Emerging Scenario of Social Development

in 21^st Century

-Sundar Vadaon

          The International community especially several Governments recognize the valuable role of non-government organizations (NGOs) and works with them to deliver welfare services for social development and it is not a new phenomena. Voluntary organizations have grown tremendously in numbers as well as in activities during the last 2-3 decades all over the World.  There are approximately 4 million voluntary organizations in the world. In India, including the Self Help Groups federations etc., there are about a million.

UN bodies such as viz. International Labor Organization (ILO). United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), The United Development Program (UNDP), THE United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), The World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIOFEM) are actively contributing to the growth of social development. Whether it is USA, Canada, India, South Africa, Mexico, Zambia or Indonesia thousands of not to profit organizations are involved in a variety of activities of social development.

Multilateral development banks such as African Development Bank, Asia Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, International American Development Bank and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation are also actively working for the social development.

Along with the multilateral development banks, international foundations also contributing their efforts to social development like The ASIA Development Trust (Japan), W.K. Kellogg Foundation (USA), Ford Foundation (UK), Bernard Van Leer Foundation (NT land), Foundation CODESPA (Spain), The John D. and Catherine T. Macarthur Foundation (USA), Rockefeller Brothers Foundation (USA), Welcome Trust (UK), Foundation de France (France), Foundation Roi Baudouin (Belgium), the Soros Network of Foundation and Aga Khan Foundation (SWZ), ICFE (India-Canadian Environment Facility), Miseries, Plan International, Save the Children, OXFAM International, Action Aid and Christian Children’s Fund and so on.

Government of India also has taken number of initiatives after independent to social development. Indian Government primarily focused on agriculture sector during the 1950s. Further, India focused on industrial revolution for rapid development process in 1960s.

And poverty alleviation programmes were initiated in 1970s and 80s. More over, Government of India broadly focused on Human development during 1990s and in the last decade of 20^th century and rights based campaign in the 21^st century. Thus, social development is emerging as a very important sector along side Information Technology.

Some of the major International NGOs and Voluntary Organizations are working for the social development in the world viz Catholic Institute For International Relations, Center For Strategic and International Studies, Centre For International Environmental Law, Christian Aid, Foundation For International Environmental Law (Field), International Coalition For Development Action (ICDA), International Institute For Sustainable Development, Oxfam, People's Forum 2001, Swiss Coalition Of Development Organizations, The Gaia Foundation, World Business Council For Sustainable Development, World Vision International. The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are core canons for human development.

The above mentioned international organizations, foundations, multilateral banks, religious trusts and service clubs and membership associations are broadly working for the Environmental restoration, Organic farming, Rural development, poverty Alleviation and Livelihoods, Education, Health, Renewable energy, Appropriate building technologies, Innovative urban planning, Arts and culture.

According to Indian NGOs Funds-Report (2004-05), world wide so many developed nations are funding for the social development. Most of the funding from donor countries directly goes to leading developmental organizations such as NGOs, Trusts and NPOs. There are only a few top donor countries mentioned here. The US leads in the list of donor countries followed by Germany and UK.

                                                                                Rs (In crores)

There are number of developmental organizations, trusts and foundations working for the cause of social development. Some of international level organizations or foundations are financially helping in large amount for the social development. Here, the leading and top donor agencies mentioned.

                                                                             Rs (In crores)

          Under  the Foreign Contribution Registration Act, the NGOs number doubled during the period of 1993-94 to 2002-03.

Year wise registered NGOs for Foreign Aid

          Several thinkers such as Amartya Sen have focused on social development and elaborately dealt of how education, health, sanitation and environment are very important for survival and development of Human kind. There are a few important areas of social development. These are as follows:

·                    Create an economic, political, social, cultural and legal environment that   will enable people to achieve social development;

·                    Eradicate absolute poverty by a target date to be set by each country;

·                    Support full employment as a basic policy goal;

·                    Promote social integration based on the enhancement and protection of all human rights;

·                    Achieve equality and equity between women and men;

·                    Attain universal and equitable access to education and primary health care;

·                    Ensure that structural adjustment programmes include social development goals;

·                    Increase resources allocated to social development;

·                    Strengthen cooperation for social development through the UN.

There is also sector wise improvement for foreign aid registration for the developmental organizations for the social development especially for the NGOs. The table gives the sector wise information on fund distribution through the foreign gives.

Sector wise Distribution of Foreign Aid for NGO’s

Number of NGOs have increased in between 1995-96 to 2004-05. The increase of NGOs number is indicating the importance of NGOs in social development increasing day by day. According to the Indian NGOs Funds Report (2004-05), NGOs Registered/Reporting and amount of money received is shown below.

                                                                                           (in Rs crores)

          United Nations has been playing a very proactive role for social development for decades. Several organizations such as UNICEF, UNEP, UNESCAP, UNDP, & UNESCO are very actively contributing for the growth of social development.

