Difference between revisions of "Ghana NGO Sector"
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NGO/CSO Registration in Ghana is governed by the Companies Code Act 179 (1963), the Trustees Incorporation/Amendment Law (1962/63), the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana (1992) and Cabinet directives (CIVICUS 2006: 54). Respondents to the CSI Survey believed that the registration service was not simple or inexpensive. The importance of registration issues is a main point of the National NGO Policy (Civicus: Ibid). | NGO/CSO Registration in Ghana is governed by the Companies Code Act 179 (1963), the Trustees Incorporation/Amendment Law (1962/63), the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana (1992) and Cabinet directives (CIVICUS 2006: 54). Respondents to the CSI Survey believed that the registration service was not simple or inexpensive. The importance of registration issues is a main point of the National NGO Policy (Civicus: Ibid). | ||
| − | ==Foreign | + | ==Foreign Aid and NGO Operations in Ghana== |
| − | Funding from overseas is a key factor that impacts and influences NGOs and their operations. The NGO sector, like Ghana itself, is heavily dependent on foreign aid. In 1998, development assistance amounted to nearly 10 percent of its GNP | + | Funding from overseas is a key factor that impacts and influences NGOs and their operations. The NGO sector, like Ghana itself, is heavily dependent on foreign aid. In 1998, development assistance amounted to nearly 10 percent of its GNP (Porter 131-32). As major recipients for donor investment, NGOs provide emergency relief and engage in capacity building, however, they also directly contribute to social policy development in Ghana (Aryeetey and Goldstein). |
| − | The amount of aid channeled through NGOs is not easily quantifiable but the Red Cross estimates that NGOs also disburse large amounts of money, perhaps even more than the World Bank. As noted by Fowler, during the 1980s, funding to NGOs grew at five times the rate the official development funding | + | The amount of aid channeled through NGOs is not easily quantifiable but the Red Cross estimates that NGOs also disburse large amounts of money, perhaps even more than the World Bank. As noted by Fowler, during the 1980s, funding to NGOs grew at five times the rate the official development funding (Mohan 4). |
| − | The majority of foreign NGOs in Ghana operate in the North. This is a result of colonial underdevelopment, and in contrast to the center and southern areas, there is a lack of a major export base | + | The majority of foreign NGOs in Ghana operate in the North. This is a result of colonial underdevelopment, and in contrast to the center and southern areas, there is a lack of a major export base (Mohan 13-20). A key element is the relationship between indigenous or Southern NGOs (SNGOs) and external, often Northern-based or international NGOs (NNGOs, INGOs). This inter-NGO relationship, a local-global collaboration, creates the perception of a civil society that is internationally networked, but in reality, reflects a “major line of tension.” NNGO’s reliance on funding breeds a conservative outlook and a reluctance to allow local NGOs freedom to administer their programs because so many SNGOs lack capacity and transparency, a suggestion which SNGOs then react against. As donors seek reliable and successful NGOs in which to sink foreign capital, civil society trends towards “niched NGOs” or just a few large organizations (Mohan 14). |
| − | There is a risk that the official aid channeled through these NGOs compromises their autonomy and affects their ability to carry out successful programs. Partnerships between NGOs and their donors refocuses NGO efforts towards satisfying donor demands (Porter 136-37). Decentralization has impacted these circumstances and | + | There is a risk that the official aid channeled through these NGOs compromises their autonomy and affects their ability to carry out successful programs. [[NGO Networking|Partnerships]] between NGOs and their donors refocuses NGO efforts towards satisfying donor demands (Porter 136-37). Decentralization has impacted these circumstances and encourages participation by the target communities receiving aid. Porter notes two relevant types of decentralization that impact NGOs: the establishment of local offices by INGOs, and state administrative decentralization. The latter is promoted by the World Bank as a means for good governance, a way in which local districts can work in partnership with NGOs and community-based organizations. But, there is evidence that donor-supported decentralization to the 110 administrative districts is creating a tier of local NGOs whose principal aim is job and wealth-creation for the entrepreneurs who establish them. The result has been misappropriation of funds under decentralization. (Porter 138). |
==Transparency and Good Governance== | ==Transparency and Good Governance== | ||
Revision as of 10:05, 13 August 2008
As early as Ghana's pre-colonial era, civil society has shaped, and been shaped by, the country’s political developments. After independence in 1957, the government created economic and social reconstruction development plans. This included putting local development committees and the emerging nonprofit sector in charge of providing education, health and social services to the country’s citizens. During the period of political and economic instability that followed independence, citizens were dependent on humanitarian aid and emergency services provided by churches and charities (Atingdui 1995:11-12).
By the early 1980s, the country’s subsequent reorganization of the public and private sectors directly affected religious and church-related organizations, requiring them to reapply for registration with the government (Atingdui 1995:12). Despite the government’s move to exert more control over NGOs, local groups continued to grow and expand unabated. A sharp increase in international development assistance to Ghana occurred between 1989 and 1990, with a significant amount of funds going to the nonprofit sector (World Bank, World Tables). The 1990s saw an exponential growth in the non-profit sector and non-governmental organizations in Ghana, in both the number of groups and their range of activities. By the mid 1990s, the number of registered nonprofit organizations grew to over 700 (Atingdui 1995:15).
Today, the sector encompasses thousands of organizations of all sizes and types. Nonprofit organizations in Ghana are defined as “civil society organizations that are formed independently of the State but register voluntarily under specified laws in order to gain official recognition to pursue purposes that are not self-serving but oriented towards public benefit.” (NGC National Draft Policy). As Ghana moves into the 21st century, civil society in the country is a sector that is still growing and defining itself.
