Getting human rights right
James Ron’s research on NGO’s promoting international human rights indicates that their efforts may be hindered, not helped, by Western donors.
Across the developing world, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are promoting human rights. What obstacles do they run into, and how do Western donors help or hinder their efforts?
Those are two of the questions James Ron, associate professor
at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA), is setting out to answer in a multi-year study.
Over the past four years, he and a group of graduate students have interviewed roughly 125 human rights activists attending an annual conference in Montreal. Now, Ron has received $106,000 for the second phase of the project: international field research. NPSIA alumni and grad students will interview roughly 100 more human rights workers in Mexico, Morocco and India over the next year.
Ron expects this work will validate the findings of his earlier research. For example, the Montreal interviews revealed that the international language of human rights doesn’t resonate with many people in developing countries. “The phrase ‘human rights’ is perceived as technocratic, foreign, Western, alien, problematic, too different,” Ron says.
In addition, he says, many rights-based NGOs get most of their funding from Western donors, which means local donors don’t see these NGOs’ concerns as something they should care about or fund.
“Paradoxically, the more money that Westerndonors pour into this sector, the more problematic it will become,” says Ron. That, he believes, will continue to diminish these NGOs’ local credibility and influence.
“The counter-intuitive policy recommendation might be: either reduce the amount of money you’re giving to the NGO sector, or give it in much, much smarter ways,” Ron says. For instance, funding could be tied to matching local funds or to an NGO’s proven engagement in the community.
Ron will be expanding on these ideas in a book and articles once the research is complete.
Across the developing world, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are promoting human rights. What obstacles do they run into, and how do Western donors help or hinder their efforts?
Those are two of the questions James Ron, associate professor
at the Norman Paterson School of International Affairs (NPSIA), is setting out to answer in a multi-year study.
Over the past four years, he and a group of graduate students have interviewed roughly 125 human rights activists attending an annual conference in Montreal. Now, Ron has received $106,000 for the second phase of the project: international field research. NPSIA alumni and grad students will interview roughly 100 more human rights workers in Mexico, Morocco and India over the next year.
Ron expects this work will validate the findings of his earlier research. For example, the Montreal interviews revealed that the international language of human rights doesn’t resonate with many people in developing countries. “The phrase ‘human rights’ is perceived as technocratic, foreign, Western, alien, problematic, too different,” Ron says.
In addition, he says, many rights-based NGOs get most of their funding from Western donors, which means local donors don’t see these NGOs’ concerns as something they should care about or fund.
“Paradoxically, the more money that Westerndonors pour into this sector, the more problematic it will become,” says Ron. That, he believes, will continue to diminish these NGOs’ local credibility and influence.
“The counter-intuitive policy recommendation might be: either reduce the amount of money you’re giving to the NGO sector, or give it in much, much smarter ways,” Ron says. For instance, funding could be tied to matching local funds or to an NGO’s proven engagement in the community.
Ron will be expanding on these ideas in a book and articles once the research is complete.