NGO Staff

I am not sure if all people are aware but not all people working for non-governmental organizations are volunteers. Paid staff members typically receive lower pay than in the commercial private sector. Employees are highly committed to the aims and principles of the organization. The reasons why people volunteer are usually not purely altruistic, but self-serving: They expect to gain skills, experience and contacts. There is some dispute as to whether expatriates should be sent to developing countries. Frequently this type of personnel is employed to satisfy a donor, who wants to see the supported project managed by someone from an industrialized country. However, the expertise these employees or volunteers may have can be counterbalanced by a number of factors: the cost of foreigners is typically higher, they have no grassroot connections in the country they are sent to and local expertise is often undervalued. The NGO-sector is an important employer in terms of numbers. For example, by the end of 1995, CONCERN worldwide, an international Northern NGO working against poverty, employed 174 expatriates and just over 5,000 national staff working in ten developing countries in Africa and Asia, and in Haiti.

Shift in topics for FInal Paper

At first I was thinking about option #1- A critical overview of the material and topics covered in the course.  And as I begun my paper I decided to investigate NGO's a bit and found 2 that interest me a lot.  Therefore I am going to shift topics and choose option #4- Examine the websites of several NGO's which operate in several countries.  Find one which you would join, and one which you would not join.  I am going to give a small overview of NGO's becuase I did not realize how powerful some of them can be. 

Types of NGOs

There are numerous possibilities to classify NGOs. The following is the typology the World Bank uses 1:

Operational NGOs
Their primary purpose is the design and implementation of development-related projects. One categorization that is frequently used is the division into relief-oriented or development-oriented organizations; they can also be classified according to whether they stress service delivery or participation; or whether they are religious and secular; and whether they are more public or private-oriented. Operational NGOs can be community-based, national or international.

Advocacy NGOs
Their primary purpose is to defend or promote a specific cause. As opposed to operational project management, these organizations typically try to raise awareness, acceptance and knowledge by lobbying, press work and activist events.

AcronymsNongovernmental organizations are an heterogenous group. A long list of acronyms has developed around the term 'NGO'.
These include:
INGO stands for international NGO, such as CARE;
BINGO is short for business-oriented international NGO;
RINGO is an abbreviation of religious international NGO such as Catholic Relief Services;
ENGO, short for environmental NGO, such as Global 2000;
GONGOs are government-operated NGOs, which may have been set up by governments to look like NGOs in order to qualify for outside aid;
QUANGOs are quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisations, such as the W3C and the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which is actually not purely an NGO, since its membership is by nation, and each nation is represented by what the ISO Council determines to be the "most broadly representative" standardization body of a nation. Now, such a body might in fact be a nongovernmental organization--for example, the United States is represented in ISO by the American National Standards Institute, which is independent of the federal government. However, other countries can be represented by national governmental agencies--this is the trend in Europe.

NGO stages of development

Three stages or generations of NGO evolution have been identified by Korten’s (1990) Three Generations of Voluntary Development Action. First, the typical development NGO focuses on relief and welfare, and delivers relief services directly to beneficiaries. Examples are the distribution of food, shelter or health services. The NGO notices immediate needs and responds to them. NGOs in the second generation are oriented towards small-scale, self-reliant local development. At this evolutionary stage, NGOs build the capacities of local communities to meet their needs through 'self reliant local action'. Korten calls the third generation 'sustainable systems development'. At this stage, NGOs try to advance changes in policies and institutions at a local, national and international level; they move away from their operational service providing role towards a catalytic role. The NGO is starting to develop from a relief NGO to a development NGO.

The purpose of NGO's

NGOs exist for a variety of purposes, usually to further the political or social goals of their members. Examples include improving the state of the natural environment, encouraging the observance of human rights, improving the welfare of the disadvantaged, or representing a corporate agenda. However, there are a huge number of such organizations and their goals cover a broad range of political and philosophical positions. This can also easily be applied to private schools and athletic organizations.

