Role of NGOs in the Development of Non Formal Education in Nepal

Abstract

If we discus s first about the place of the Non Governmental Organization(NGOs) in the civil society, it would helpful to understand the importance of NGOs and to appreciate the role of NGOs in the promotion of mass education and other community development activities. As the parliamentary democracy, the concept of civil society also has been learned by the developing countries from the Northern countries especially the Western Industrialized countries. NGOs are the part of civil society. UNDP(1993) has defined the Civil in these words: “ Civil society is together with State and Market, one of the three ‘Spheres’ that interface in the making of democratic societies. Civil society is the sphere in which social movements become organized. The organizations of the civil society, which represent many diverse and some times contradictory social interests are shaped to fit their social base, constituency, thematic orientations(i.g. environment, gender, human rights) and types of activity. They include church related groups, trade unions, cooperatives, service organizations, community groups(NGOs) and youth organizations as well as academic institutions and others.”(1) The civil society helps the developing countries to strengthen their democratization process. Since elected or selected rulers when they have got power they have a tendency to become intolerant towards the institutions of the civil society and they try to control them. Sometimes they also try to control market forces, but lately the market forces have become strong enough to defend themselves. Similarly other institutions of the civil society also should be made strong to help the people to defend themselves from the exploitation both from bad rulers as well as from bad market forces. Mr Remesh Thakur writes “ Th ere are three broad reasons for the rise of NGO influence. Political space for them opened up with the end of the Cold War.New issues like human rights, environmental degradation, and gender equality came to the forefront of public consciousness. These are the issues