Role Of NGOs Research Articles

Invisible lives: Occupied cities as a blind spot in geopolitical research

This study examines the complexities of researching Ukraine’s occupied territories, where silence often acts as both a defense mechanism and a barrier to understanding. It addresses the causes of informational isolation, including censorship, fear of repression, and restricted access to independent sources. The paper highlights the methodological and ethical challenges researchers face, particularly in working with sensitive data and engaging with vulnerable populations. The roles of universities, citizen science, media, and NGOs are explored as crucial avenues for gathering fragmented but vital information and fostering a broader understanding of life under occupation. Emphasis is placed on integrating FAIR principles (Findability, Accessibility, Interoperability, Reusability) with CARE principles (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) to ensure data are both responsibly managed and ethically used. Combining analytical rigor with reflective narratives, this study advocates for interdisciplinary approaches and strategic collaborations that transcend academic boundaries. These efforts are vital for post-war recovery, reintegration, and developing socially inclusive and sustainable strategies that address the human realities of occupation.

Digital Rural Construction and the Welfare of Disadvantaged Children: Exploring the Roles of Government and NGOs

As global sustainable development goals progress, improving the welfare of vulnerable rural populations has become a critical issue for many countries. Using data from the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) from 2014 to 2022, this paper examines the impact of Digital Rural Construction (DRC) on the welfare of disadvantaged rural children. Specifically, it explores the mechanisms through which DRC enhances child welfare, focusing on information access, educational resource availability, and medical service accessibility. Additionally, the roles of government and non-governmental organizations in moderating this process are analyzed. The findings show that DRC significantly improves children’s health, education, and psychological well-being. Furthermore, interventions by governments and non-governmental organizations amplify these positive effects, with non-governmental interventions proving particularly effective. This study not only addresses a gap in the literature on the mechanisms linking DRC and child welfare but also offers valuable insights for policymakers from a sustainability perspective.

Michael Liu’s Magic and Trans to a New Life: yao/trans/queer kinship, documentary mediation, and the NGO gaze

ABSTRACT This article analyzes two strikingly different documentaries by Michael Liu which were included in the “Northeast China Yao-at-work Photography Exhibition” (dongbei yao zhanjie richang in Taipei 2017) on the lives of cross-dressed and transgender (male-to-female) sex workers in Dongbei and the way they discuss their futures and “yao” or “trans” identities differently according to the different modes of documentary employed. In Magic (nü yao er, 2014) we see their practices of everyday life, improvised queer forms of kinship and survival, their dark sense of humor and their business ambitions, whereas in Trans to a New Life (2016) they address their hardships and dreams of the future to the compassionate “NGO gaze” that demands testimonial about being a victim of discrimination (from family members, hospitals, and in employment). Understanding these rhetorical differences helps to intervene in a major debate in contemporary China over the role of NGOs, especially regarding transgender identity, sex work, HIV, and queer forms of kinship. I also connect these recent documentaries to films about queer sex workers in Beijing by Cui Zi’en [2005; 2012. Queer China, “Comrade” China. Brooklyn, NY: dGenerate Films], debates over the testimonial and ethnographic format of an influential U.S. documentary about transgender women of color and sex workers, Jennie Livingston’s Paris Is Burning (1990), and current debates in China and the U.S. over trans cultural production, respectability politics, and the politics of visibility.

Conservation of the elusive African golden cats in Uganda: A review

The African Golden Cats are one of the three medium-sized African wild cats. They occupy Uvariopsis forest patches in Uganda: Kibale NP, Bwindi Impenetrable N/P, Kibale Forest N/P, Kikonda CFR, Mityana, Mpigi, and Kasohya-Katomi CFR, Echuya FR, and Mpaga FR. The aim of the review was to appraise the roles of conservation-based NGOs in the conservation of the African Golden Cats in Uganda. These forest-dependent cats are highly threatened by forest clearing, illegal wildlife trade, human-African Golden Cat interactions and conflicts, zoonosis, and bushmeat hunting in African forests. The cat-human conflict is often negligible; less than 10% of all predator depredations were caused by golden cats around Bwindi NP in the past 12 months. However, a distressing revelation was made by a researcher after a year of studying snares across the park's forests: 81 cats had perished in unlawful traps set for antelope and other game in 16 square miles of the national park. This implies that the lack of alternative sources of protein was the reason why the local communities indulged in the hunting of wildlife species. NGOs have played an important role in the conservation of African golden cats; the Kikonda CFR is one of many Ugandan forests where varied animal species, including the African Golden Cat, have begun to thrive as NGOs and local communities work together to implement sustainable forestry practices.