Some of the negative effects of globalization, some we discussed in class:

Developed nations have outsourced manufacturing and white collar jobs. That means less jobs for their people. This has happened because manufacturing work is outsourced to developing nations like China where the cost of manufacturing goods and wages are lower. Programmers, editors, scientists and accountants have lost their jobs due to outsourcing to cheaper locations such as, India.

Globalization has led to exploitation of labor. Prisoners and child workers are used to work in inhumane conditions. Safety standards are ignored to produce cheap goods.

Job insecurity. Earlier people had stable, permanent jobs. Now people live in constant dread of losing their jobs to competition. Increased job competition has led to reduction in wages and consequently lower standards of living.

Companies have set up industries causing pollution in countries with poor regulation of pollution.

Fast food chains such as McDonalds is spreading in the developing world. People are consuming more junk food from these joints which has an adverse impact on their health.

The benefits of globalization is not universal. The rich are getting richer and the poor are becoming poorer.

Bad apects of foreign cultures are affecting the local cultures through TV and the Internet.

Deadly diseases like HIV/AIDS are being spread by travellers to the remotest corners of the globe.

Local industries are being taken over by foreign multinationals.

The increase in prices has reduced the governments ability to sustain social welfare schemes in developed countries.

There is increase in human trafficking.

Some of the positive effects of globalization, some we discussed in class:

:　

• Globalization has created the concept of outsourcing. Work such as software development, customer support, marketing, accounting and insurance is outsourced to developing countries like India. So the company that outsourced the work enjoys the benefit of lower costs because the wages in developing countries is far lower than that of developed countries. The workers in the developing countries get employment. Developing countries get access to the latest technology.
• Increased competition forces companies to lower prices. This benefits the end consumers.
• Increased media coverage draws the attention of the world to human right violations. This leads to improvement in human rights.
• The flexibility of corporations to operate across borders increases.
• The communication between the individuals and corporations in the world increases.
• Environmental protection in developed countries increases.
• Worldwide sporting events like the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup are held.
• Enhancement in worldwide fads and pop culture.
• Local consumer products are exported to other countries 

Brief overview of Globalization

The development of globalization has opened gates for economies both nationally and globally. The last three decades saw many governments acquiring the systems of free markets, thereby, maximizing their own potential and opportunities for international businesses as well as investment. As a result of globalization governments all over the world worked towards the elimination of limitations to business and trade of goods and services across the world. With these new opportunities having hit the global economies industries took advantage by constructing new business corporations in foreign markets with their associates. This gave international trade and business an all new business structure which can be summed up under what is economic globalization capable of altogether.

Pictures and Websites for Final Paper

Great website that offers lectures on globalization:
http://videolectures.net/eccs07_blossfeld_gcs/

Globalization of culture forum:
http://www.globalpolicy.org/globalization/globalization-of-culture.html

NGO Directory
http://www.wango.org/resources.aspx?section=ngodir#tab2

Cartroons on Globalization:

Final Paper Layout

What globalization means to me-

Topics that I enjoyed learning about throughout the semester which help define my term of Globalization:

-Globalization of culture: Arcaro Chapter 2
-Media: Arcaro Chapter 6 (p 143,145,152, conclusion); Jackson Article 19 and 20
-Global Politics: Arcaro Chapter 12; Jackson Article 1, 11, 34
-Women and Gender: Arcaro Chapter 9; Jackson Article 5, 40
-Future of Globalization: Arcaro Chapter 13; Jackson 15, 22, 42

Outside sources
-Making Globalization Work by: Joseph E. Stiglitz
-In Defense of Globalization: With a New Afterword by: Jagdish Bhagwati

Globalization Poem

By Angie

INTERNATIONAL
THINKING AT ITS BEST!

