary
  organizations, relatively independent,
  altruistic, established privately with the
  objectives of rendering assistance and relief,
  and of transferring resources to promote,
  directly or indirectly, development at grassroots
  level.

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continues

• Cernea (1988) - NGOs are private organizations
  that pursue activities to relieve suffering,
  promote the interest of the poor, protect the
  environment or undertake community development.

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Classification of NGOs

• Operational or advocacy
• Generations
• Location

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Operational or advocacy

• Operational NGOs engage primarily in designing
  and implanting projects
• Advocacy NGOs main purpose is to defend or
  promote a specific cause

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Generations

• First generation NGOs - consisting of relief and
  welfare
• Second generation- community development
• Third generation- sustainable systems development
  
• Fourth generation consist of peoples movements

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Location

• Northern/international NGOs encompass other
  countries other than the home country, which are
  mostly powerful and influential.
•  Southern/National NGOs within a country -forge
  links between beneficiaries  
• Grassroots/local NGOs - grow out of local
  communities and are committed to having an impact
  on their constituents lives.

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Roles of NGOs

• Committed to reducing poverty
• Humanitarian and emergency aid providers
• Vehicles for empowerment
• Effective in implementing participatory
  approaches
• Increases efficiency and sustainability of
  project
• Visions are grassroots-oriented

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roles continues

• Important vehicles for participatory democracy
  and economic development

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Legitimacy, accountability and representation
issues NGOs face

• Legitimacy-right to be or do something in a
  society NGOs activities are questioned
• Accountability- multiple accountabilities whom
  are they accountable to,the marginalized
  communities they serve or donors that fund them
• Representation whose, interest, needs and
  priorities do NGOs represent?

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The context of informal settlements

• NGOs- participatory approaches in the IS
• extra-legal process of IS
• NGOs might face legitimacy issues related to
  supporting this process
• Might create tensions with the state
• More complex in the early stages

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What role for NGOs Breaking new Ground

• Increased use of PHP
• Municipalities- primary implementation agencies
• Submit business plans for approval to provincial
  housing dept level
• Responsible for operational and maintenance costs
• NGOs manage and operate facilities within the
  beneficiaries communities

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Question

• What new roles for NGOs in a new programme for
  informal settlement upgrading/support?

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asante sana