Navigating Tensions between Authoritarian Governance and Human Rights: Towards a Business and Human Rights Regime within China’s Dual-State Context

ABSTRACT This article examines the intricate dynamics between authoritarian governance and human rights within the context of China’s evolving business and human rights (BHR) regime. Utilizing Ernst Fraenkel’s dual-state framework and new institutional theory, the study delves into the mechanisms through which China navigates the tensions between state control and the global human rights agenda. Through expert interviews and analysis of policy documents and digital media, the research uncovers the roles of government-organized non-governmental organizations, NGOs, and businesses in shaping China’s BHR landscape. The findings suggest that despite the challenges posed by China’s authoritarian system, institutional actors are taking a strategic and evolutionary approach to foster a BHR regime. This is characterized by a complex interplay between the normative and prerogative states, reflecting a nuanced adaptation of BHR principles within China’s political and legal framework. The article contributes to broader discourse on the integration of human rights into business practices in authoritarian contexts, offering insights into the potential for institutional change and the advancement of human rights within such regimes.

Role of NGOs and Community Participation in Primary Education Development in India

Primary education is a critical determinant of a nation's future, particularly in a developing country like India. Despite numerous government initiatives aimed at universalizing primary education, there are still significant gaps in access, quality, and retention. NGOs and community participation have emerged as crucial partners in addressing these challenges, supplementing state efforts by mobilizing resources, advocating for marginalized communities, and fostering grassroots-level engagement. This paper explores the role of NGOs and community involvement in primary education development in India, analyzing their impact on access, quality, and retention while highlighting case studies that demonstrate their effectiveness. The paper also examines the challenges faced by these actors and offers policy recommendations to strengthen their role in the educational landscape.

Grounded theory study of engagement of non-governmental organisations in inclusive education reform in Central Asia

While UN agencies call for increased NGOs’ involvement in IE reform, comprehensive understanding of their effects have remained limited. The research addresses this gap by focusing on domestic NGOs' engagement in the IE movement, examining the context of Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. The study adopts a grounded theory approach, delving into various data sources, including policy documents, interviews with NGO representatives, and discussions with international donor organisations. The study results in the development of a comprehensive 'NGO Engagement in IE Framework' consisting of four tiers: functional roles of NGOs (Tier-1), employed strategies to successfully engage in IE development (Tier-2), barriers to the engagement (Tier-3), and motivations behind NGOs’ efforts (Tier-4). NGOs are found to contribute to policy advocacy, teacher training, inclusive schooling initiatives, parent support, research, and more. To achieve best results, NGOs build partnerships with multiple stakeholders including governmental and local authorities, international organisations, businesses, and other NGOs. Yet, they struggle with limited funding, lack of consistent political will of the states to promote IE, weak organisational capacity of NGOs, and their limited autonomy. Motivations behind NGO engagement centre around their self-perception as agents of change. The framework emphasises the interplay between NGOs and their countries' socio-political context.

Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on the Migrant Workers and Public Policy in Case of Malaysia & Indonesia