Question: What is the truest definition of Globalization?
Answer: Princess Diana's death.
Question: How come?
Answer: An English princess
with an Egyptian boyfriend
crashes in a French tunnel,
driving a German car
with a Dutch engine,
driven by a Belgian who was drunk
on Scottish whiskey,
followed closely by Italian Paparazzi,
on Japanese motorcycles;
treated by an American doctor,
using Brazilian medicines.
This is sent to you by an American,
using Bill Gates's technology,
and you're probably reading this on your computer,
that use Taiwanese chips,
and a Korean monitor,
assembled by Bangladeshi workers
in a Singapore plant,
transported by Indian lorry-drivers,
hijacked by Indonesians,
unloaded by Sicilian longshoremen,
and trucked to you by Mexican illegals.....
That, my friends, is Globalization

Election Day

The recent Election
The one race that I have been following has been the Illinois Governor's race.  This has been the first true governer's election since the great debacle with Rod Blagojevich so it does have a lot riding on it.  I think that a lot of people both inside and outside the state view Illinois politics as a joke, this was going to be the election that would put our state back on the right track.
From the get go this race has been marred by controversy and a lack of enthusiasm.  Before the election was even held it seemed as if the majority of our "classically" democratic state was in support of the republican candidate Bill Brady.  Not because of his political plan or his past experience, simply because the democratic candidate Pat Quinn has been so closely associated with Rod Blagojevich.
I never truly understood either of the two candiates political plans because as the election drew closer and closer the advertisments that were seen in press or on TV were entirely focused on mudslinging.  I dont recall one ad that just talked about one candidates plans to improve, it was all criticisms and accusations.  I think this left a large population of the people in the dark about the candidates and what they will do to help our state.
These point are probably why this was one of the closest elections on record.  Usually a candidate stands out by the end of the election day and this race was so close that even after two full days there is no definitive winner to this race. 
Although either of these two candidates will probably do a better job than Rod Blagojevich, I dont see them being the answer to the problems that Illinois is having right now.

Critique of a Classmates blog

I really enjoyed reading a post my classmate Cal wrote on his blog.  It was titled "What we expect from our children"  In his blog he said that he believes children do not understand what life is really about when they are spoon fed.  And I completely agree with this statement.  I see examples of this every day at my store, since it is located in the heart of Lincoln Park across the street from a private K-12th grade school.  I hardly see parents, the majority of the time its babysitters and kids coming in on their own.  They have their parents money to spend and they spend every last drop of it.  When the parents do come in they are either on the phone or not very interested in what their child/children are doing and they buy them whatever they want even if they are not going to finish it (if they want it they will get it).  I do not really hear the words please and thank you very often and the kids have trouble being patient and waiting in line.  I feel that in many was parents set these examples for their children, whether they are good or bad examples they are passed on.  Examples like these make me question the American norms Cal speaks of.   

Another blog that i enjoyed looking at was Bilal's.  He did a great job with the structure and content in his blog.  The cartoons that he added within each blog really helped convey the message.  Sometimes when reading blogs I find it tough to keep focused when there are just words among words. 

Response to "Commanding Heights" video

I feel the that the passing of NAFTA was both a blessing and curse to our economy.  It was a

blessing to the economy as a whole.  As Clinton stated, it forced us to push the American

economy out of the industrial age and into the technological age.  With less emphasis on

mass production of material goods and more of a focus on technology advancement, the American

economy flourished during Clinton's terms in the White House. 
But it was a curse to many of the blue collar workers with no formal training in one field. 

Again during the debates Bill Clinton spoke about the positives of NAFTA, just as long as

there was a plan to help out those who would end up losing out due to the transferring of

many businesses to Mexico.  Helping out the blue collar workers with advanced training in

more up to date fields, and better on the job training.  Sadly these plans were never

enacted and many of the blue collar workers were left without jobs and without further

training that would help them enter other fields of work. 
There are so many people who are out of work, and there are jobs available for them, the only problem is that they lack the essential training to be able to function in a white collar workplace. 

Question #5 on page 293 of Arcaro

Identify two ways in which global politics touch your daily life?

