Advocacy

This article reports the results of and conclusions from a survey of Northern NGOs conducted during 1998 and 1999 for the purposes of testing generalised criticisms of Northern NGO advocacy and providing benchmarks for further research on the policy impact of the Washington Advocacy office of Oxfam International. Based on the survey findings, the author […]

In her work on violence against women, Aanchal Kapur has been inspired by Sakshi, a group working in New Delhi since the early 1990s. In writing this profile of Sakshi, she hopes that others will be inspired, in turn, to join in the struggle against violence. It should become an integral part of networking and […]

There is a widespread perception that Southern non-governmental organizations (NGOs) best represent the authentic voices of the Southern poor. This article challenges this perception, arguing that poor people in general, and children and women in particular, continue to be disenfranchised, while NGOs-both Northern and Southern-offer a poor imitation of their voices. It argues that what […]

The author considers how Northern NGOs present the South, in order to recruit volunteers and fundraise. Negative and positive images have been used to illicit feelings of pity and self-satisfaction respectively. Here, the author describes the effects of using different images, and argues that NGOs should be educating and building long-term supporters by substantiating the […]

It can be argued that immigration restrictions constitute a form of ‘global apartheid’, ensuring that poorer sections of world society are prevented, by legal and physical force, from sharing in the world’s sum of riches. This article seeks to develop this theme, by arguing that immigration controls are based on dubious ethical and practical foundations, […]

In Southern Africa, a major drought during 1992-93 threatened devastating consequences for poor rural populations in the region. The article describes the unconventional approach to disaster mitigation undertaken by Oxfam (UK and Ireland) in Zambia. This enabled people at the local level, with little prior organisational experience, to establish effective dialogue with government officials in […]

A food distribution programme in Turkana, Kenya, is showing that principles applied in development work can be equally well applied during a relief operation. The principles in this case are, firstly, active involvement of women, who provide food for their families. Women are elected as relief committee elders alongside men. Secondly, the different social roles […]