Reema Shaukat
SOMETIMES in developing countries, governments require the services of non-profit or non-governmental organizations to outreach masses and address the specific issues. These Non-governmental Organizations or NGOs play an important role in the social uplift and economic growth of developing countries. Their main task is to provide support to society through welfare works and help the community in developing a required sustainable system. The prime goal by NGOs is to fill in those gaps in providing services that are not undertaken by government or private sector and hence play their constructive role in rebuilding any society. NGO work or activities are not limited towards social, environmental, human rights issues or advocacy but the social sciences emphasize their importance in enhancing social integration, implementation of goals, building civil society, social dialogue and participatory democracy.
Likewise NGOs play a critical role in any society by educating communities, endorsing citizen input and can greatly influence social or political change in any particular group of folks. On the other hand there are some NGOs which operate at international level and have many working units in different countries and they play their role in augmenting social amalgamation, develop objectives and partaking democracy. International NGOs rely largely on their donations to carry on their work however, it is noticed that their goals and activities are mostly voluntary instead of economic or political gains. Most of them are concerned with data-info, communiqué and practical projects to organize comprehensive domains or effect global change. In this age of globalization, INGOs keep their networking through advanced communication systems. We see many formal working organizations and their subgroups functioning with different bodies in diverse domains like United Nations Organization. The need for such philanthropic work was felt after World War-II which caused much havoc and required support and rebuild. This concept provided many donors an opportunity to invest and later it had mushroom growth in many regions around the globe. Many INGOs and NGOs are also working in different domains in developing countries like Pakistan along with its governmental sector. Lot many INGOs visited Pakistan after the dreadful earthquake of 2005 in Pakistan whereas many had already been working for decades on humanitarian grounds.
To acknowledge the efforts of such NGOs every year on 27 February, World NGO Day is marked to collaborate, commemorate and celebrate the efforts and achievements of NGOs from all sectors, for better future of generations and to further enhance the role and capacity of NGOs to continue their vital activities and contribution to society. In addition it is an international memorial day in honour of all founders, employees, volunteers, members and supporters of these important organization worldwide who have given their lives in whole or in part to such work. In Pakistan we have seen NGOs doing philanthropic work more which includes education, leadership, entrepreneurship, poverty alleviation, disaster management, economic enablement, disaster response and women empowerment. In Pakistan lot many NGOs are working along with parameters government has defined to bring social change in the country. Not only governmental organizations but many such NGOs face trouble to work in Pakistan as some miscreant forces always try to hinder good cause. Same goes for our polio eradication campaign which long time back was considered as some sponsored agenda to control population or make someone infectious with disease. Over the years, Pakistan has tried hard to eradicate polio from its soil once and forever, though off and on different cases come up on provincial level yet the drive against polio in Pakistan needs special attention.
It is important to note that Pakistan and neighbouring Afghanistan are the only countries in the world where polio is still endemic. In Pakistan despite the campaigns last year in 2019, 100 cases of this crippling disease came up. Apart from ensuring better levels of hygiene, it was noted that many parents refuse to give their infants and children polio drops by quoting it contains virus and will effect children, without knowing that it is anti-polio vaccine which should be administered to every child in Pakistan below five years of age. Many districts initiate campaigns but in the past it was observed many polio workers were targeted because of their job, indiscriminate of gender.
Because of surge in terrorism in Pakistan years back, it was noticed that Taliban militants have killed scores of health workers and police guarding them because they believe anti-polio vaccination campaigns are intended to sterilize Pakistani children. But this perception took many lives and years to change the mind-set made against polio. Media can play pivotal role to highlight the eradication campaign held time and again yet this disease is challenging at all levels particularly at grass root level for Pakistan. Last year one of polio vaccination campaign ran into trouble when a viral fake video purported to show schoolchildren falling ill after they were given the vaccine. Such are the challenges which any kind of NGO or government face when it starts to bring change for benevolence of humanity. It is important that as citizens of Pakistan, we must stand with those, in any of domain private or public sector, that above all humanity is first. Lot of investment is made for welfare of public so they must acknowledge the work.
— The writer works for Pakistan Institute for Conflict and Security Studies, a think-tank based in Islamabad.
