Friday 21 December 2012

What is an NGO?

The term NGO or Non-Governmental Organisation did not exist before the formation and creation of the United Nations (UN) in 1945.

There is no generally accepted definition of an NGO and the term carries different interpretations in different circumstances. There are however fundamental definitions which match the conditions for recognition by the UN.

1. An NGO is independent of any government control
2. An NGO is not a political party
3. An NGO is non-profit making
4. An NGO cannot be a criminal group
5. An NGO must be non-violent

Nevertheless, these boundaries can sometimes be blurred. Some NGOs may in fact be closely aligned to a political party in the interest of both concerned eg. Some NGOs must work with some governments and states to create an outcome useful to the NGOs aims, possibly in support of other people and situations. Many NGOs generate income from commercial activities, notably consultancy contracts of sales of publications. A small number of NGOs may be associated with violent political protests. An NGO is never constituted as a governmental bureaucracy, a party, a company, a criminal or gorilla group.

Therefore an NGO is defined as an independent association of people which acts together on a continuous basis for a common purpose other than achieving government office making money or illegal activities.



Information for this blog has been taken from the following website:
 http://www.staff.city.ac.uk/p.willetts/CS-NTWKS/NGO-ART.HTM#Start

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