B The COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) pandemic has changed the world altogether to a different plane. It has disrupted economy, health, family, society, etc. and there is no one left who has not been affected by it. Public Policy in case of migrant workers finds important place in this calculation. For, they play an important role in many of the economies, and still are the most vulnerable section of people who has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Their problem emanates from various angles like that of being a legal or illegal (unaccounted) migrant worker, vulnerabilities emanating from lack of bargaining power with their employers and host nations, lack of safety working and hygienic living conditions, access to proper affordable health care facilities, etc. For the international migrant workers (who crosses border from home state to another state for purpose of employment or better economic aspirations), things have been really difficult in these pandemic times in terms of how they were treated by the authorities in the host countries and what kind of national public policy measures was taken to assure their physical health and mental wellbeing, engaging with them to assuage their psychological trauma caused due to various pressures and stress, economic condition, etc. Women migrant workers were more affected in way of losing their jobs, livelihood, family pressures and responsibilities. This paper looks into the effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the migrant workers, particularly with a focus on public policy measures taken in Malaysia and Indonesia, as these two nations contributes major chunk of migrant workers (inward and outward respectively) in the south-East Asian region. Apart from detailing the problems faced by the migrant workers during the pandemic times, this paper will dwell deep into the kinds of national public policy measures implemented towards the migrant workers as a response to the pandemic condition and its impact. In addition, this paper will also look into the role and policy of international organisations and NGOs towards the same. Apart from analyzing the problems and identifying the gaps in the approach of the respective governments, recommendations are also made to the public policy makers to improve the effect of their public policies and actions towards the migrant workers, on the basis of highlighting some good practices that are followed in other states.

Post-pandemic positions: new perspectives on international education and public diplomacy in Australia

PurposeIn an era of internationalism, higher education and vocational training have been core to Australia’s nation-building, regional co-operation and public diplomacy. This essay examines what has become of the people-to-people aspect of Australia’s engagements in the Indo-Pacific region, as discussed in the Australian government’s influential White Paper on Australia in the Asian Century (2012). More recently, established patterns of international educational exchange, and their economic, social and cultural benefits, have been disrupted by the global COVID-19 pandemic, shifting international relations and domestic politics, with consequences for international education and public diplomacy.Design/methodology/approachThis essay introduces the scholarly context for a reappraisal of Australian histories of international education within the Indo-Pacific region since the mid-20th century, and the role of NGOs, academia and government in educational schemes and scholarships. It draws on an approach informed by international history, the history of education and diplomatic studies, to provide an overview of key themes and the past and present case studies discussed in the seven articles of this special journal issue.FindingsThe little-known histories of international education in Australia, and associated scholarship schemes, are important aspects of soft power or public diplomacy and the nation’s relations with the Indo-Pacific region. We argue that there needs to be greater acknowledgement of the vital role of these interpersonal interactions and the international organisations that facilitated such exchanges in histories of Australia’s internationalism and diplomacy. While Australian governments have initiated scholarship programmes, what is becoming clear is that understanding their significance for Australian–regional relationships demands a research focus on student expectations and experiences that often lay beyond government control.Originality/valueThis essay and the articles in this special issue offer new historic and current insights on international education policy and programmes and Australia’s diplomatic relations. Many of the highlighted case studies have not previously been analysed within this context, and fresh analysis makes an intervention into the field, revealing the complexities and limitations of international education and people-to-people relationships for Australia’s past and present connections with the Indo-Pacific region.

The Role of Environmental NGOs (ENGOs) in Deforestation Issues in Endau-Rompin, 1970-2000

Tropical Rainforests in Peninsular Malaysia have a very important role in social, economic, and ecological development locally and transnationally. During the British colonial period, the forests in Peninsular Malaysia were heavily exploited until the idea of conservation came into existence to avoid the depletion of forest resources in the future. The colonial government subsequently established the Forestry Department by designating certain areas as forest reserves. However, after Independence, these forest areas continued to remain under threat to the extent that it has resulted in a decline in forest cover in addition to damage, fragmentation, and degradation of forests in favour of government policies that prioritized economic development. The rush for economic growth has created a conflict between forest stakeholders, particularly the state government and environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs). The objective of this paper is to present the role of ENGOs related to issues in deforestation and forest protection efforts within Endau-Rompin between 1970 where the EndauRompin controversy began until the establishment of Endau-Rompin State Park (Pahang) in 2000. This study used a qualitative approach, that is primary sources such as Parliamentary Hansard and newspapers, and secondary sources such as books and journal articles. In addition, field research was carried out through the observation of forest-related activities organized by several ENGOs. The findings of the study showed that one of the most critical roles of ENGOs in dealing with the issue of deforestation is to prevent activities that damage the forest, especially legal activities that involve decisions made by the state government. The involvement and role of ENGOs can only delay or prolong the process of losing forest cover. This happens because the state government has authority over the land (forest) matters according to the Federal Constitution which cannot be disputed from a legal point of view. The efforts to save the forest can only depend on the political will on whether the state government wants to address or ignore the concerns voiced by ENGOs in issues related to deforestation.

