THE INFLUENCE OF NGO IN THE GLOBAL ORDER. Research Paper

The Influence of NGOs in Global Order
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Institutional Affiliate
The Influence of NGOs in Global Order
Introduction
Non-governmental organizations have transitioned over the years to become one of the primary elements of maintaining global order. Beginning only as agents or platforms for the provision of humanitarian help, NGOs such as Oxfam have evolved to become major players in advocating for the development, adoption, and implementation of effective policies for the enhancement of global governance. The fact that the world has equally evolved to become a global entity across the social, political, and economic dimensions makes for an integral factor in the evolution of the NGOs. Nevertheless, the involvement of NGOs in the international system or global order raises various views and perceptions from across the different stakeholders in the field of international relations. The discipline of international relations, for instance, has until recently been found lacking in having a theoretical framework for studying Non-governmental organizations and their influence on the global order. Consequently, the lack of a consensus on the best approach to take in the study and analysis of NGOs’ influence in global order leads to the formation of divergent views as to what they are and how they operate within the global order. It is, therefore imperative to come up with or rather develop an effective framework for the analysis and study of the influence of NGOs in the global order. Provided herein is thus a comprehensive analysis and evaluation of NGOs and their influence global order with emphasis laid on the transnational and constructivist models of their operations within the said system.
Evolution and Definition of NGOs
The Second World War was characteristic of various groups around the world that advocated for peace and championed for the increased access to humanitarian relief to victims of the dreadful events. Among the relief groups that came about as a result of the War included the Oxford Committee for Famine Relief (Oxfam), through the leadership of Edith Pye, Reverend R. T. Milford, and Professor Gilbert Murray in 1942 CITATION Pin09 \l 1033 (Pinkey, 2009). Among the relief activities carried out by the organization included urging or rather persuading governments to allow for increased access to humanitarian assistance to countries under blockade during the war. The organization further organized relief funds for victims of famine and upheld such noble activities even after the war with the focus shifting towards assistance during the reconstruction period while also offering relief help to refugees in the Middle East. It was in 1995 that the British Non-governmental organization transitioned to a transnational organization with member chapters in different countries around the world such as the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Spain, Hong Kong, and Spain to name but a few CITATION Pin09 \l 1033 (Pinkey, 2009). The organization works with intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, states, and other multinational corporations around the world. Other Non-governmental organizations such as CANHELP have equally grown to become highly influential in global governance and policy formation through lobbying and other forms of advocacy or persuasion mechanisms. The chronological account of the birth and growth of Oxfam makes for an excellent basis for the understanding or rather creating an appropriate definition of NGOs, their characteristic features or properties, as well as what is and how do they carry out their mandates in the international system or global order.
Definition of NGOs
CITATION Sch012 \l 1033 (Scholte, 2001)An appropriate definition of an NGO is one that provides a determination of what it is and the scope of its activities. There are different definitions of NGOs that may turn out to be confusing and misleading to the understanding of the essence of these organizations in the global order. It is for such a reason that the evaluation relies on the United Nations’ definition of NGOs. According to the United Nations, NGOs refer to any international organization which is not established by intergovernmental agreement CITATION Ahm06 \l 1033 (Ahmed, 2006). The intergovernmental organization goes further tom provide other characteristic features such as non-profit making, non-violent, non-affiliate to schools or other learning institutions, non-political, and unbiased or general approach towards its advocacy for human rights CITATION Ahm06 \l 1033 (Ahmed, 2006). In essence, NGOs are formal organizations with independent organization from governments, non-profiteering, self-governing, and whose membership is voluntary for all across the world. The fact that NGOs are characteristic of official registration, formal organization, and professional administration further creates a distinction from the other forms or constituents of civil society CITATION Sch012 \l 1033 (Scholte, 2001).
Evolution of the Influence of NGOs in Global Order
The outlined definition of NGOs provides an excellent basis for the understanding of the scope of the organizations in their execution of a wide range of mandates in the global platform. The advent of globalization brought forth new challenges to state governments around the world as a result of the transnational interaction of nations across the social, political, economic sectors. Globalization, for instance, challenges the ability of national states to protect or rather safeguard both their sovereignty and interest across the outlined parameters within and outside its borders. Globalization has led to the development of transnational global dimensions to problems such as poverty, social, development, human rights, and climate change among others. Such issues with transnational dimensions call for the adoption and implementation of effective interventional measures with the ability to deal with the same on a global scale. The effect of globalization further challenges the ability of national states to protect both their sovereignty and interests across the social, economic, and political dimensions within and outside its borders. The influence of intergovernmental organizations, multinational corporations, and other state actors in the global interactions and integrations across the outlined parameters may be overwhelming to individual states. There is thus the need for civil society to take up the responsibility of monitoring the conduct of all stakeholders across the areas of global interaction for the purpose of protecting against all forms of manipulations for the perpetuation of one party’s interests at the expense of the other’s. It is the outlined factors that account for the increased formation of NGOs at both the local and international levels from the 19th century to the 21st century. T5he transition of Oxfam to a transnational NGO makes for one of the examples of NGOs with great influence in the global order. Such organizations work with intergovernmental organizations such as the United Nations, governments, and multinational corporations to influence the formation, implementation, and adherence to effective policies.