          Several convention of UN on women, children, disabled, youth, and senior citizens have been held by UN Agencies resulting in promotive laws, policies, programmes, and schemes for welfare of various sections of the society.

Global Major Funding Agencies

NGOs mostly depend upon funding from individual donors, foundations, corporations and governments. Critics charge that funding sources can seriously affect NGO policy, making these organizations potentially the creatures of special interests. Such charges challenge NGO legitimacy especially when funds come from "outside" - including rich foreign governments, corporations or foundations.

UN and Agencies

UN agencies such as UNESCO, UNICEF, ILO, and WHO, UNIOFEM are the major funding sources for NGO in social development.

UNESCO and Funds for NGOs

UNESCO is a UN’s internal part and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was founded on 16 November 1945. For this specialized United Nations agency, it is not enough to build classrooms in devastated countries or to publish scientific breakthroughs. Education, Social and Natural Science, Culture and Communication are the means to a far more ambitious goal to build peace in the minds of people.

At present, UNESCO is functioning as a hub of ideas and a standard-setter to forge universal agreements on emerging ethical issues. The Organization also serves as a clearinghouse for the dissemination and sharing of information and knowledge while helping member states to build their human and institutional capacities in diverse fields. It also promotes international co-operation among its 192 Member States and six Associate Members in the fields of education, science, culture and communication.

UNESCO is working to create the conditions for genuine dialogue based upon respect for shared values and the dignity of each civilization and culture.
This role is critical, particularly in the face of terrorism, which constitutes an attack against humanity. The world urgently requires global visions of sustainable development based upon observance of human rights, mutual respect and the alleviation of poverty, all of which lie at the heart of UNESCO’s mission and activities.

Through its strategies and activities, UNESCO is actively pursuing the Millennium Development Goals, especially those aiming to:

·                    halve the proportion of people living in extreme poverty in developing   

          countries by 2015

·                    achieve universal primary education in all countries by 2015

·                    eliminate gender disparity in primary and secondary education by 2015

·                    Help countries implement a national strategy for sustainable development by 2005 to reverse current trends in the loss of environmental resources by 2015.

UNESCO also contributes for the social development funds by NGOs in allover the world. UNESCO cooperates with intergovernmental organizations, in particular the United Nations and its organizations and other intergovernmental organizations (IGOs). UNESCO also cooperates with intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and so far it has signed agreements with 87 International Government Organizations.

UNESCO maintains close collaboration and operational relations with a number of multilateral organizations, including the European Union Institutions, particularly the European Commission and Multilateral Development Banks. Since its inception, UNESCO has recognized that non-governmental organizations and foundations which have concerns close to its own play an important role in international cooperation in the service of peoples.

For more than a half-century, UNESCO has woven a valuable tapestry of cooperative relations with a number of such organizations in its fields of competence, thereby enabling it to work with civil society in achieving its objectives and to disseminate through them its democratic and ethical ideals.

Currently, UNESCO is enjoying official relations with 305 international NGOs and 27 foundations and similar institutions which are working in the fields of competence of the Organization. In addition to this formal framework, the Organization has been carrying out a range of activities hand in hand with NGOs, not only at international and regional levels, but also at national level.

Since its foundation, UNESCO has given great importance to partnership with civil society organizations, in particular NGOs. The role of civil society representatives is increasingly important in every sector of daily life, and partnership with civil society organizations is becoming indispensable for governmental organizations in pursuing their strategic objectives.

In front of the impressive vitality of the non-governmental organizations, the steady growth in their number and their increasing role, UNESCO was led to review its relations with them with the aim of finding new synergies and cooperative arrangements that would be more suited to the challenges of the 21^st century.

NGOs and Its Relations with UNESCO

There are different forms to maintain relations with NGO. The following are explains the type of relations with UNESCO.

Operational relations:

Established in response to the need to extend cooperation between UNESCO and NGOs and to back up the Organization's efforts to achieve a more active presence in the field, operational relations are aimed at achieving a flexible and dynamic partnership in the implementation of UNESCO's programmes. NGOs maintaining operational relations with UNESCO are valued partners owing to their active presence and concrete action in the field, the expertise they represent, and their ability to channel the concerns of the people.

Formal relations:

Formal relations are aimed at sustained cooperation with UNESCO in its fields of competence both upstream and downstream from the Organization's programming and priorities. Admission is granted to international NGOs that are widely representative and expert in their field of activity, and are recognized as having a genuinely international structure and membership. Formal relations are themselves sub-divided into two types, consultative or associate, depending on the role and structure of the NGO itself.

