DR.

RAM MANOHAR LOHIYA NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY

LUCKNOW

FOUNDATION OF LAW

TOPIC –CORRECTIONAL AGENCIES AND NGOs-

SMILE FOUNDATION

NAME- DEEKSHI CHAUDHARY

ROLL NO.- 42
SEMESTER- Ist SECTION- A

SUBMITTED TO- Mr. MANWENDRA KUMAR TIWARI

WHAT IS NGO?
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is a legally constituted organization
created by natural or legal persons that operates independently from any
government and a term usually used by governments to refer to entities that have
no government status. In the cases in which NGOs are funded totally or partially
by governments, the NGO maintains its non-governmental status by excluding
government representatives from membership in the organization. The term is
usually applied only to organizations that pursue some wider social aim that has
political aspects, but that are not overtly political organizations such as political
parties.

The primary purpose of an operational NGO is the design and implementation of

development-related projects. One frequently used categorization is the division
into relief-oriented versus development-oriented organizations; they can also be
classified according to whether they stress service delivery or participation; or
whether they are religious or secular; and whether they are more public or private-
oriented. Operational NGOs can be community-based, national or international.
The primary purpose of an Advocacy NGO is to defend or promote a specific
cause. As opposed to operational project management, these organizations
typically try to raise awareness, acceptance and knowledge by lobbying, press
work and activist events.

NGOs exist for a variety of reasons, usually to further the political or social goals
of their members or funders. Examples include improving the state of the natural
environment, encouraging the observance of human rights, improving the welfare
of the disadvantaged, or representing a corporate agenda. However, there are a
huge number of such organizations and their goals cover a broad range of political
and philosophical positions. This can also easily be applied to private schools and
athletic organizations.

Public relations
Non-governmental organizations need healthy relationships with the public to meet
their goals. Foundations and charities use sophisticated public relations campaigns
to raise funds and employ standard lobbying techniques with governments. Interest
groups may be of political importance because of their ability to influence social
and political outcomes. A code of ethics was established in 2002 by The World
Association of Non Governmental NGOs.

Project management
There is an increasing awareness that management techniques are crucial to project
success in non-governmental organizations. Generally, non-governmental
organizations that are private have either a community or environmental focus.
They address varieties of issues such as religion, emergency aid, or humanitarian
affairs. They mobilize public support and voluntary contributions for aid; they
often have strong links with community groups in developing countries, and they
often work in areas where government-to-government aid is not possible. NGOs
are accepted as a part of the international relations landscape, and while they
influence national and multilateral policy-making, increasingly they are more
directly involved in local action.

Funding

Large NGOs may have annual budgets in the hundreds of millions or billions of
dollars. Funding such large budgets demands significant fundraising efforts on the
part of most NGOs. Major sources of NGO funding are membership dues, the sale
of goods and services, grants from international institutions or national
governments, and private donations. Even though the term "non-governmental
organization" implies independence from governments, most NGOs depend
heavily on governments for their funding.

IMPORTANCE OF NGOs
Increasingly, the existence of NGOs is proving to be a necessity rather than a
luxury in societies throughout the modern world. The history of the 20th century
persuasively demonstrated the inability of the welfare state and free enterprise to
create just and sustainable societies. Prompted by the inadequacies of the state and
the market, citizens across the globe have developed organizations of civil society
– NGOs – to help address a wide variety of social needs.
NGOs have three primary roles in advancing modern societies.
First, NGOs provide opportunity for the self-organization of society. NGOs enable
citizens to work together voluntarily to promote social values and civic goals
which are important to them. They promote local initiative and problem-solving.
Through their work in a broad array of fields – environment, health, poverty
alleviation, culture & the arts, education, etc. – NGOs reflect the diversity of
society itself. They are established and sustained by individuals working
collectively in their communities. By empowering citizens and promoting change
at the “grass roots”, NGOs both represent and advance the pluralism and diversity
that are characteristic of vibrant and successful modern societies.
Second, NGOs preserve a unique and essential space between the for-profit sector
and government. Clearly private enterprise is efficient at producing goods and
private wealth. Government is best when it focuses on providing and managing
public goods. The nonprofit, nongovernmental sector helps fulfill the common
good. A vibrant third sector provides a fulcrum for balancing the state and the free
market. This middle ground is an essential arena for promoting additional checks
and balances in society. Only independent organizations can serve as watchdogs of
both government and business. At the same time, NGOs can build creative and
productive partnerships across and among the three sectors – partnerships that
draw on the unique strengths of each to advance the common good.
Finally, NGOs enable experimentation and social change by taking on challenges
that the public and private sectors simply can’t or won’t. Civil society
organizations are able to take risks that are economically unacceptable to business
and politically unacceptable to government. In modern societies across the globe,
countless innovations pioneered by NGOs have subsequently been adopted as
government policy. Numerous models of service delivery that are considered “best
practice” today were devised, tested, and improved over many years of
experimentation by NGOs. In addition, NGO advocacy campaigns induce reluctant
governments to adopt policy reforms and force improvements in business
practices.
As modernizing economies increasingly shift to free markets and private
Enterprise, they often experience a decline in social cohesion and an increase in
economic and social inequity. In these circumstances the nongovernmental sector
has proven to be an essential mitigating force that helps create a healthier balance
between the potential excesses of capitalism and the inefficiencies and limited
resources of the state. This has certainly been the case in my own country.

ROLE OF NGOs