Transnational Nongovernmental Organizations Research Articles

Transnational Networking and the Social Production of Representations of Identities by Indigenous Peoples' Organizations of Latin America

This article discusses how some current transnational relations between global agents and indigenous peoples' organizations in Latin America impress the representations of identities and associated ideas of these organizations in combination with being useful in the achievement of these organizations' goals for their peoples. Such a discussion serves two main purposes: (1) to contribute to the development of a theory of social change in the current age of globalization through criticizing the established scholarly practice of studying `local' cases as if they actually exist, or as if they may at least be detached from the world orders in which they take part without any significant consequence; and (2) to criticize the colonial legacy of area studies, anthropology and other academic disciplines of studying `the Other' - very often indigenous peoples - which, independently of researchers' intentions, contribute to informing agents of the colonial or post-colonial powers and trying instead to produce knowledge that is potentially useful to `local' agents about `global' agents, their practices and the impact they may have on `local' agents' practices. A few illustrative examples taken from the author's field and documentary research about some current experiences in Latin America are used to show how transnational networks of `local' grassroots organizations and diverse kinds of `local' intermediary non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and `global agents' (i.e. international agencies, bilateral cooperation agencies, the multilateral banks, transnational foundations, as well as transnational social movements and NGOs) play significant roles in the social making of representations of indigenous peoples' identities and associated ideas.

Globalizing Human Rights: The Work of Transnational Human Rights NGOs in the 1990s

Globalizing Human Rights: The Work of Transnational Human Rights NGOs in the 1990s Jackie Smith (bio), Ron Pagnucco (bio), and George A. Lopez (bio) I. Introduction This paper summarizes the results of a mailed survey sent to nearly 300 transnational human rights organizations, of which more than half responded. The survey was designed to identify the geographic distributions of human rights organizations, their political activities, their work with international agencies, their organizational structures and resources, their links with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and their definitions of human rights goals. This study is part of a larger project to better understand how the work of transnational human rights NGOs influences global political and social change. [End Page 379] A. Background 1 Research on the development of international human rights law and institutions has identified the crucial role played by nongovernmental agents in defining international human rights norms, developing institutional mechanisms to ensure adherence to international norms, and monitoring national and local human rights practices. In recent years, researchers have made more concerted efforts to understand how NGOs operate and interact with other global actors to promote changes in local and global policies. 2 This research grows in part from the observation that a growing number of NGOs are engaging in international political activities. An increasing number of these groups are organized across national boundaries. This study is directed toward a better understanding of the work being done by transnational human rights NGOs. Much of the existing research on transnational human rights NGOs consists of: case studies of individual organizations working for human rights; 3 comparative studies of a select number of organizations; 4 studies of the work of human rights organizations and institutions in specific countries or regions; 5 and studies of the political processes surrounding human rights standard-setting and enforcement. 6 This study complements previous research [End Page 380] with a systematic survey of the population of transnational human rights NGOs, addressing questions about how these groups are organized and how they seek to influence global human rights work. The survey was intended to help answer, in a systematic way, a series of questions involving the array of transnational human rights NGOs, their locations, resources, structures, and memberships. Special emphasis was placed on the distribution between the Global North and South, and whether these transnational human rights NGOs are mass-based organizations with many individual members or, rather, are comprised largely of small professional staffs. There is an underlying assumption that the structure and the configuration of organizations within the movement will have important consequences for the human rights movement’s goals, strategies, and impacts. In addition, the mandates of these NGOs were compared, with emphasis on the difference in the goals on which these NGOs focus and the categories of rights that are receiving their attention. It will be interesting to see what these differences reveal about the human rights movement. What are the strategies and activities of international human rights NGOs? Is there some kind of specialization or division of labor among them? Do all the groups work with international institutions? How much attention does the human rights movement devote to public education on human rights, standard-setting, implementation, and enforcement? What do the differences in activities tell about the human rights movement? How fragmented and competitive are the NGOs? Is this a diffuse and uncooperative human rights movement, or is there some degree of integration and cooperation? Below follows a description of some of the broad characteristics of international human rights NGOs in an attempt to begin to answer these questions. B. The Survey The survey used in this study was developed in consultation with human rights advocates, scholars of international human rights politics, and researchers familiar with organizational surveys. 7 Several items in the survey [End Page 381] build upon previous studies of national social change organizations such as those John McCarthy has made of US-based organizations working to combat drunken driving 8 and to promote empowerment of the poor. 9 It also builds upon a survey of national and local US-based peace movement organizations 10 and a broad study of US voluntary associations by Dennis Young and colleagues. 11 Relying on previous studies...

