NGOs: 2nd top thriving industry after loan

(Published 17.5.2009)

http://dailynationalcourier.com/national_courier/may2009_daily/17-05-09/artical/artical1.htm

What could explain the rise and rise of NGOs despite growing poverty and human suffering in the elite-dominated system in the part of the world we inhabit? The answer is hidden in the question itself simply because NGOs collectively have become the one of the ten largest economies worth trillions of dollars and tens of millions of staff and workers in the world simply because poverty itself become a huge industry. In fact, NGOs have become the second top thriving industry after loan in this land of pure. That also explains that why every least intelligent Tom, Dick, Harry and Mary is heading a NGO, registered or otherwise, championing a cause be it poverty alleviation, education, health, clean drinking water, micro-credit, emancipation of women or violence against them, prisoners' welfare, patient aid. The list is endless because even the government does not seem to know the exact number of NGOs operating in the country itself.
Pakistan offers immense growth potential for NGOs. This is obvious from the fact that as the gap between filthy rich and abject poor keeps on increasing by each passing day the numbers of NGOs have also been on the rise on a daily basis. Just as poverty has become a favourite rallying cry for our politicians to win support of the impoverished majority , development and social justice have become the most favoured rallying call of the NGOs under selective cause of their own liking. Politicians and NGOs have find it lucrative to bank on poverty and development to protect their own interests because in their own way both of them have muscled enough wealth and power to become the propertied class the ill-gotten riches of which get to be protected.
With poverty and development becoming such huge bankable industries it is but natural that they should adhere to basic supply and demand chain of economics. The demand side of the equation is made up of the impoverished who makes up an overwhelming percentage of the populace while supply side comprises an array of beneficiaries including ruling elite and its chamcha brigades, exploiters, profiteers who have taken it on themselves to talk on behalf of the poor. This is so because all the development works and implementation plans is implemented by the ruling class that shares all the riches and bounties as well as the power strictly among itself, throwing leftovers to the subjects during "˜pangs of humanism' once in years.
Both the ruling elite and the NGOs take great pains to keep extremely tidy appearance and exterior to glamorize the poverty, to ask their subjects be honest and to work hard while themselves living in absolute luxury at the expense of the people. The ruling elite finds it convenient to appease the exploited masses on promises of prosperous future but does nothing practical to eradicate poverty. This is obvious from the fact that budgetary provisions for such basic rights granted under UN Charter as healthcare for poor, widespread malnutrition, free primary education, access to clean water, sanitation and electricity remain negligible. The only time the impoverished is paccorded any respect, even if fake, is during the election time.
NGOs operating in Pakistan is a complex mix of alliances & rivalries and charities & businesses simply because there is too much funding involved- be it from the government, corporate sector or overseas donors- the last being the one that NGOs here strived most hard for simply because it is in Dollars, Pounds, Yen, Mark, Franc, Riyal, Darham, etc.
An another important question is whether the NGOs are really as "˜non-governmental organizations as they claim particularly when they are tied so closely with the governments vide funding arrangements and contracts for service. In addition, one should also beware of their proximity with the World Bank which not only encourages governments to work with NGOs on development projects but also directly funds the NGO projects. It is reported that "from 1973 to 1988, NGOs were involved in about 15 WB projects a year a number that jumped to 89, or 40% of all new projects approved, by 1990. And while in theory NGOs expenses should be cheaper than public services the fact that foreign funded NGOs engaged in providing microcredit to te poorest of the poor here are charging an extremely high interest of as much as 25 per cent on small loans of upto Rs 15,000 paid over a period of just one year. This surely cannot be called philanthropy but purely commercial business activity that exploits the poorest of the poor in the garb of helping them.
NGOs have long become an industry and a purely commercial activity particularly in a poverty-ridden country like ours because it offers not only riches but also fame for being the pillar of the society. Look at the offices of some of the top NGOs here and you will understand what I mean. Follow the life-style of the heads of the successful NGOs- the cars they drive- the clothes and jewellery they wear; the protocals that they receive at the top level of the government; the style in which they travel, dine and stay at expensive hotels. Yes NGOs is the second most thriving business after loan here in this country of ours.