Comments on: State Financing of NGOs: Good or Evil? http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2006/08/17/state-financing-of-ngos-good-or-evil/ neweurasia\'s Kazakhstan blog Sun, 20 Jul 2008 21:55:48 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2.3 By: Irene http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2006/08/17/state-financing-of-ngos-good-or-evil/#comment-2766 Irene Thu, 24 Aug 2006 13:14:59 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2006/08/17/state-financing-of-ngos-good-or-evil/#comment-2766 Working for a media NGO in Kazakhstan, I could share our recent experience in the sphere of cooperation among NGOs and the state. Local authorities announced a contest among NGOs for a better startegic plan to improve the coverage of the state policy in media, it is called here "a tender". The amount of money they offered was really ridiculous. An NGO far from working in the media field received the money. However, our chief refused to participate in the contest. When I met a guy from the lucky NGO, he told me they had promised abot 20% of the grant sum to the officer who was in charge of making the decision. Sorry, but I personally refuse to work with the state and get any fanancial support from it for any of our activities. We'd better keep working with foreign donor organiztions. Working for a media NGO in Kazakhstan, I could share our recent experience in the sphere of cooperation among NGOs and the state. Local authorities announced a contest among NGOs for a better startegic plan to improve the coverage of the state policy in media, it is called here “a tender”. The amount of money they offered was really ridiculous. An NGO far from working in the media field received the money. However, our chief refused to participate in the contest. When I met a guy from the lucky NGO, he told me they had promised abot 20% of the grant sum to the officer who was in charge of making the decision.
Sorry, but I personally refuse to work with the state and get any fanancial support from it for any of our activities. We’d better keep working with foreign donor organiztions.

]]> By: Adam Kesher http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2006/08/17/state-financing-of-ngos-good-or-evil/#comment-2590 Adam Kesher Thu, 17 Aug 2006 11:12:25 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2006/08/17/state-financing-of-ngos-good-or-evil/#comment-2590 True, most NGOs are either donor-tailored or grassroot ones that lack fundraising skills. True, most NGOs are either donor-tailored or grassroot ones that lack fundraising skills.

]]> By: Leila http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2006/08/17/state-financing-of-ngos-good-or-evil/#comment-2588 Leila Thu, 17 Aug 2006 10:08:56 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2006/08/17/state-financing-of-ngos-good-or-evil/#comment-2588 Thanks for your comment. If it's a strategy paper, then there's more time to negotiate the conditions (though I see that there is not really "negotiation" but imposition). I just see that in Eastern (and Central, ok) Europe the civil initiatives are emerging naturally, like, for instance, young people who advocate against destroying the old buildings in the city. They do not emerge because EU offered the priority areas of funding, but because they feel strong about it. There were initiatives like Nevada-Semey but what I mostly see in Kazakhstan is funding-tailored NGOs. Thanks for your comment. If it’s a strategy paper, then there’s more time to negotiate the conditions (though I see that there is not really “negotiation” but imposition).

I just see that in Eastern (and Central, ok) Europe the civil initiatives are emerging naturally, like, for instance, young people who advocate against destroying the old buildings in the city. They do not emerge because EU offered the priority areas of funding, but because they feel strong about it. There were initiatives like Nevada-Semey but what I mostly see in Kazakhstan is funding-tailored NGOs.

]]> By: Adam Kesher http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2006/08/17/state-financing-of-ngos-good-or-evil/#comment-2587 Adam Kesher Thu, 17 Aug 2006 09:53:17 +0000 http://kazakhstan.neweurasia.net/2006/08/17/state-financing-of-ngos-good-or-evil/#comment-2587 I don't really think that it is a mistake to think that the NGOs may develop as they did in Europe. It is a question of time and, more importantly, desire of the dominating state structures to allow NGOs work independently, refrain from interfering into their activity and build mechanisms of positive interaction. I'd agree that state funding is by no means an unquestioned evil. But it has to be an option, not the only one possibility. It is not right when the state determines the priority issues and positions itself as the only benefactor, leaving other segments of public life without monies. As for the document you are writing about, it is not a legislative framework. IWPR reporter made a mistake. It is a strategy paper, outlining a kind of action plan. It features many various points, both interesting and controversial... I don’t really think that it is a mistake to think that the NGOs may develop as they did in Europe. It is a question of time and, more importantly, desire of the dominating state structures to allow NGOs work independently, refrain from interfering into their activity and build mechanisms of positive interaction. I’d agree that state funding is by no means an unquestioned evil. But it has to be an option, not the only one possibility. It is not right when the state determines the priority issues and positions itself as the only benefactor, leaving other segments of public life without monies. As for the document you are writing about, it is not a legislative framework. IWPR reporter made a mistake. It is a strategy paper, outlining a kind of action plan. It features many various points, both interesting and controversial…

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