Resistance to Being Listed Industrial Heritage? The Conflicts and Dilemma of Heritage-Making During Land Banking in Guangzhou

Amid rapid urban regeneration over the past decade, industrial heritage conservation in China has garnered increasing attention, focusing more on the reuse of listed buildings than on conflicts in the inscription process. This article examines the conflicts and dilemmas between urban redevelopment and industrial heritage conservation during the inscription process in China, through five case studies in Guangzhou. It aims to provide both an understanding of conflicts and institutional challenges posed by land banking, and insights into stakeholder dynamics, the role of media and NGOs, and the implementation of cultural heritage assessments. Grounded in the Institutional Analysis and Development framework, the empirical studies reveal that institutional conflicts, particularly resistance from land development centers and former factory owners, often stem from financial motivations. This resistance can lead to the premature demolition of potential heritage sites but also drive institutional innovations. Guangzhou’s introduction of the Wenping assessment system integrates industrial heritage identification with land banking and urban regeneration planning, aiming to protect heritage from hasty demolitions. Media coverage and NGO advocacy have been instrumental in heritage-making and prompting policy responses. The adaptive reuse of industrial heritage sites into creative industrial parks faces challenges from their temporary nature and land banking pressures, underscoring the need for policies ensuring stable and enduring reuse. Ambiguous responsibilities and fragmented management systems further impede effective heritage conservation.

The Role of NGOS in Promoting Women Entrepreneurship in India

In recent times, the government has realized the importance of entrepreneurship as a prominent alternative to traditional wage employment in the new economy, and its role in increasing the pace of economic growth. Therefore, Indian government has come up with various special policy measures to help women entrepreneurs. there are major limitations among women entrepreneurs in accessing those facilities. These limitations arise due to various factors, such as: lack of awareness, lack of information, difficulty in accessibility of finance, lack of easy access of entrepreneurial training and post training support, lack of market and network support, lack of self-confidence and managerial skills, bureaucratic hassles, lack of transportation mainly in remote areas, restriction of government officials in terms of timing when women also have to perform household activities etc.

Community-based natural resource management in Roatan: Strengths and challenges.

This study explored the transformative journey of community-based natural resource management (CBNRM) in the Bay Islands National Marine Park, Honduras, revealing the interplay of cooperation, funding, and communication in fostering successful conservation initiatives. Using a mixed-method approach, we investigated the historical and legislative process and enabling conditions that led to the transition to CBNRM, based on Gruber's 12 key principles. In regards to the present CBNRM system, we looked at its strengths, its challenges, and whether its functioning is seen as satisfying by local resource-users. Findings showed that key CBNRM principles-including an enabling environment, conflict resolution, research-based decision-making, public trust, and monitoring-fostered the transition. Furthermore, satisfaction with reef management and perceived patrol effectiveness, which are pivotal aspects in CBNRM, exceeded 70% in Roatan. Challenges such as strengthening local institutions and enhancing compliance were identified. Nonetheless, co-managers are actively working to resolve these challenges by focusing on enforcement, diverse funding acquisition mechanisms and community participation. The study underscores the pivotal role of local NGOs and collaborative committees in facilitating successful CBNRM. By providing evidence-based insights, we highlight the efficacy of multilevel, co-management models in resource management and emphasize the value of adaptable strategies. These findings contribute to a deeper understanding of CBNRM dynamics in Latin America and the Caribbean, which may ultimately foster successful conservation initiatives in the Global South.

