NGOs, Social Capital and Community Empowerment in Bangladesh

M.Rezaul Islam, M. Rezaul Islam

• Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan
• Year: 2016
• Print ISBN:
  9789811017469
• eBook ISBN:
  9789811017476
• Topic: Social Sciences
• Subtopic: Development Economics
• Index: Social Sciences

This pivot examines non-governmental organization (NGO) interventions in two community development initiatives, namely social capital and community empowerment, and their role in funding and formulating development frameworks in developing countries like Bangladesh. It considers the key development discourse issues of collective action, social trust and access to knowledge, to political processes and to financial, social and natural resources. Given the large proportion of foreign funding, NGOs and donors also increasingly face the twin challenges of demonstrating both efficient and effective delivery of services and accountability in their relationships with various stakeholders. Reflecting on the relevance of NGOs for community development, and the merits, challenges and limitations of NGO activities, this book provides a comprehensive study of NGO participation in community development in Bangladesh and Third World countries more widely to highlight a global concern with international implications.

© The Author(s) 2016

M.Rezaul IslamNGOs, Social Capital and Community Empowerment in Bangladesh10.1007/978-981-10-1747-6_1

Begin Abstract

1. Introduction: NGOs, Social Capital and Community Empowerment

M. Rezaul Islam¹

(1)

University of Dhaka, Dhaka, Bangladesh

Abstract

This introductory chapter provides a brief outline about the capacity of the non-governmental organizations (NGOs) towards social capital and community empowerment. This chapter briefly explains the three concepts used in this book e.g., NGO, social capital and community empowerment, and then explains NGOs’ position in social capital and community empowerment. Finally, this chapter provides the chapter outline of this book.

Keywords

NGOSocial capitalCommunity employment

End Abstract

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) become an important sector for development in the developing countries like Bangladesh. Due to its socio-economic disadvantages and the lack of governmental supports, NGOs’ development initiatives are considered as one of the best alternatives for all aspects of community well-being (economic, social, environmental and cultural) in the country. This becomes a very popular initiative, whereby the community members come together to take a collective action and generate solutions to their common problems. It is considered as a ‘grass-roots’ process by which a community becomes more responsible; organise and plan together; develop healthy options; empower themselves; reduce ignorance, poverty and suffering; create employment and economic opportunities; and achieve social, economic, cultural and environmental goals. In the wake of ‘flexible accumulation’ and intense market competitions under the conditions of neo-liberal globalisation, the international NGOs are playing a significant role in funding and formulating development frameworks in the development activities in many developing countries like Bangladesh. It is said that almost 90 % of the NGOs’ funding is coming from foreign donations. As a result, NGOs and donors increasingly face the twin challenges of demonstrating effectiveness in their work and accountability in their relationships with various stakeholders. Donors, on the one hand, are particularly concerned about accountability of NGOs in the efficient and effective delivery of services. NGOs, on the other hand, are often concerned that accountability to donors can overshadow and overwhelm their accountability to communities and to their own missions.

This book has focused on NGOs’ development interventions in two development approaches such as social capital and community empowerment. The term ‘social capital’ has been the subject of great interest and debate in the development literature. It has been elaborated so widely that it is very difficult to explain its theoretical context briefly. NGOs’ contribution for social capital is relatively a new area in development studies. Yet both governments and NGOs’ social capital formation in Bangladesh is little known (Mondal 2000; Islam and Morgan 2012a; Islam 2015a, 2015b). The theoretical framework of social capital in this book is based on four core elements provided by Robert Putnam (Putnam 1993, 1995). These elements are collective action, social trust, coordination and cooperation of mutual benefits, and sharing norms and values. On the other hand, the concept of ‘community empowerment’ is one of growing interest in development discourse. The theoretical framework of community empowerment of this book is based on the nine domains provided by Glenn Laverack (Laverack 2006). Community empowerment is advocated by prominent agents in economic and social development, and especially by NGOs. Empowerment enables people to organise and influence change based on their access to knowledge, to political processes and to financial, social and natural resources.

To consider the terminological explanations, we can see that both concepts are very crucial in NGOs’ development initiatives. Much ink has been spilt on the question of NGOs, social capital and community empowerment towards development—albeit separately. However, we still lack a complete and coherent account of the complex nexus between of NGOs, social capital and community empowerment. What is the practicality of NGOs’ necessity in developing countries like Bangladesh for development? How are the NGOs’ development interventions positioned in the dynamisms of global pressures and local needs? What are the merits of social capital and community empowerment in NGOs’ activities? What are the capacities of NGOs in social capital and community empowerment? What is the important role that can be defined of the NGOs’ social capital and community empowerment towards development? What challenges and limitations are the NGOs heading? This book provides a comprehensive understanding of NGOs’ real capacities with focus on Bangladesh to illustrate a global problem. I believe that while the book focuses on Bangladesh, the implications are international in scope.

As we turn the millennium, a concern is growing again among a new generation of students, but they confront a literature on the NGOs, social capital and community empowerment, which is largely descriptive, dated and does not contain the complex nexus embedded in the flexible accumulation of and powerlessness of the developing countries under neo-liberal globalisation. While teaching courses related to NGOs and social development, we have found that existing books have a few compilations with uneven and disjointed chapters. We have used several books in courses and assembled clippings in course-packs, but the students find themselves wishing to know more about the complex nexus between NGOs, social capital and community empowerment, a more coherent structure with which to understand them. This book will meet the growing needs of this new generation of students, as well as academics, conscious citizens and policymakers.

