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We are having many NGOs claiming that they are fighting poverty in Africa, If this is the case why poverty rate is on increase in Africa?

Narice Ninyesiga

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Dear Teresa,
What was your turning point if you had one? Or was it more of a slow realisation  that grew into something bigger?

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What do you think is the best way to grow awereness about the enviroment and how do you believe there can be big changes in sub-developed countries with no acces to formal educationa and bad public services?

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How do you estimate the knowledge of the potential of NGO's in general in civil society? Do you consider educating the public on them has a lot of potential for gathering support for the NGO's work. If so, what do you reckon are key strategies to engage, and include the public in the NGO sector?

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In the article “The Power of Strategy”, Katharina Rietig focused on study environmental NGOs and she is considering them as one of the largest and more diverse groups of non-state actors influencing international negotiations nowadays. Besides that, one of the author suggestion is explaining that activists should focus their limited resources on organizing large-scale demonstrations over a sustained period of time, in this case, looking to achieve the public/media attention but especially at the domestic level. Thus, regarding the domestic level strategy through NGOs perceptions and input, which practical tools or approaches do you believe might emerge as effective to increase the NGOs influences at a domestic level?

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Litterature has highlighted the role of NGOs in regards of influencing the outcomes of various decision-making arenas. However, it seems to be a bit unclear exactly how such lobbying leads to influence and impact, and also how NGO's and civil society can achieve the most impact in these situations.

So on the topic of impact, and the role of NGO's in influencing decision-making on the global arenas specifically, what would you say is the most effective way for an NGO to do so? Moreover, if politicians are "democratically representing" (however inaccurate this may be in reality) their peoples in these events, from where (in your opinion) can NGO's and civil society claim the same level of legitimacy?

Thank you very much,
looking forward to Monday!

Josefine

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In the Oxfam Report by Roman Krznaric (How change happens) multidisciplinarity is stressed as an asset of an NGO.
Should NGO's achieve this multidisciplinarity by utilizing the different backgrounds of the people working in the NGO (as Krznaric mentions) or could working together with other NGO's with complementary agenda's or even private corporations also count?

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Non governmental organisations have been playing a major role in global movement. They are the activist groups that have power to engage and sometimes negotiate in the decision making process. As I’m from a developing country, I can still see some error from NGOS such as resisting changes or development (sometimes turning into a protest). However, the country and people get an unfavorable effect. Is there a solution towards this problem? Also, is there anyway to filter or examine them (since there are both good and bad NGOs)?

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My question regard the fact a lot of people today due to post-material values and partisan dealignment are not as involved in party-politics as they used to be. Instead they like to engage in specific issues important to them. NGOs can therefore be seen as a platform for this. These organisation, at least some of them,  promotes transparency and democracy.

What are your thoughts on the fact that these organisations have more trust than states and people see them as more representative for them? Furthermore, how do you believe the international system where people usually are represented by states will handle this?

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Dear Teresa,

In “Inclusion without Influence”, Dür and Bièvre make the case that NGO’s may lack effectiveness in affecting policy change for various reasons, including limited public and financial backing.  Given this, I am curious if you think it might be more effective for NGO’s to return to, or at least, refocus more of their resources towards educating and informing the public about issues and investing in a better-educated electorate?  Though I know grass roots campaigns are tough and are often underappreciated, do you think there could be a place for NGO’s in working towards, for example, making sure climate science is part of the education curriculum?  I ask this because, as some other questions have brought up, more and more it seems that lobbyists and activists are being seen as problematic, either due to their partisanship approach or general disruptiveness, and I imagine this contributes to their lacking public support/influence power.

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Hi Teresa,
I guess i have a more personal question for you!

I wanted to know how you intially got involved with climate change leadership and what was your first turning point where you realised you wanted to make it your number one priority- can you remember a specific moment?

Also at this turning point, who do you contact or turn to? I would love to hear your best advice on making your dreams happen and getting involved in change!

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NGOs are often seen as the third weak sector, next to governments and corporations, mostly because of their economic instability.
I find the interactions and relationships between the three sectors very interesting.

Where do you see the strengths of NGOs, compared to the other two sectors, and what needs to be changed?
Where do NGOs have the upper hand (in negotiations) and when don't they?

Looking forward to the discussions on Monday.