The role of populist NGOs in building a populist democracy in Hungary

AbstractWhat are the legal and political criteria that distinguish between ‘correct’ and ‘unacceptable’ legal mobilisation? How does populism facilitate legal mobilisation? The questions of the workshop organizers led us back in Hungary to the democratic transition from socialism to liberal democracy in 1989, when legal mobilisation for the rule of law, democracy and human rights was led first and primarily by non-state actors (National Round Table). Participants of the democratic transition prepared the complete revision of the 1949 Constitution, which was an emblematic element in addition to the many legislative drafts of the transitory nature of the creation of the new system. In 2010, after the successful political mobilisation, the populist party coalition (lead by Viktor Orban) gained a two-thirds constitution-making majority in Parliament (in the absence of two opposition parties), and the Parliament adopted the new Fundamental Law (new constitution). This was also an emblematic element of the new legal mobilisation conducted by the two-thirds populist Government majority. This article will describe how populism – through the instrumentalisation of the law (disregarding the inherent values in/of law based on value choice) and the destruction of institutional checks and balances – facilitated new legal mobilisation. Based on this experience of the outcome of the equally strong and effective legal mobilisation in Hungary of the liberal and the illiberal (democratic and autocratic, respectively) transitions, in this article we aim to make valid theoretical propositions on how to assess ‘correct’ and ‘incorrect’ legal mobilisation and what influences the relevance of non-state actors in populism.

Public participation and NGO activity in nature-based solutions in urban areas of China

This paper analyses the degree and types of public participation in Nature-Based Solutions (NBS) projects in China. The paper is based upon the premise that NBS affect multiple aspects of the city as a place for the daily lives and activities of citizens and that NBS implementation can benefit from citizen and stakeholder involvement. NBS thus offer a platform for stimulating engagement between the local government and the public. Case studies are examined through a literature review, site visits, and interviews with researchers, local officials and NGOs in China. The paper indicates that there has been significant progress since the 1990s in formal requirements of public participation through Chinese legislation promoting the inclusiveness of the public in environmental and NBS decision-making, and acknowledgment of the importance of NGOs, however actual implementation of soliciting public opinion and involvement in NBS project design has been more limited. The case studies suggest that the level of involvement of the public in NBS activities and decision-making is the reciprocal of the size of the project, where there is a high-level of involvement in the smaller local projects, but minimal involvement in larger-scale NBS projects. We find that Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) have a significant potential to help finance NBS projects providing the project can forecast low risk and positive revenue for investors, therefore this model would merit further exploration. However, PPPs may also involve limited public participation by citizens and stakeholders beyond private companies and may therefore require targeted efforts to address local communities’ needs and interests. Local people are the most important (and willing) actors and opinionators in projects that directly affect their lives, livelihoods and well-being. The findings highlight the important role of NGOs in promoting and facilitating public participation, and accompanying co-benefits, in several of the Chinese case studies. Our study also suggests that symbiosis between local governments and the citizens could be invoked by local community-based organisations (e.g. Community Resident Committees or similar) that can act as a liaison point and catalyst to public participation in NBS projects, although significant training would also be required.

The US press and foreign policy information, cueing, and the democratic process in the Syrian conflict

There were three chemical attacks on Syrian civilians in 2013, 2017, and 2018. In 2013, President Obama proposed military action and it was rejected by Congress. President Trump ordered two airstrikes in 2017 and 2018, without congressional authorization. Investigating news reports and statements issued by the members of the House and Senate show that there were major criticisms among US officials in all three periods. In the month after the three foreign policy declarations (congressional vote in 2013, airstrikes in 2017 and 2018), the US press increased their reliance on US officials and followed the standpoint of powerful domestic officials in criticizing the military intervention policy – whether proposed or in action. They covered a significant amount of criticism in 2013 that officials voted a nay and raised their objections, and marginalized critical standpoints in times of forgoing democratic procedures and powerlessness of representatives to change the policy. This research also demonstrates the increasing role of NGOs and activists in picturing realities in Syria.