Chapter 2 provides the background information, for example, country context of Bangladesh, the socio-economic and political realities of the origin of NGOs, their activities and why Bangladesh bothers NGOs. This chapter opens a discussion about NGOs’ significant position and the role in development discourse. The massive expansion of the NGO sector in both the north and the south is widely recognised. In the 1980s, the decade of neo-liberalism, the market was seen as the panacea of development and the NGOs were to play an increasingly significant role in development discourse and practice. Since the 1990s, there has been recognition that liberalisation alone is an inadequate response to the social and economic development of developing countries. However, NGOs’ corporate responsibilities have been widened largely. In many developing and underdeveloped countries, NGOs were considered as an effective alternative development agent in international development arena. The aim of this chapter is to address the key issues that emerged in the 1980s and 1990s on the theme of development and NGOs; examine theoretical and policy debates on NGOs, states, civil society and democracy; and critically assess the roles and relationships of development NGOs and international organisations.

Chapter 3 provides the role of NGOs for development with globalisation and indigenous knowledge. First, the chapter provides a discussion on the emergence of NGOs for development. It highlights the main parameters of NGOs. The chapter attempts to integrate various relevant debates of NGOs’ activities in the socio-economic, political and cultural development paradigms. It is found that the NGOs have abrasive relationships with state and donors, on the one hand, and global versus local development debates, on the other. The chapter shows how the development challenges might be solved through consulting both local and global knowledge approaches, so that the NGOs can achieve participatory-oriented development interventions according to the choices of the rural mass people in Bangladesh.

Chapter 4 presents a comparative discussion of indigenous and global knowledge approaches within the globalisation process. The chapter highlights and explains each of these concepts, and attempts to establish a significant link with a new role of NGOs for development. The main purpose is to find out the gaps, for example, what are the general explanations of these concepts, and which are effective for Bangladesh?

Chapter 5 elucidates the complex intersection between social capital and community empowerment towards NGOs’ development initiatives. The chapter provides a solid theoretical discussion about different aspects of development and then examines how social capital and community empowerment are widening where NGOs’ role is significant.

Chapter 6 discusses NGOs’ capacity for social capital development with the evidence of two NGOs, for example, Practical Action Bangladesh (PAB) and Proshika in Bangladesh with two indigenous communities, for example, blacksmith and goldsmith. This chapter explores NGOs’ capacities on the five main elements of social capital such as social network, social trust, sharing norms and values, collective actions and mutual benefits. The main argument is whether the NGOs’ capacities were elusive.

Chapter 7 is based on the evidence of the two NGOs, which is linked with Chap.​ 6. The chapter considers the role of NGOs in terms of their capacity as agents of community empowerment in Bangladesh. The chapter then investigates the application of community empowerment domains.

Chapter 8, the final chapter of the book, looks at the major limitations and challenges of NGOs’ capacities for social capital and community empowerment approaches. This chapter highlights the evidence of two NGOs that are discussed in Chaps.​ 6 and 7. A growing number of critical assessments suggest that the operational impact of NGOs in socio-economic development is less than claimed. NGOs may pursue a ‘service delivery’ paradigm, where the provision of services is strictly separated from engagement in the broader polity. In reference to this connection, NGOs become providers of goods to poor ‘consumers’, rather than ‘facilitators’ of collective action and empowerment. This growing predominance of service delivery programmes among NGOs is problematic for the goals of empowerment and poverty alleviation. Based on the evidence and literature survey, this chapter shows that the NGOs could not achieve their development targets because of the local dynamics and global pressures. This chapter analyses a number of local dynamisms such as local context, political issues, NGOs’ conventional role, NGOs’ monolithic development approach, lack of accountability and the global pressures such as lack of local funding and donor dependency, global development frameworks, decentralised management system.

References

Islam, M. Rezaul 2015a. Non-governmental Organizations and Community Development in Bangladesh. International Social Work. doi:10.​1177/​0020872815574133​.

Islam, M. Rezaul 2015b. NGOs’ Social Capital Development Practice for Social Welfare in Bangladesh. Global Social Welfare 2 (4): 167–176. doi:10.​1007/​s40609-015-0034-0.CrossRef

Islam, M. Rezaul and William John Morgan. 2012a. Non-governmental Organizations in Bangladesh: Their Contribution to Social Capital Development and Community Empowerment. Community Development Journal 47 (3): 369–385. doi:10.​1093/​cdj/​bsr024.CrossRef

Laverack, Glenn. 2006. Using a ‘Domains’ Approach to Build Community Empowerment. Community Development Journal 41 (1): 4–12. doi:10.​1093/​cdj/​bsi038.CrossRef

Mondal, Abdul Hye. 2000. Social Capital Formation: The Role of NGO Rural Development Programs in Bangladesh. Policy Sciences 33 (3 & 4): 459–475. doi:10.​1023/​A:​1004825609376.CrossRef

Putnam, Robert. 1993. The P...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Frontmatter
• 1. Introduction: NGOs, Social Capital and Community Empowerment
• 2. NGOs in the Development Discourse
• 3. Bangladesh and the Emergence of NGOs for Development
• 4. Globalisation and Indigenous Knowledge: NGOs’ Role for Development
• 5. NGOs’ Facet in Social Capital and Community Empowerment
• 6. NGOs’ Capacity for Social Capital in Bangladesh
• 7. NGOs and Community Empowerment in Bangladesh
• 8. NGOs’ Limitations and Challenges for Social Capital and Community Empowerment: Local Dynamics and Global Pressures
• Backmatter