One of the main global organizations that has a high impact on my life as well as many Americans daily life is OPEC.  OPEC is an the organization of the petroleum exporting countries.  They can influence the pricing of oil by raising or lowering the price depending on your countries stand point with them.  Since America uses the most oil out of any country, American is effected most by the price fluctuation.  The majority of places that I go throughout my day I end up driving for both personal and business use.  Therefore, the price of gas definitely affects me on a daily basis.    

Another point that this article brought to my attention (taking into consideration it will soon be time to vote), is that without these smaller groups/organizations women's rights would not be as extensive as they are now.  That would definitely affect my daily life, I could not imagine being limited to the type of education I could receive just because I am a female, or not having the right to vote.  I feel that my generation takes many of these things for granted, and probably would never realize how far things have come unless these privileges/rights were taken away. 

Response to "Why Dont They Like Us"

   I enjoyed reading the article "Why Dont They Like Us" because it digs deeper into the reasoning behind the dislike of American culture.  And a lot of the points that are made are very true based upon my experience's.  I feel that in certain areas of the world where Americans are disliked, this stigma in certain places may come from envy.  It is easy to see the positive features that America has such as a working democratic government, basic freedoms (speech, religion, bear arms, etc) and a country with a high functioning economy, etc.  These other countries see the good parts of America and then compare it to the short falls of their country.  Sometimes Americans are seen as "the ugly American" to other countries, because when Americans visit other countries they do not always fully embrace the culture of the foreign land.  Instead they bring American culture and try to adapt it, which is seen as rude.

Question #5 on page 227 of Arcaro

Has this article changed your opinion on feminism? Why or why not?

This article was very insightful, it gave an array of examples of feminism.  I would not say it changed my opinion on feminism but definately showcased different/more broad aspects of feminism that I have not thought about.  I feel that people often place feminists into a stigmaed category, and by this I mean: lesbian /male hating/ closeminded, etc.  Maybe this becuase when you hear the word feminist sounds very strong and combative.  This article shows the reader that there are many different facets to feminist thought.  There is no one way to categorize a feminists, everyone has unique beliefs of feminism. 

Outsourced

Outsourced is a television show on NBC, this show is in its first season. It is a comedy that involved an all American company called Mid America Novelties that sells products such as foam fingers, whoopee cushions, etc. Their call center was outsourced to India. I think that this show aired at an interesting time- taking into consideration our unemployment rate is higher than ever and this is realistically happening to many American company's. It is interesting how NBC made this into a comedy because it is not funny that Americans are losing jobs day after day do to outsourcing. I could not imagine how I would feel watching this show if I lost my job because my company was outsourced. There have been many mixed reactions about this show. One comment I read a few weeks ago made a very good point- this demonstrates how out of touch TV executives are with "real" people, but on the other hand if people watch this show and it becomes popular the TV executives could care less about the population that is jobless. I have to admit that I enjoy watching this show but it is probably not the right time for it to air. 

Here is a link to the first episode:
http://www.mefeedia.com/tv/32960179

#5

Interesting/Fun/Provocative/Challenging Entry



#4

A response to Question 1 on page 47 of Arcaro

The world that we live in today is drastically different then world that my parents grew up in. One of the main differences is how the world has reacted to the introduction of technology (computers, television, cell phones, etc).
Today there is no way that you can even go through one day without having some interaction with technology. It is how you do your work, how people communicate, how you keep you money and how other people sell you things. Some of the major side effects that technology has had on our society are; it has made people lazy, socially introverted, and totally dependant.
The convenience of communicating with almost anyone at anytime is very different  now as opposed to my parents generation. But all of the convenience has come at a price, people only know how to talk to people over the phone, there is almost no random daily interaction with people anymore. The computer has also had a large effect on personal interaction, in most occasions you don't even have to speak to allow your voice to be heard, most people let their fingers talk for them through text messages, emails, facebook, etc. Soon no one will ever have to use their voice.
The dependency on technology is a growing problem as well, my mother can remember phone numbers of people that don't exist, addresses of businesses from 25 years ago and birthdays of nearly every friend she has. She does this because this was how she grew up remembering things. If I don't have my phone I can not remember phone numbers of places that I call on a weekly basis.  I have seen people forget their phone or lose their phone and the look very lost, and seem to be isolated form everyone. In many ways this disappoints me, i like the old school way of writing letters and talking to people face to face but, I have learned I need to accept it and adapt my ways because there is no going back, technology is just advancing as the months go by.



