NGO

We explain what an NGO is and the types of NGOs that exist. Also, its various functions and examples of this type of organization.

What is an NGO?

NGO is the acronym for Non-Governmental Organization, that is, a private non-profit organization that is not involved at any level with State institutions. That is, they are intermediate organizations between private companies and public institutions, generally formed and run by ordinary citizens with a similar mission and vision.

Generally, NGOs They obtain their financing from various sources: governments (national or foreign), private companies, other NGOs, volunteers, etc., ideally without compromising their objectives and methods to the control or oversight of the interests of any power group, thus maintaining themselves as independent entities in the concert of public and private forces. This does not mean, of course, that NGOs are above the legal or legal framework of the nation in which they operate.

NGOs can be groups of diverse nature, which pursue diverse objectives, ranging from ecology, the fight against poverty, the denunciation of totalitarianism, sexual education, women's liberation, and a huge etcetera. It is estimated that in the United States alone, more than one and a half million NGOs operate daily, and in third world countries like India, this number can increase to two million or more.

Despite their diversity, NGOs They usually have in common their autonomous characterunconcerned with financial gain, which allows them to pursue very long-term objectives, and in very diverse areas of action.

See also: Environmental movement

Types of NGO

NGOs can be classified based on two different criteria:

• NGO according to their level of orientation. According to their tasks, we can talk about:
  • Charitable NGOs. Dedicated to the development of charitable activities, especially for poor or disadvantaged sectors, with little participation on the part of the beneficiaries.
  • Service-oriented NGO. They focus their efforts on indiscriminate attention in sectors such as health, education, family planning, among others. They usually involve donations, traveling services, etc.
  • Participatory-oriented NGO. They offer self-help projects that involve the beneficiary population, who are provided with specialized guidance to guide their efforts towards success and participatory learning.
  • Empowerment orientation. They provide educational and psychological assistance to various disadvantaged or oppressed sectors of society to provide them with the existential, emotional or psychological tools for self-improvement or entrepreneurship.
• NGO according to their scope of operation. According to its capacity for action, we can speak of:
  • Community-based NGOs. Usually the product of the population's own initiatives and demands, they act in small areas and pursue the improvement of small sectors of society.
  • NGO at city level. They usually operate as chambers of commerce or industry or organizations of cultural exchange, ethnic or religious fraternity, etc.
  • National NGOs. Action organizations throughout the country, with an important presence within the nation's institutions.
  • International NGOs. NGO with presence in various countries or even continental regions, with international coordination, large-scale meetings, etc.

Functions of an NGO

NGOs can have functions and missions that are really dissimilar to each other, since they are born to fight for a specific and specific task.

However, broadly speaking, they are considered institutions directed at social, solidarity or political-independent actionoccupying an intermediate place between private interests and public policies.

This means that they can more directly face certain problems that are difficult (or inconvenient) for the State to assume, with a greater share of freedoms.

The latter, however, has worked against them on several occasions, since their tasks can go against those of certain States and, consequently, they have been accused of playing a role of intervention or sabotage in internal affairs. of countries, undermining international law in favor of imperialism.

Examples of NGOs

Some of the best-known NGOs in the world are:

• WWF. The World Wildlife Fund seeks to preserve biodiversity and fights for endangered species.
• Doctors Without Borders. Focused on medical care in countries in humanitarian crisis or for populations displaced or threatened by war conflicts or humanitarian tragedies.
• Amnesty International. Committed to the fight for human rights in more than 150 countries around the world.
• Greenpeace. Ecological NGO that denounces and condemns anti-ecological actions, such as indiscriminate logging or irresponsible industrial activity.
• CARE International. An aid organization for displaced people and refugees from war, with a presence in 84 countries and more than 122 million people benefited.

References

• “Non-Governmental Organization” in Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
• NGOs arranged alphabetically. All NGOs.
• “What is an NGO and what is its function?” at Giving International.