The management of programmes undertaken by UNESCO is the responsibility of programme Sectors within the Secretariat. Questions relating to such programmes can be addressed to the Section for non-governmental organizations (ERC/RPO/NGO) which will forward them to the relevant departments. Additional information may also be obtained from NGO focal points in UNESCO programme sectors.

UNICEF and NGOs

Focus areas of the UNICEF

UNICEF’s Drought Mitigation Project in Madhya Pradesh: 2001-2003

Large tracts of India are prone to droughts. 68 percent of India’s land mass is drought-prone to varying degrees, of which about 50 percent is chronically drought-prone. As per Government of India’s estimate, there are one or two years of droughts every five years in semi-arid and arid regions of India. Every year, GoI spends millions on relief for creating employment, providing water supply, food grains and fodder to mitigate the impacts of droughts. With a view to enhance drought proofing, GoI has accorded high priority to its watershed development program. This is evident from the fact that GoI has developed a perspective plan of 20 years (2002-03 to 2021-22) for treating around 88.5 mha of land with a total investment of Rs. 727.5 billion.

UNICEF Water and Environmental Programme in India 1996 - 1998

The water and environmental sanitation (WES) programme in India is the longest running and one of the most prominent WES programmes that UNICEF supports in countries around the world. Although the amount of UNICEF financial support in relation to total government expenditures is small, UNICEF has played an important and catalytic role in developing, testing and advocating key technological and institutional changes that influenced government policy and investment priorities to expand WES services to the Indian population. These included large-scale government investments in rural water supply and sanitation and the adoption of new drilling techniques, contributions to the implementation of a successful hand pump-based rural water supply programme and exponential increases in water supply coverage.

International Funds for NGOs

The following is a list of some of relief funds approved by the Treasurer, under subsection 78(21) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 or sub-section 30-85 (2) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. This list has been prepared from information supplied by the Australian Taxation Office.

·                     ADRA (Adventist Development and Relief Agency) Overseas Aid Fund

·                     AESOP Foundation

·                     African Enterprise Aid and Development Fund

·                     Agios Ministries 'Heart Reach Australia' Overseas Aid Fund

·                     Air Malayan Nursing Scholarship Fund

·                     Anglican Trust Fund for Development

·                     APACE Overseas Development Assistance Fund

·                     APCM Overseas Aid and Relief Fund

·                     APHEDA Overseas Project Fund

·                     Archbishop of Melbourne's International Relief and Development Fund

·                     Archbishop of Sydney's Overseas Relief and Aid Fund

·                     Asiac (Vic) International Aid Fund

·                     Asian Aid Org Ltd Developing Countries Aid Fund

·                     Assisi Aid Projects India Inc

·                     Association for India's Development Australia Inc

·                     Association of Apex Clubs of Australia Overseas Aid Fund

·                     Austcare Distribution Fund

·                     Australian Aid for Lebanon Appeal

·                     Australian Baptist World Aid Inc Overseas Aid Fund

·                     Australian Doctors International Relief Fund

·                     Australian Foundation for International Credit Union Development International   Projects Fund

·                     Australian Foundation for the Peoples of Asia and the Pacific Ltd

·                     Australian Himalayan Foundation Ltd - Overseas Aid Fund

·                     Australian ICEE Developing Countries Relief Fund

·                     Australian Jesuit Mission Overseas Aid Fund

·                     Australian Kokoda Track Foundation Fund

·                     Australian Lasallian (Asia/Pacific) Developing Countries Aid Fund

·                     Australian Lions Foundation

·                     Australian Lutheran World Service

·                     Australian Marist Centre Overseas Aid Fund

·                     Australian Red Cross

·                     Australian Rotary Foundation Trust

·                     Australian Ryder-Cheshire Overseas Aid Fund

·                     Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund

·                     Australian Volunteers International Donations Account

·                     Australian Children's Fund Inc

·                     Bible Society In Australia Inc Overseas Literacy Development Fund

·                     BODHI Australia Overseas Relief Fund

·                     Burnet Institute

·                     Bushikori Christian Centre - Orphan Support Aus Inc

·                     Cambodian Aid Public Fund

·                     Campaigners for Christ PNG Overseas Aid Fund

·                     Care Australia Project Fund

·                     Caritas Australia Overseas Aid Fund

·                     CBMI (Australia) Overseas Development Fund

·                     Christian Brothers Foundation Overseas Aid Fund

·                     Christian Children’s Fund of Australia Ltd

·                     Christian Nationals Developing Countries Aid Fund

·                     Church Missionary Society Overseas Society

·                     Churches of Christ Overseas Aid

·                     CMS Overseas Aid Fund

·                     Columbian Overseas Aid Fund

·                     Compassion Overseas Aid and Development Fund

·                     Co-Operation in Development Australia

·                     CoptiCare Relief Fund

·                     Cranio-Maxillo Facial Overseas Aid Fund

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