#3

A response to Question 2 on page 73 of Arcaro



The immigration of my family to this country happened recently. My mother came here with my grandmother and grandfather when she was 12 years old. They immigrated here from Macedonia (the former Yugoslavia). My mother was born in 1945 which was right after the communist take over of Yugoslavia, she lived there for 12 years before coming to the United States.
The main reason for the relocation was for my grandmother to provide more opportunities for my mother, and her three other children which followed. In Yugoslavia there were limited opportunities for people; especially for women.  Coming to America there were many more opportunities to name a few: education, employment, and political freedom. Coming to Chicago in the 50's meant she could have an education and a career instead of being locked into a housewife. 
Life in America was difficult for my mother and grandmother to grasp because they were so set in the old world way of thinking.  My mom chose to get an education which was not acceptable to her father so she would have to study and do her homework when he was asleep by candle light.  And when she went to school during the day she had to tell her father she was working. 
Still to this day my mom and grandmother carry some characteristics from the "old country" such as putting the boys/men first, not wasting food.  My mom says that she is happy she came to America but at times when she goes back to visit relatives, I can tell that she misses the simplicity of life in Europe. 

#2

What is your definition of globalization now, and how is that understanding relevant to your life after college?

I feel that the term Globalization in the connection of different people and societies all over the world through the use communication. The world is becoming smaller in this day and age; whether it is- the US and China sharing economic strategy, the out-souring of jobs to other countries to save cost, or people watching American television in other countries. All of these instances are examples of globalization, prior to the Internet and worldwide media most people were only exposed to the culture that they immediately grew up around. Now people are exposed to world at the click of a button, therefore, it is very easy to see how one culture is similar or different from another. Globalization is leading the way to the creation of a global culture.  A global culture means that anyone can have an influence on you regardless what their geographic location is nor yours.  As well global culture is pushing towards generations of people who have very similar thoughts and beliefs despite growing up in different countries.

I feel that this is relevant to me after college because now there may be more opportunities to work and live in other places. The US economy is influencing countries all over the world I could find myself working in Europe or Asia. Twenty years ago the idea of finding opportunities in other countries was very limited, now it is becoming more common.

#1

A reply to Question 5 on page 25 of Arcaro

I feel that many people who have the resources (money) to help others do it in a giving matter over a partnering matter.  It is always good to give money to a cause but, I feel that in oder to truly embrace that matter you need to be hands on.  The people that I was exposed to growing up would always stress the importance of giving,  but I never saw them helping others in a partnering way, all they would do is write a  few checks throughout they year to various causes cause.  I can understand how that made them feel like they contributed but on the other hand I feel that they always had alterior motive (using it as a tax exemption and or status symbol).

By looking at the chart it is easy to see that giving is an act that can be mindless as long as a person has resources and the desire (whatever it may be) to help the specific cause.  Partnering is similar because you are helping a cause but you are doing so in a much more time consuming and committed way.  It takes more out of someone to partner with a cause as opposed to just giving.  But, both giving and partnering are essential parts in maintaining a healthy community/society. 

Growing up my parents always brought my brother and I to serve at soup kitchens for Christmas and Thanksgiving and that helped associate us with helping the community and giving up some of our time for others at an early age. 

In order to help out a cause there needs to be a balance between giving and partnering.   Personally when I give I want to know where my money is going and who it is helping, a generic piece of paper doesn't cut it for me!