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The role of the transnational community of non-government organizations: governance or poverty reduction?

Author

Listed:
  • Janet G. Townsend

    (Department of Geography, University of Durham, UK)

  • Gina Porter

    (Department of Anthropology, University of Durham, UK)

  • Emma Mawdsley

    (Department of Geography, University of Durham, UK)

Abstract

Non-government organizations working in development form a transnational community which has a new role in imperialism today. We explored the knowledge economy of this community with NGDOs in Ghana, India, Mexico and Europe and found it to be largely donor-controlled and generally top-down, often against the will of committed individual actors. Governability is arguably a greater priority to donors than the most effective poverty reduction. The new managerialism and its audit culture impose demands on NGDOs that tend to work against any 'listening' to southern NGDOs or their clients, so that the sharing of local knowledge and ideas is very restricted. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Suggested Citation

  • Janet G. Townsend & Gina Porter & Emma Mawdsley, 2002. "The role of the transnational community of non-government organizations: governance or poverty reduction?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 14(6), pages 829-839.
  • Handle: RePEc:wly:jintdv:v:14:y:2002:i:6:p:829-839
    DOI: 10.1002/jid.928
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bebbington, Anthony, 1997. "New states, new NGOs? crises and transitions among rural development NGOs in the Andean region," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 25(11), pages 1755-1765, November.
    2. Janet Gabriel Townsend, 1999. "Are non-governmental organizations working in development a transnational community?," Journal of International Development, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., vol. 11(4), pages 613-623.
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    Cited by:

    1. Saurabh Gupta, 2014. "From Demanding to Delivering Development," Journal of South Asian Development, , vol. 9(2), pages 121-145, August.
    2. Hall, Matthew, 2017. "Crafting compromises in a strategising process: a case study of an international development organisation," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 62299, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    3. Uma Kothari, 2006. "An agenda for thinking about ‘race’ in development," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 6(1), pages 9-23, January.
    4. Matina Ghasemi & Angel Musongong Ngegah Marie & Ladan Rokni, 2022. "The Necessity of Governance Thorough Internal Control and Accountability in NGOs: A Case of Buea Sub-Division Cameroon," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(18), pages 1-21, September.
    5. Diana Mitlin & University of Manchester & Sam Hickey & University of Manchester & Anthony Bebbington & University of Manchester, 2006. "Reclaiming development? NGOs and the challenge of alternatives," Economics Series Working Papers GPRG-WPS-043, University of Oxford, Department of Economics.
    6. Sophie King, 2014. "Cultivating political capabilities among Ugandan smallholders: good governance or popular organisation building?," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series 19314, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    7. Gina Porter, 2003. "NGOs and poverty reduction in a globalizing world: perspectives from Ghana," Progress in Development Studies, , vol. 3(2), pages 131-145, April.
    8. Lawrence Sáez, 2013. "Methods in governance research: a review of research approaches," Global Development Institute Working Paper Series esid-017-13, GDI, The University of Manchester.
    9. Katy Jenkins, 2009. "Exploring Hierarchies of Knowledge in Peru: Scaling Urban Grassroots Women Health Promoters' Expertise," Environment and Planning A, , vol. 41(4), pages 879-895, April.
    10. Mitlin, Diana & Hickey, Sam & Bebbington, Anthony, 2007. "Reclaiming Development? NGOs and the Challenge of Alternatives," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 35(10), pages 1699-1720, October.
    11. Gilles Nancy & Boriana Yontcheva, 2006. "Does NGO Aid Go to the Poor? Empirical Evidence from Europe," IMF Working Papers 2006/039, International Monetary Fund.
    12. Bebbington, Anthony, 2005. "Donor-NGO relations and representations of livelihood in nongovernmental aid ahains," World Development, Elsevier, vol. 33(6), pages 937-950, June.

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