Keep pulling the thread on Red Cross.
The current International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) system operates as a "winner-takes-all" market where dominant organizations perpetuate their control over funding and influence.
International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) have become a barrier to the growth of healthy, independent civil societies around the world.
In December, Save the Children withdrew from United Nations country-based pooled funding models, advocating that the funds should be directed to local civil society organizations (CSOs) instead of INGOs.
The United States, the United Kingdom, and a number of other European countries have significantly cut their foreign aid budgets since early 2022.
An estimated 90% of Save the Children's humanitarian budget previously came from bilateral donors, making the organization highly vulnerable to government aid cuts.
Recent reductions in funding from the Global North have caused a significant negative impact on NGOs in Kenya, leading to program shrinkage, cessation of outreach activities, and staff layoffs.
In many partnerships between International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) and local organizations, the local actors are treated as subcontractors for implementation, while control over budgets, decision-making, and narratives remains with the INGO.
A significant risk in developing AI using African data is "data extractivism," a practice where data is collected from communities without providing reciprocal value or agency to those communities.
The primary objective for AI development related to Africa should be to establish "African agency within AI systems," rather than merely achieving representation of African data in those systems.
A critical need for local NGOs and grassroots movements is long-term, flexible funding, which would enable them to focus on mission-driven work instead of the constant pressure of short-term grant cycles.
A massive increase in aid budgets during the 1990s, driven by the 0.7% of GNI target for official development assistance, fundamentally changed the International Non-Governmental Organization (INGO) sector towards professionalism over solidarity.
Some large International Non-Governmental Organizations (INGOs) now operate with budgets in the billion-dollar range, and several pay their senior leaders salaries exceeding $1 million USD.