Difference between revisions of "History of the NGO Sector"
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Behind these developments were events that were setting the wheels in motion for the growth of NGOs, both internationally and locally. International law was becoming codified, international courts of arbitration were being established, and international conferences to discuss ways to prevent war were being convened. Technological developments such as the invention of the locomotive engine, steamship, telegraph and telephone gave rise to global communication and consciousness. Worldwide networks of goods, capital and labor were becoming more common and established. | Behind these developments were events that were setting the wheels in motion for the growth of NGOs, both internationally and locally. International law was becoming codified, international courts of arbitration were being established, and international conferences to discuss ways to prevent war were being convened. Technological developments such as the invention of the locomotive engine, steamship, telegraph and telephone gave rise to global communication and consciousness. Worldwide networks of goods, capital and labor were becoming more common and established. | ||
| − | ==Early | + | ==Early Modern NGOs: 1850-1914== |
Against the social and economic backdrop of the time, the international NGOs founded in the second half of the nineteenth century mostly related to telegraphy, postal services, weights and measures, slavery, sugar and agriculture. Only two health organizations and one organization each relating to agriculture and education were founded before 1900. | Against the social and economic backdrop of the time, the international NGOs founded in the second half of the nineteenth century mostly related to telegraphy, postal services, weights and measures, slavery, sugar and agriculture. Only two health organizations and one organization each relating to agriculture and education were founded before 1900. | ||
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On the international front, NGOs also served to foster closer ties between international peoples. The International Olympic Committee, established in 1894 in Lausanne, brought together athletes from all over the world to compete in an international sporting event. The IOC made its own rules about the event, from deciding on the location of the event, held every four years, to timing and the qualifications of its participants. | On the international front, NGOs also served to foster closer ties between international peoples. The International Olympic Committee, established in 1894 in Lausanne, brought together athletes from all over the world to compete in an international sporting event. The IOC made its own rules about the event, from deciding on the location of the event, held every four years, to timing and the qualifications of its participants. | ||
| − | International NGOs also played a significant role international relations. White cites Guiseppe Mazzini’s “Young Italy” as a major factor in the unification of the Italian states and in the creation of modern Italy,<ref>Ibid, p. 14.</ref> while Simeon Baldwin argues: “The empire of Germany is more the fruit of the Zollverein [customs union] of 1833 than of any of the political considerations by which it was preceded; and the Zollverein itself might never have spread so far, had it not been for the sentiment of nationalism so passionately voiced by the gathering of the Burschenschaft [Young Students Union] at Eisenach, only ten years after the congress of Vienna.”<ref>Simeon Baldwin, “International Congresses and Conferences of the Last Century as Forces Working Toward the Solidarity of the World,” ''American Journal of International Law'' 1 (1907), Part II: 565-578. The Burschenschaft, founded in 1815, says it has 15,000 members today.</ref> NGOs also played a large role in the creation of nations, such as Israel.<ref>For further reading, see John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, ''The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy''. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007).</ref> | + | International NGOs also played a significant role international relations. White cites Guiseppe Mazzini’s “Young Italy” as a major factor in the unification of the Italian states and in the creation of modern Italy,<ref>Ibid, p. 14.</ref> while Simeon Baldwin argues: “The empire of Germany is more the fruit of the Zollverein [customs union] of 1833 than of any of the political considerations by which it was preceded; and the Zollverein itself might never have spread so far, had it not been for the sentiment of nationalism so passionately voiced by the gathering of the Burschenschaft [Young Students Union] at Eisenach, only ten years after the congress of Vienna.”<ref>Simeon Baldwin, “International Congresses and Conferences of the Last Century as Forces Working Toward the Solidarity of the World,” ''American Journal of International Law'' 1 (1907), Part II: 565-578. The Burschenschaft, founded in 1815, says it has 15,000 members today.</ref> NGOs also played a large role in the creation of nations, such as [[Israel NGO Sector|Israel]].<ref>For further reading, see John Mearsheimer and Stephen Walt, ''The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy''. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007).</ref> |
Most of these early international NGOs shared a similar structure: they had a small membership base and had permanent central offices with a secretariat. A few organizations merely had a permanent committee. Nearly all were governed by a constitution and by-laws, with the majority of international NGOs composed of national groups whose members were private citizens.<ref>White, p. 9.</ref> | Most of these early international NGOs shared a similar structure: they had a small membership base and had permanent central offices with a secretariat. A few organizations merely had a permanent committee. Nearly all were governed by a constitution and by-laws, with the majority of international NGOs composed of national groups whose members were private citizens.<ref>White, p. 9.</ref> | ||
Revision as of 10:50, 6 August 2008
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) as we know them today are generally thought to have come into existence around the mid-nineteenth century. It was only about a century later that the importance of NGOs was officially recognized by the United Nations. At the UN Congress in San Francisco in 1968, a provision was made in Article 71 of the Charter of the United Nations framework that qualified NGOs in the field of economic and social development to receive consultative status with the Economic and Social Council.
The development of modern NGOs has largely mirrored that of general world history, particularly after the Industrial Revolution. NGOs have existed in some form or another as far back as 25,000 years ago. Since 1850, more than 100,000 private, not-for-profit organizations with an international focus have been founded. The growth of NGOs really took off after the Second World War, with about 90 international NGOs founded each year, compared with about 10 each year in the 1890s. Only about 30 percent of early international NGOs have survived, although those organizations founded after the wars have had a better survival rate. Many more NGOs with a local, national or regional focus have been created, though like their international counterparts, not all have survived or have been successful.
This article presents an overview of the history of modern day NGOs, with particular emphasis on international organizations. It looks at the different causes that have been championed by NGOs as the events in world history have unfolded, from the aftermath of the Industrial Revolution to the World Wars and through the aftermath of the Cold War. It also looks at the evolution of the structure and purpose of NGOs as they have matured over the years.