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It is often argued that 'sustainable futures' can only be achieved through a fundamental transformation of the economic system, e.g. the capitalist system proves to be unsustainable in many ways. The question on how such transformations could be achieved remains unanswered. Some authors argue that the system would need a 'collapse', while others stress the power of individuals and their various forms of organization. Since various (successful) NGO's have increased their presence at important negotiation tables, it is sometimes argued that they could push for the necessary reforms.

However, as the article Inclusion without Influence? NGOs in European Trade Policy concludes: "The evidence presented in this article has demonstrated that so far,despite their multiplication in numbers, the impact of NGOs on trade policy outcomes has been limited." I was therefore wondering whether you believe that NGOs can push for the  necessary reforms of the current system. Or does their inclusion merely results in symbolic power? And, furthermore, do you believe that their inclusion refrains NGO's from rather 'extreme' demands that might be needed in aiming for 'sustainable futures'.

Kind regards,

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I read an interesting article that stated that 30 new NGOs are formed every day in Great Britain - with so much fragmentation, is it better for there to be a few large NGOs or thousands upon thousands as we have now? What are the pros and cons of both large NGOs and small ones

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NGOs cooperating w/ businesses to increase negotiating power?

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NGOs cooperating w/ businesses to increase negotiating power?

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In Katharina Rietig’s paper ”The Power of Strategy” it is mentioned how environmental lobbyists often have very little leverage when it comes to negotiating agreements with the government. In general, their bargaining power is very limited, whereas for example business representatives can have much greater influence on the government due to their financial power. Is it possible/are there examples of, businesses cooperating with NGOs where the financial leverage of a business is used to promote the goals of the NGO? Or how should one go about increasing the bargaining power of NGOs?

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I was wondering about your thoughts around the potential and intended influence on negotiations such as UNCCC at COP. My feeling is that everything is done to exclude and the voice of civil society with strict rules etc. At the same time are many NGOs also accepting this to a big extent so many protest are also accepting those terms, so everything becomes like a theater where everything is done in a regulated way that does not really have any impact. Many people trying to influence also want to have a high position later in life a therefore does not want to lose their accreditation or upset people too much to get a bad reputation and enemies.

So, I guess my question is, if this is something that you can agree on and if so, what can be done about it? How is it possible to really get our voice heard without being restricted by the things we want to change? Is it possible to get away from the situation where many NGOs are a part of the current structures but only want to change them slightly if they don’t really risk anything?

I guess it also touches on the question where you think it is best to put most effort into. To go with the ongoing rules and being able to negotiate within the current structures or to push harder from the outside for trans formal change with the possibility to have the message perceived in a different way.

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Thank you kindly for coming to speak with us on Monday, I really look forward to hearing your ideas and thoughts.

NGO's spend a lot of time, resources and focus on negotiating with governments (resulting in time-delayed impact). Katharina Rietig discusses in The Power of Strategy: Environmental NGO Influence in International Climate Negotiation their interactions with the government are time-consuming, can lead them to advocate on things they disagree with when representing governments and are often viewed only as a prerequisite for NGO influence on negotiations.

Should NGO's continue to allocate majority of their focus towards collaborating with governments when they often lack the support, collaboration or time-frame they need? Do NGO's require more education on communicating in political and scientific language for collaboration and negotiations rather than a more emotional approach? Should they adapt a more business, entrepreneurial approach to creating impact and change on such pressing issues like climate change and health? Have you seen this approach arise within any NGO's?

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In the article “NGOs need a third way – collaboration”, they mention that the fact that many NGOs struggle with getting enough financial support, results in organisations having to compete with each other to get money from donors. It is a constant competition between NGOs for a limited amount of resources, both from public funds and major donors, and this sometimes forces NGOs to compromise its policy positions or ways of working, in fear of losing money.

In the article, one possible solution is proposed – what if NGOs started working together instead of competing with each other for money? Could that lead to a better joint result?

I would like to know your opinion on this. Could this be a solution for the NGOs financial struggles? Also, since this article was written in 2012, I was wondering if the collaborations between NGOs have increased since? In that case, what has been the result of that?

Thanks!

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/poverty-matters/2012/mar/13/ngos-need-third-way-collaboration

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Dear Teresa,

What with new NGOs being formed constantly, there is cynicism surrounding some  NGOs with regard to their legitimacy and longevity.  What can be done to ensure NGOs maintain determination and transparency regarding progress towards their goals?

