Softcover

ISBN 10: 0855984422 ISBN 13: 9780855984427

Publisher: Kumarian Press, 2000

The rise of neo-liberalism and the so-called Washington Consensus have generated a powerful international ideology concerning what constitutes good governance, democratization, and the proper roles of the State and civil society in advancing development. As public spending has declined, the nongovernment sector has benefited very significantly from taking on a service-delivery role. At the same time, NGOs, as representatives of civil society, are a convenient channel through which official agencies can promote political pluralism. But can NGOs simultaneously facilitate governments’ withdrawal from providing basic services for all and also claim to represent and speak for the poor and the disenfranchised?

The chapters describe some of the tensions inherent in the roles being played by NGOs, and asks whether these organizations truly stand for anything fundamentally different from the agencies on whose largesse they increasingly depend.

About the Author:

Deborah Eade became editor of the international journal Development in Practice in 1991 and has published extensively on international development and humanitarian issues. She was an independent consultant based in Mexico before becoming Oxfam GB’s Deputy Regional Representative for Mexico and Central America (1984-1991).

Review:

"Valuable recent historical perspective. . .diversity of view and authors contained within it, with a suitable mix of academics and practitioners, Northerners and Southerners and men and women . . .This book will be useful for practitioners seeking to make sense of a complex subject, as well as for teachers and students looking for a good, topical introduction to the subject."

"The combination of critical assessments of NGOs' practice and serious analysis of what might constitute 'civil society' is invaluable. These are the tough questions which are often ducked and which [this book] tackles with vigour."

"The mix of academic and practitioner contributions, and of contributors from the South and the North, means the book is equally useful for development practitioners and policy makers, and for students of development studies."