The
Economics and Politics of NGOs in Latin America addresses
a number of fascinating topics -- the explosion of non-governmental
organizations (NGOs), Latin American environmental funds, North-South
transfers and "Yuppie" organizations. I had high hopes for this
book since the author posted a brief commentary on the (now
defunct) Environment Latin America Network (ELAN) forum.
That said, this book is fairly droll account that does not
adequately explore the issues. Instead, the author relies almost
exclusively on policy reports and interviews with development
agency officials. Neither are truly reliable sources of information.
This would be an adequate summary if it had been written by
an undergraduate student, but it should be much more considering
the author's expertise.
Author Carrie Meyer
is a professional consultant who has worked for the World Bank
and the U.S. Agency for International Development. Instead of
offering a candid first-person account, she recites what she
has been told or had read in USAID reports -- almost without
question.
"This book aims to clarify the role of Southern NGOs funded
by Northern donors, specifically focusing on Latin American
NGOs," she writes. I wish that were true! Nowhere does she address
questions of corruption, elitism or even the failures of NGOs
or the international donors themselves.
Questions this book could have tried to answer
How could this book have been different? It might have illuminated
answers to the following questions:
- How effective have been projects funded by international
donors, such as USAID or the World Bank?
- When will international donors, such as USAID, World Bank,
World Wildlife Fund, etc., make current projects and field
reports available on a timely basis?
- Is there a way that international donors can reward collaborative
activities among grantees that go beyond the "handshake" level?
- Should international donors shoulder the responsibility
that instead of creating environmental awareness, they have
subsidized a bilingual capital elite, many of which will fight
amongst each other for these same monies?
ECUADOR
A good section of this book describes the work of environmental
groups in Ecuador, starting with Fundacion
Natura, Ecuador's largest and best-funded environmental organization.
After listing criticisms of Natura made by other environmental
groups, including Accion Ecologica, Meyer rises to the defense
of the organization:
"Unquestionably foreign donors distorted and intensified
the environmental debate in the Ecuadorian community... Environmental
NGOs funded by Northern donors are not democratic representatives
of local civil society, but they do participate in it and enliven
it... NGOs like Natura have struggled to retain a voice independent
of their donors."
Meyer provides no evidence that shows the "independent" role of
Natura. Nor does she question how the group's director became
head of the country's environmental department. The revolving
door between NGOs and GOs simply goes unexamined. What would have
been very interesting would be a review of the policy of international
monies pouring into Ecuador and other Latin American countries
in search of franchise operations.
Despite its great title, The
Economics and Politics of NGOs in Latin America is a disappointing
book. That said, future work by this author will no doubt show
more analysis and evidence of in-country research that goes
beyond the offices of USAID and Yuppie NGOs.
Table of Contents
-- Preface
-- The Explosion of NGOs in the International Community
-- New Spaces and Fabrics in Latin America
-- From the Public to the Private Sector
-- Responding to Donor Demands
-- Opportunism, Entrepreneurship, and North-South Transfers
-- Partnerships and Public Goods
-- Sharing Information: Politics and Economics
-- Contributions to Compromise and Global Community
-- Conclusions
-- References
-- Index |
|
