The Ngo Factor In Africa

The book breaks new ground in understanding the role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Africa. The book historicizes NGOs using the Rockefeller Foundation as a case study, looking at its tripartite paradoxical roles as an agent of colonialism, globalization and development/underdevelopment. It deploys interdisciplinary devices to show how the RF projects have engaged in marginalization, patronage and ‘othering’ of African values and customs and the ensuing controversies. Using globalization, postmodern and postcolonial theories the book deconstructs the long-held myths about NGO inviolability, and opens ground for understanding their strengths. It interrogates sites of contestation, apprehension and possibilities that the RF has produced. Using RF projects, it looks at structures of hegemony, race, power, class and gender that the RF has created. The book illustrates the extent to which the RF has been instrumental in spreading capitalism, imperialism in economic, political, cultural and social realms through globalization. It desists from the grand narrative approach that has dominated African history in the past but instead gives agency and voice to those that have previously been marginalized.

The book breaks new ground in understanding the role of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) in Africa. The book historicizes NGOs using the Rockefeller Foundation as a case study, looking at its tripartite paradoxical roles as an agent of colonialism, globalization and development/underdevelopment. It deploys interdisciplinary devices to show how the RF projects have engaged in marginalization, patronage and ‘othering’ of African values and customs and the ensuing controversies. Using globalization, postmodern and postcolonial theories the book deconstructs the long-held myths about NGO inviolability, and opens ground for understanding their strengths. It interrogates sites of contestation, apprehension and possibilities that the RF has produced. Using RF projects, it looks at structures of hegemony, race, power, class and gender that the RF has created. The book illustrates the extent to which the RF has been instrumental in spreading capitalism, imperialism in economic, political, cultural and social realms through globalization. It desists from the grand narrative approach that has dominated African history in the past but instead gives agency and voice to those that have previously been marginalized.

Why haven't development programs sponsored by local NGOs been more effective in Africa? In this careful study of NGOs in three African countries -- Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Senegal -- Sarah Michael exposes reasons why successful, well-run, and powerful development programs are infrequent in Africa. Michael's argument focuses on issues of power. NGOs in Africa do not command the financial resources, employ the professional staff, or have the same access to donors that NGOs in other parts of the world enjoy. Main topics covered in this probing book include: What does a powerful NGO look like? How does power affect sustainable development? What circumstances prevent local NGOs in Africa from wielding power? How can African NGOs remedy their absence of power? What relationship with donors and international NGOs should be cultivated? This book will interest readers concerned with issues pertaining to the organization, mission, and implementation of development NGOs in Africa and beyond.

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have become ubiquitous in the development sector in Africa and attracting more academic attention. However, the fact that NGOs are an integral part of the everyday lives of men and women on the continent has been overlooked thus far. In Africa, NGOs are not remote, but familiar players, situated in the midst of cities and communities. By taking a radical empirical stance, this book studies NGOs as a vital part of the lifeworlds of Africans. Its contributions are immersed in the pasts, presents and futures of personal encounters, memories, decision-making and politics.

Between a Rock and a Hard Place examines Africa's NGO boom of the late 1990s. In spite of the high expectations placed on African NGOs during this period, these organizations remain poorly understood. Today, Africa's NGO boom has been followed by a bust--as the fickle development industry moves its money to other types of institutions. In spite of this funding bust, the explosion of NGOs in Africa during the 1990s transformed African societies and economies in fundamental ways. In the wake of Africa's NGO boom, it is imperative that these transformations be understood and placed in historical context. Such an understanding will help us to learn from the mistakes of this brief historical period--as well as to build on its opportunities. The case studies presented in the body of this work provide the missing details of this historical moment. Through these case studies, this book examines two questions that are fundamental to development and governance in Africa--and around the world: The nature of the relationship of NGOs to Civil Society; and The effectiveness of NGOs at promoting economic development with equity. The book begins with a comprehensive introduction, which outlines the theoretical debates surrounding Africa's NGO boom--and the question of civil society in Africa. This section is followed by detailed ethnographic accounts of the NGO boom from Zimbabwe to Mali and the types of social tranformations these organizations were part. Most importantly, these accounts reveal the ways in which African elites and community organizers have worked to position themselves within the global networks of development and governance institutions, and the impacts of their strategies on life in African communities. They reveal the ways in which African NGOs have had to negotiate the different and often contradictory demands on their own constituencies, donors, and African states--the ways in which they have succeeded and the ways in which they have come unglued. "Igoe and Kelsall provide useful suggestions on how to understand historical and cultural contexts of NGOs." -- Development and Change "The volume consists of eleven chapters, which provide rich ethnographic studies covering the entire continent... [T]he chapters interact and engage with one another, creating an excellent collection of essays that together provides a rich, multilayered, and thought provoking introduction to the dramatic growth of NGOs in Africa since 1990." -- The International Journal of African Historical Studies

Includes bibliographical references and index.

* Questions many key assumptions about the efficacy of NGOs and civil society in development. * Provides suggestions on how to improve NGO performance and how NGOs can better link with local African initiatives and agendas. Beginning in the 1980s, sub-Saharan Africa witnessed a veritable explosion of NGOs and CSOs engaged in efforts to develop the subcontin­ent. Often praised for their commitment, flexibility, close contact with grassroots movements and marginalized groups, these organizations have become the darlings of donors and the UN system. During the same period, however, rural Africa has sunk deeper into poverty. The massive NGO engagement appears not to have made any meaningful progress. Snakes in Paradise breaks through the generalizations and neat theories to discover why these efforts have failed. Focusing especially on those local NGOs that are frequently overlooked by studies that cover the major international players, Holmén uncovers a NGO landscape that is considerably more ambiguous than the popular development literature would have people believe.