An Alternative Approach to Teaching about NGOs Globally: A Comparative Country-Based View Seen through a Genocide and Mass Atrocity Prevention Lens

Abstract

This paper describes a comparative approach to teaching Introduction to Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) in a master’s-level professional degree program. The approach addresses the challenge created due to significant differences in the NGO sector from country to country. This comparative approach utilizes a focus on five countries in different regions of the world, and partnerships with a community-based NGO in each country that addresses the prevention of genocide, mass atrocity, and inter-group violence. These partnerships enable students, working in teams, to compare NGO work across countries and apply theory to practice.