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I was looking at a list of NGOs that have been admitted as observer organizations to the UNFCCC. I found that many of the NGOs were universities from across the globe, including Uppsala University. I was curious to know what role academic institutions have in decisions made by the UNFCCC? Do they play a big or small role compared to other NGOs, and how exactly do they do so?

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NGOs, non-profits and charitable organizations contribute a lot in negotiating on the global stage as well as mitigating a lot of the world issues existing today. It seems, however, like there is an inherent problem with these types of organizations (at least non-profits and charitable organizations) in that they haven’t been able to solve many, if any, of the major problems they seek to solve. These organizations depend on the generosity of society, in form of voluntary work and monetary donations, arguably inhibiting them from scaling and becoming sustainable enough to solve said problems. When theydo try to scale, via marketing, I've heard critique such as they're "being capital inefficient" or "not focused on the cause".

I’m usually not a proponent of capitalism nor consumerism but I’ve been exposed to the notion of social consumerism and would like to hear your thoughts on the possibility of this helping to solve some of the world issues, and the likelihood of major corporations adapting business models that enable their own contributions to social causes.  The notion is for example that a company like Coca-cola is able to provide clean bottled water cheaper than any non-profit, as they have the enormous infrastructure and supply-chain to enable this. With growing customer awareness, it seems like a large part of the population is likely to buy or recommend a product that is attached to a social cause. Thus, even though a corporation may experience added costs as a result of attributing to a social cause, the propensity of consumers to buy products associated with a social cause may increase sales and generate a net positive profit? Basically, this would allow them to scale, becoming more sustainable and able to contribute even more towards social causes. What are your thoughts on corporations adapting an approach like this, that combines business and philanthropy and tying products, that we already buy (like clothes and food) to social causes.

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Hi Teresa!

Thank you for finding the time to come and speak to us, and even answer some of our questions. Here's mine:

Dür and De Bier's "Inclusion without Influence? NGOs in European Trade Policy" article is based on the premise that NGOs run on "extreme" campaigns in order to catch the eye and mobilise the general public.
Do you agree with this claim?
If not, what are other ways you have found effective in mobilization?

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Hi Theresa,

My question is in regards to the future role and influence NGO's will have on environmental issues. From one of the readings, it would seem that NGO's have struggled to impact trade policy outcomes (Dür & De Bièvre, 2007). Do you think this could also be said for the impact they will have on future environmental policy?

It would seem that NGO's do a great job at getting government representatives to the table (Rietig, 2016), so my question is what are your thoughts on their future ability to influence decision-making at a higher level?

Thanks

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“Governments value NGO involvement because they grant legitimacy and signal public support” (Rietig, 2016). Can NGOs be subject to influence from external bodies such as corporations and governments? If so, do you have any specific examples? If not, how do NGOs avoid these external influences?

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Hi Teresa,
What strategies do you see as most influential for NGOs in changing the narrative of governments (for example, the Trump administration's absence from COP23 because of their belief that climate change is "fake news") to one that creates action?

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From "The Power of Strategy" by Katharina Rietig, I understand it that before the Copenhagen conference there was a lot of activism and lobbyism that was afterwards deemed ineffectual simply because it was carried out too late, when negotiating positions had already been decided upon. Has this been carried out differently at later COP conferences and how can  the issue be put in the spotlight way ahead of important milestone conferences to ensure that activism and lobbying have the desired impact?

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From "The Power of Strategy" by Katharina Rietig, I understand it that before the Copenhagen conference there was a lot of activism and lobbyism that was afterwards deemed ineffectual simply because it was carried out too late, when negotiating positions had already been decided upon. Has this been carried out differently at later COP conferences and how can  the issue be put in the spotlight way ahead of important milestone conferences to ensure that activism and lobbying have the desired impact?

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Dear, Teresa.
In the book ”Politics and development in a globalized world” (Arvidson, Jerneck, Jönsson, 2012) it is being described how NGOs helped put the focus on the local society. However, many NGO’s increasingly relies on international aid and cooperation with governments, leading to an increased amount of bureaucracy. This is not necessarily a bad thing since it brings more transparency and resources, but it could also reduce the flexibility and connection to the grassroots. So my question is whether you think that the big NGO’s are moving closer to governmental organisations in similarity since they are so bound up with state support? And what effect do you think this has for the grassroots-activists?

Thank you!

