Post by account_disabled on Feb 22, 2024 1:50:42 GMT -5
Do you think NGOs exercise charity? Do you think they seek to instill certain ideologies? We have dedicated several posts to explaining what an NGO is , what its main lines of action are, the type of tasks they carry out (both state solidarity organizations and international NGOs ) and the types of structure they can adopt (organizations, foundations ...). So today we will try to turn the issue around: we will focus on what an NGO is not , trying to dismantle some of the most frequent clichés with which some people still associate them. What an NGO is not NGOs are not “savior” organizations The times of paternalism and charity are long gone: NGOs are not organizations that set out to "save" anyone, quite the opposite. The development aid projects carried out by NGOs such as Oxfam Intermón seek to eradicate the causes that cause thousands of people to be mired in poverty. To do this, they provide tools so that impoverished people can embark on a path of economic and social development that is ecologically sustainable and sustained over time, with their own means and resources. In short, they can move forward on their own.
Fighting inequality , hunger or denouncing human rights violations are some of its main missions. ong Nestor Nininahazwe, agricultural technician at Nouvelle Famille pour le Devolupament, takes note of the evaluation of the food security program, made up mostly of Burendse returnees from the Tanzanian refugee camps. © Pablo Tosco / Oxfam Intermón Download the free guide "What is an NGO like inside?" NGOs are not missions Closely related to Albania Mobile Number List the above, NGOs are not missions, that is, they do not undertake evangelization campaigns or proselytize any idea or belief other than to spread ideas and practices (especially practices) of justice and solidarity . Left behind are the missionary centers and the image of religious camps installed in the center of the Peruvian jungles or in the heart of sub-Saharan Africa. Even the current religious missions, which as such still exist and in many cases carry out great humanitarian work , also struggle to free themselves from an evangelizing image more typical of the past. NGOs are not travel agencies for volunteers You can travel with an NGO, it's true.
Many offer stays in the areas where they carry out their work, and provide the means for volunteers from all countries to learn first-hand about their activities, but in no way does this represent a central part of their mission. Of course, they do not finance "expeditions" nor do they pay for the travel or stay of the volunteers, something that speaks volumes in their favor: in addition to working without being paid a cent , they cover the transportation costs themselves, and in some also maintenance cases. ong Oxfam health promoters in Liberia, volunteers who, in the marginal neighborhoods of the capital, go door to door explaining how you can live free of Ebola and what to do if someone in the family shows symptoms. © Pablo Tosco / Oxfam Intermón NGOs also work in our country There are many solidarity organizations that focus their work on, for example, trying to cushion the effects of the crisis in our country by distributing food, providing advice to families and people without work, educating children without resources... Food Banks or Cáritas are good examples of this, which dismantle the cliché that NGOs always look elsewhere. Furthermore, there are many NGOs that exert pressure on public institutions to improve laws and practices that result in a better quality of life for citizens.