Conflict, Legitimacy, and Effectiveness: Who Speaks for Whom in Transnational NGO Networks Lobbying the World Bank?

Networks of nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) have gained a measure of influence in policy and funding debates for the multilateral development banks, particularly the World Bank (WB). Addressing organizations owned and governed by member states, they have raised issues of environmental impact, economic and social justice, political participation, and the rights of minorities (sometimes majorities) usually excluded from national and global decision making. With their success have come pressures that reveal tensions and contradictions in the networks' representation, agenda setting, self-governance, and claims to legitimacy. These tensions can be traced to the networks' position in a changing international political economy. They have weakened the NGOs' influence with the WB and its major member states and are now stimulating proposals and initiatives to change the networks' self-governance.

Reconfiguring the spatiality of power: the construction of a supranational migration framework for the European Union

This paper examines the construction of a supranational framework for immigration control for the European Union since the mid-1980s and its implications for national sovereignty, for EU membership and for migrants. As in the case of European integration more generally, this construction process has been highly contested, involving numerous negotiations, tensions and struggles among different political actors situating themselves and operating at different geographic scales. Contestation occurred over three issues in particular: first, over where power and authority should be located—at which geographic scale and in which institutions; second, over geographic scope—the territorial extent of the framework; and third, over the principles according to which power and authority should be exercised—over divergent visions of justice and democratic accountability. Examination of the cacophony of intergovernmental institutional arrangements and agreements on immigration matters suggests that power over the immigration of non-EU nationals remains in the hands of nation-states, with supranational policies materializing only when they are seen as consistent with national interests. An analysis of the tensions and struggles between different state and non-state actors concerning the rights of current and potential non-EU immigrants reveals contrasting visions of justice and democratic accountability. Juxtaposed to the exclusionary policies promoted by national government representatives and right-wing nationalist parties are calls by transnational nongovernmental organizations for more inclusionary policies encompassing the protection of human rights of immigrants and their representation in the democratic process.

From Above and Below

What role does the international system play in amplifying the impact of domestic social movements on social change? The Argentine human rights movement reached the international system through the projection of cognitive and affective information—persuasion. International response was facilitated by the international human rights regime, and transnational nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) played a critical role. This challenge from above and below did have a clear impact on the target government and the development of broader mechanisms for the protection of human rights—even under the most severe conditions of repression and powerlessness.

The international physicians for the prevention of nuclear war: Transnational midwife of world peace

The International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War (IPPNW) is a contemporary example of a successful transnational non-governmental organization (NGO) which is providing leadership in accordance with Robert O. Keohane's definitional criteria. It has focused on the political issue-area of the prevention of nuclear war. Presently, it is cautiously expanding its mandate in order to engender international trust and co-operation in its role as an effective world leader. International or transnational NGOs have their roots in Quakerism of nearly 200 years ago. They take on a variety of forms but tend to share a distinguishing set of common characteristics. Since 1945, the number of international NGOs has grown impressively. The US affiliate of IPPNW, Physicians for Social Responsibility (PSR), anticipated the non-governmental function of IPPNW by almost two decades, essentially serving as a prototype in limited ways. PSR was founded in 1961 by a group of young doctors deeply concerned about the medical effects of nuclear war. From this founding group of US physicians came the leadership for IPPNW's formation in late 1980. The past successes and ongoing efforts of IPPNW as outlined in this paper demonstrate that IPPNW is serving in the needed role of a transnational organization acting as a midwife for the birthing of a new global comprehensive security system.