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Many NGOs rely on activism and protests in order to promote their agenda to the decision makers. This approach is undeniably effective in order to reach the masses and send a powerful message to the international leader, but also comes with some intrinsic issues. Indeed, we frequently observe acts of violence or extremist speeches that, in my opinion, undermine the real cause of these NGOs.

Therefore, I feel like adopting this strategy is a double-edged sword for the NGOs, because the stakeholders opposing the NGOs might emphasis on these very few events in order to weaken the NGOs influence. Despite this, do you think that protests and activism are still a viable route to use for the NGOs? If so, what are some measures that can be taken in order to prevent these initiative from backfiring?

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I read a comment in an article about CPO23 that “Companies and financial institutions are more involved in this year's summit than ever before” (Deutsche Welle (DW) 06.11.2017).

# Do you agree that the interest from companies has increased. What interests do they represent?

# Do you think companies could be a player that can influence and are contributors to the NGO’s in sustainable matters? and referring to "powerful actors" what risks do you see?

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Hello Teresa, thank you for your time.

I, along with many other people, have noticed an increase in awareness of sustainability in recent years. Whether sufficient action is being taken is open for interpretation, but certainly as a global community, more focus is given to these issues.

I am wondering if you believe this movement may actually open up more opportunities for corruption within NGO’s. Perhaps new organisations are initiated, with a goal to create profit out of people’s rising concern for the environment/health crises/women’s rights etc., even though that goes against their sole purpose.

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The Agenda2030 goal 17 about "Partnership for the goals" is relatively detailed and directional. As there is a broad consensus regarding the SDGs (from both nations, industry, NGOs etc), what do you anticipate that the most notable changes in partnership structure will be. Do you think that NGOs will play a bigger role as a consequence of goal 17?

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Dear Teresa,

Many governments, international organizations and globally active companies today consider it a must to involve NGOs in their work.
However, if one adopts such a reasoning, one thereby implicitly acknowledges the legitimacy of NGOs. The increasing power of NGOs raises an important question:

Who elected Amnesty, Oxfam, etc. or?  They might claim to be acting in the interests of the people — but then so do the objects of their criticism, governments and the despised international institutions.  In the West, governments and their agencies are, in the end, accountable to voters.  Who holds NGOs accountable?

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In her book "This Changes Everything", Naomi Klein points out, that different organizations, like companies, political parties or NGOs, should see the challenges of climate change as an opportunity, to unite in their attempts in fighting for change, instead of acting against each other. For example an NGO fighting for social improvement, might not be interested in supporting another one, which addresses environmental issues. But they both would achieve more, if they would support each other and take climate action as a common topic to address their claims and change the current system.
What is your view on this topic?
And how can it be achieved, that different kind of NGOs actually work together to articulate broader issue agendas?

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Hej Teresa,
I am especially interested in how NGOs deal with the power asymmetries when it comes to negotiations with powerful actors, such as states or big corporations.
Related to that, I read papers that suggested that activists should be very careful when getting into dialogue with powerful actors because they might "trick" the activists into compromises to legitimize their action and get public support. What do you think of dialogue? Should it be the goal of activists to get into dialogue or do they rather play another role in form of protesting and media attraction?

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NGOs are accepted as a part of the international relations landscape, and while they influence national and multilateral policy-making, increasingly they are more directly involved in local action. I would like to know, who in your opinion is the most influential, and in general whom you consider as role models or benchmarks.

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How do you think large NGOs could better improve their financial allocations to ensure that a greater percentage of funds raised go directly to the cause? Thank you for your time!

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Teresa, what do you think about ngo's effectiveness or lack of it, because of the lavk of independece they have, financially? I've worked in two of the biggest NGO's and the most frustrating part was the restrictions on actions and push for policies because of our donors.....Do you think it would be better to be self-sustainable? and what donyou think about the  salaries controversy on NGO's? Dont people that work there as hard or harder than someone at a company deserves to earn as much? or is that unethical?

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Teresa, what do you think about ngo's effectiveness or lack of it, because of the lavk of independece they have, financially? I've worked in two of the biggest NGO's and the most frustrating part was the restrictions on actions and push for policies because of our donors.....Do you think it would be better to be self-sustainable? and what donyou think about the  salaries controversy on NGO's? Dont people that work there as hard or harder than someone at a company deserves to earn as much? or is that unethical?

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thanks :)