Assessing the Effectiveness of Humanitarian and Peacebuilding Role of NGOs in the Cameroon Anglophone Conflict: A Survey of the Affected Communities

Assessing the Effectiveness of Humanitarian and Peacebuilding Role of NGOs in the Cameroon Anglophone Conflict: A Survey of the Affected Communities

Protecting Digital Assets: Government Initiatives and NGOs Participation

Digital assets are an indispensable part of human life and have taken shape as valuable assets in sentimental and monetary forms. Being valuable, these digital assets need to be protected with a specific security set-up including a trained army of technocrats, government machinery, NGOs and experts engaged in similar activities. This army of all stakeholders will help to protect the people and motivate them to protect their digital assets. The number and role of NGOs have grown dramatically in a welfare society and they have become a bridge between government and the common people. These NGOs are generally formed by like-minded persons and organisations such as government machinery, technocrats, private organisations, lawyers, academicians, techno-savvy people, police personnel and students to bring awareness to the common people on protecting digital assets. The present research article shows that in future, a new set of institutional linkage between state agencies and NGOs needs to be explored and researched into.

Strategic transparency under authoritarian environmentalism: information disclosure and the role of environmental NGOs in China’s national emission trading scheme

ABSTRACT Transparency in carbon markets is considered critical to ensure market effectiveness and public accountability. Low levels of transparency and lack of participation of non-governmental actors are persistent criticisms of Chinese (pilot) emission trading systems. Building on debates around authoritarian environmentalism and China's role therein, this article analyses transparency, manifested as information disclosure, in China's national carbon emission trading scheme (C-ETS) – the largest carbon emission market worldwide. Using expert interviews and content analysis, the article outlines practices of C-ETS information disclosure and discusses its characteristics in the context of China’s environmental governance. Key findings include discrepancies both between central and provincial governments related to information disclosure, and between different provincial governments. And while most industry actors lack interest and capacity to engage in C-ETS disclosure, environmental non-governmental organizations (ENGOs), by contrast, are significantly more involved in the policy process and information disclosure, often as ‘eco-elites’. Overall, this reveals that international and domestic ENGOs retain high-level channels to influence policy design and implementation. Yet, ENGO input is not pursued as a public good valuable for its own sake, but sought strategically as a means to the larger goal of efficient market functioning. This type of ‘strategic transparency,’ as we call it, suggests that China’s environmental governance model – regularly considered to be a key example of authoritarian environmentalism – instead represents an evolving mixture of liberal and illiberal tactics.

The Roles of NGOs in Skill Development of The Street Food Vendors for Hygienic Food Preparation and Serving in Bangladesh

This paper tried to explore the roles of non-government organizations in developing the skills of street food microentrepreneurs in health and safe food preparation and servicing in the western part of Bangladesh. The study utilized a qualitative approach, using a purposive sampling method to select respondents for in-depth interviews, key informant interviews, and focus group discussions. The street food vendors and stakeholders were selected from the project team, and the research tools included in-depth interviews with 20 vendors, interviews with 8 key stakeholders, and two focus group discussions with customers and entrepreneurs. The researcher discovered that NGO plays a critical role in skill development for street food vendors in Bangladesh. Prior to the project, vendors were unfamiliar with safety, hygiene, cleanliness, and sustainable promotion. The project improved their skills in safety and security, market promotion, hygiene maintenance, cleanliness, and sustainable development by implementing various activities like training, meetings, workshops, food festivals and fairs, market linkage, stakeholder involvement, online and offline market promotion, and so on. The project also increased restaurant customers and market creation. However, the study found that food safety NGO workers and street food programs have collaborated to raise awareness about food safety, health, hygiene, and environmental issues. These initiatives have improved health and lifestyles, improved food quality, increased client numbers, and increased business profits. The stakeholders gathering in Bogura and Rajshahi focused on promoting product certification, with some microenterprises pursuing it. Microenterprises received work-based training on food safety and hygiene, leading to advancements in food packaging, safe raw materials, cleanliness, and hygiene practices. Product certification training increased stakeholders’ understanding of the importance of certification, and some MEs are now following it. The NGO organized a fair to highlight reputable food businesses and raise awareness of environmental sustainability, hygiene, and food safety. The entrepreneurs know how to prepare healthy dishes, increasing sales and revenue. This awareness have been raised due to the NGO’s interventions implemented for street food vendors in the study area.