The 1990s witnessed a surge in both the number of NGOs and their participation in international governance activities as witnessed by the tens of thousands of NGOs that are actively involved in world conferences or forums for diverse social development initiatives. The number of NGOs with consultative at the United Nations Economic and Social Council stood at only 48 as of 1993 compared to the tens of thousands currently accessing the intergovernmental organization at equally diverse capacities CITATION Pin09 \l 1033 (Pinkey, 2009). NGOs’ activities have further increased over the years with approximately 5,000 congresses organized annually around the world by NGOs with a view of monitoring the conduct of both the states and other intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) CITATION Pin09 \l 1033 (Pinkey, 2009).
Theoretical Framework for Evaluation of the Influence of NOGs on Global Order
It is important to have a reference point for the analysis and evaluation of the influence of NGOs in the global order. As noted earlier, the influence of NGOs in global order makes for one area of study that lacks a pronounced scholarly approach towards the learning and understanding of its role in international relations. Existing theoretical frameworks for studying international relations build from realist, liberalist, and regime theories, which put only a small emphasis on the influence of NGOs in the global order. Realist theories of international relations, for instance, tend to focus more on the independence of states that is characteristic of military and economic power to protect their sovereignty and interest at the global platform. Such a point of view tends to ignore the contribution of NGOs towards the development and implementation of global policies and governance. The liberalist point of view, on the other hand, allows for the consideration of all the players in the international system with more emphasis on the contribution or influence of the multinational corporations in promoting transnational interactions across the social, political, and economic dimensions. Regime theory further concentrates more on the interaction between the states and other non-state actors towards the promotion of common international agendas such as the protection and conservation of wildlife. In essence, NGOs receive little or no attention from the outlined frameworks of studying NGOs in international relations. The evolution of NGOs and their activities over time provide a basis for the formation or rather the adoption of appropriate frameworks for studying and evaluating the influence of Non-governmental organizations in the global order. The stand out features from the analysis of the activities or contributions of NGOs to the global society includes their constructivism and transnational approach. As pointed out earlier, globalization leads to or globalizes problems and challenges faced within the national boundaries. NGOs form or rather encourage the adoption of a transnational approach towards the development and upholding of effective foreign policies for handling the global challenges. The ensuing solutions created through the transnational activities of NGOs further account for positive outcomes or developments across the different societies around the globe that are deemed constructive in nature. It, therefore, suffices to conclude that the influence of NGOs in the global order is best evaluated through the transnational and constructivist theoretical frameworks.
* Transnational framework
The transnational approach of evaluating or studying the influence of NGOs in global order builds around their stand out feature of crossing state borders for an inclusive approach towards dealing with the state, regional, and global challenges facing the societies around the world. Thomas Risse-Kappen reiterates on that notion by claiming that transnational approach refers to the regular interactions across the state borders or boundaries that are characteristic of at least one non-state actor or party that is not representative of the state government or an international organization CITATION Ahm06 \l 1033 (Ahmed, 2006). National states are thus dependent on NGOs as one of the non-state actors that function to carry out cross-border tasks with other institutions and actors including governments and intergovernmental organizations within the global order. The transnational networks of cooperation thus form an effective framework for the evaluation of the influence of NGOs in the global order.
* Constructivist framework
The constructivist framework, on the other hand, puts more emphasis on the effects of the activities of NGOs in the promotion of global agendas across the social, political, and economic dimensions. The constructivist framework posits that the global order thrives on the recurrent interactions between national states and other actors within the system CITATION Ahm06 \l 1033 (Ahmed, 2006). An understanding of how the system works by all the stakeholders involved further plays a significant role in the maintenance of the global system. All participants in the global interactive platform develop an understanding of the interests and identities of all those involved in the interactive forums. It is upon such understanding that the different actors develop a perception of other participants as either cooperating entities or competitors. It is also through the lens of constructivism that the roles of NGOs in the global order are evaluated and determined as progressive, redundant, or regressive. Hence, the constructivist framework equally makes for a viable approach towards the evaluation of the influence of NGOs in the global order.
The proposed frameworks provide an excellent platform for evaluating the influence of NGOs in global order across the social, political, and economic dimensions whose network of transnational interactions and integrations define or rather constitute the international system. Global...