NGO Forum

By Taiwan Today

An international forum promoting exchanges between Taiwan-based nongovernmental organizations and their counterparts on the sidelines of the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change got underway Aug. 21 in Taipei City.

Organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Environmental Protection Administration, the one-day event underscores the nation’s commitment to enhancing awareness of the impact of climate change. Participants include local academics, experts and NGO representatives, as well as those from New Zealand, the Philippines, Sweden, the U.K. and U.S.

Themed Power of NGOs in New Global Governance Regime, the event broaches the issues of gender, indigenous peoples, health and global warming.

By Samuel A. Worthington, President, InterAction (Huffington Post)

In a meeting with a group of international nonprofit CEOs, one organization recently stated that all of its programs frequently impact 100 million people per year worldwide. This is indicative of the significant influence one large U.S. NGO has amongst thousands. So what is the role of U.S. NGOs in addressing critical global challenges over the coming decades? This summer at our annual Forum, I addressed the broader community with a set of overarching recommendations. I have since published a more detailed white paper to expand the conversation.

Read the full article. 

By Simon Shen, Ejinsight

In recent years many nations around the world have witnessed a boom in the development of civil society, posing enormous challenge to the existence of old-school non-governmental organizations (NGOs), whose bloated bureaucracy and high administrative costs have often come under ridicule.

An investigative report jointly published last month by Justin Elliott, a journalist from the independent non-profit newsroom ProPublica, and Laura Sullivan from the National Public Radio suggested that a significant portion of the donations raised by US Red Cross for the Haiti earthquake back in 2010 has gone missing, and that a lot of the money has been spent in the wrong place.

Last week, and for the first time since it was proposed in May, the Chinese government addressed draft legislation that many worry would place strict regulations on foreign nongovernmental organizations operating in the country.

By Chris Vest

Associations Now News

China’s Minister of Public Security last week sought to reassure foreign nongovernmental organizations that a new draft law to regulate their activities in China won’t stifle their operations.

Guo Shengkun issued a statement saying that China “welcomes and supports foreign NGOs carrying out friendly exchanges and cooperation.” Guo added, however, that foreign NGOs interested in China’s development should “conscientiously abide by Chinese laws.”

Why is Russia so concerned about the state of its constitution? Can NGO activity really undermine a country or are other factors required? Fiona Clark in Moscow goes in search of answers.

Deutsche Welle

This week Russia banned the activities of the US-Congress funded NGO, the National Endowment for Democracy or NED, on Russian territory. This is the first NGO on a list of about 12 ‘undesirable’ organizations to be shut down under a law that came into effect a few months back.