Nowadays, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) are subject to ethical dilemmas when it comes to accomplishing their goals. When helping people, irrespective of the approach used, it is important to consider both the environment, to adapt oneself to it and the consequences of the aid provided. NGOs have understood the concept of non-neutral humanitarian aid after the end of Cold War. In fact, the end of the Cold War created the issue of armed conflicts. Previously a conflict could rapidly degenerate into a nuclear war and the conflicts in 1990s have been more on an intra-state basis than on an inter-state one. During this period, there has been an explosion of inter-ethnic conflicts that would be too long to enumerate, for example, the issue of Yugoslavia and Rwanda. Therefore one can raise the question of the political involvement in the functioning of the NGOs.
[...] In sum, despite their theoretical refusal of political involvement, NGOs had a political influence and were quite dependent upon the political and military authorities. To use a concrete example, the NGO Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) had to set up a health center in the Afghan region of Bamyan. During this mission, the NGO get involved in a local dispute with political parties over the management of the hospital. The one leading the region wanted to have a monopoly of power over the hospital whereas other factions wanted also to get some power over the hospital. [...]
[...] Finally, in this introduction, one can draw a first conclusion from the definitions of neutrality and impartiality, i.e., the choice among different attitudes and the question of political involvement are not limited to war contexts. NGOs working under dictatorships may face the same dilemmas and issues; if the dictator does not accept the NGO's positions, he/she may expel its members as well as a government in a war. However, this paper will not focus on the question of NGOs' engagement outside of contexts of conflict, because NGOs under dictatorship is a slightly different question Why NGOs may want to be impartial: some arguments in favor of impartiality and the context of development of this notion Originally, at the time of their birth and development, NGOs were willing to be impartial. [...]
[...] The definitions of neutrality and impartiality show that NGOs have to make a moral decision concerning their political involvement. Until now, this paper has underlined the importance of the problem of political engagement through material and concrete issues: the mission of the NGO, its result, but also the security of its members in some conflicts: their lives are very often endangered. Yet, the moral dimension is not to be neglected in the political positioning (or non-positioning) of the NGOs. NGOs can consider from a moral point of view that they need not taking a side to act, that action requires a position that is the mere condition of acting, or that they do not want to interfere in a war because of pacifist positions. [...]
[...] The notion of impartiality can be an imperative for some NGOs that totally refuse to play a political role, which can contradict the necessity of witnessing human rights abuses and humanitarian law violations. This is a dilemma that influences the actions of NGO as it has to follow its principle but at the same time it cannot avoid being influenced by politics. The question of political involvement is not only a moral choice depending on one's preferences and ideas. This issue is also a practical problem that is renewed in every field of humanitarian action and renewed differently each time. [...]
[...] However, there is a growing awareness that for humanitarian action to be effective it must remain independent of all political interference by the donor governments."[4] This awareness of an efficiency problem and the ambiguity of NGOs' interests have led some NGOs to try to reduce the share of institutional donors in their fund raising; some even tried to get totally independent, but it's a difficult process: many cannot afford it. Progressively, after the end of the Cold War, the general definition of the mission of an NGO was broadened. [...]
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