Leave U.S. financial aid for NGOs alone<\/p>\n
Concerns have been raised that U.S. aid for non-governmental
\norganizations (NGOs) might have been used to disrupt stability in
\nIndonesia. Kastorius Sinaga, a social sciences lecturer at the
\nUniversity of Indonesia, discusses the issue.<\/p>\n
Question: Is it possible for NGOs to use foreign aid to
\nfinance their antigovernment activities?<\/p>\n
Sinaga: No. Even though some U.S. aid for Indonesian NGOs is
\nallocated for democratization programs, it cannot be used to
\nfinance political parties, demonstrations, campaigns for getting
\nHouse of Representatives seats or other political activities
\nbecause there is a gentlemen's agreement that says such aid is to
\nbe used only for nonpartisan and nonprofit-generating activities.<\/p>\n
Q: How much U.S. aid is allocated for democratization programs?<\/p>\n
S: The cumulative U.S. aid for Indonesian NGOs from 1995 to 1997
\nwas US$17 million. Out of that, 40 percent went for health and
\npopulation programs, 40 percent for environmental concerns and
\nthe rest for civil society programs.<\/p>\n
Q: What about the allegation that part of the U.S. aid was used
\nto finance activities to topple President Soeharto?<\/p>\n
S: There is no evidence to support the allegation. Soeharto was
\n\"toppled\" by Indonesian people, including students, due to his
\nown failure to uphold democracy in the country, not by NGOs.<\/p>\n
Q: What activities can be categorized as democratization
\nprograms?<\/p>\n
S: The dissemination of thoughts to introduce concepts of
\ndemocracy in modern countries through seminars and discussions,
\ncapacity building on the monitoring of human rights violations
\nthrough training, knowledge transfer from big to small
\norganizations and the publication of books.<\/p>\n
Q: Do donors dictate the activities of the NGOs?<\/p>\n
S: No. NGOs usually propose their programs and donors evaluate
\nwhether or not they are suitable for funding. The objectives and
\ntargets of the programs are determined by the NGOs.<\/p>\n
Q: Do donors monitor the implementation of programs?<\/p>\n
S: Yes. NGOs are required to make progress reports to their
\ndonors. They are also held accountable for the use of the funds,
\nand their financial reports are audited by public accountants.<\/p>\n
Q: Some legislators have written to U.S. President Bill Clinton
\nand Congress demanding they ensure that aid for Indonesia is not
\nused to interfere in this country's domestic affairs...<\/p>\n
S: They do not know the aid flow mechanism. U.S. aid is not
\ncontrolled by the State Department but by the U.S. Agency for
\nInternational Development (USAID) under the supervision of
\nPresident Clinton. If the NGOs accepted aid from the U.S.
\npolitical sphere, the aid would automatically carry political
\ninterests and that would be political intervention.<\/p>\n
The contents of their letters were too insinuative and
\nscapegoating -- a tradition used by Indonesian authorities to
\ndivert attention from their own shortcomings.<\/p>\n
Such letters are too emotional and could affect relations
\nbetween Indonesia and the United States, because they triggered
\ndemonstrations marked by the burning of U.S. flags.<\/p>\n
The letters, apparently alleging that the United States had
\nused the aid as a neocolonialist tool to divide the Indonesian
\nnation, could also worsen Indonesia's image in the international
\ncommunity and be counter-productive.<\/p>\n
Q: Is it justifiable to accuse NGOs of being agents carrying out
\nthe missions of foreign parties?<\/p>\n
S: I don't see such an indication. I can't imagine how
\nintellectuals working for NGOs can be controlled by other people
\nin other countries. An environmental NGO, Walhi, is a good
\nexample. Walhi accepts part of its funds from the United States
\nbut it has been provoking PT Freeport Indonesia, a U.S. company
\noperating a copper mine in Irian Jaya.<\/p>\n
It is actually the government which has been carrying out the
\nmissions of foreign agencies. The government, for example, has
\naccepted aid from the International Monetary Fund and the World
\nBank for economic liberalization.<\/p>\n
Q: What are the characteristics of foreign aid for NGOs?<\/p>\n
S: In the 1970s, during the Cold War, Western countries were
\nchanneling aid so that the recipient developing countries would
\nnot face poverty which could drive them toward communism.<\/p>\n
In the 1980s, when they learned that part of the aid had been
\ncorrupted by government officials in recipient countries, donors
\nstarted channeling portions of their aid to NGOs which were
\nregarded as closer to the target groups and highly committed to
\nhelping the needy.<\/p>\n
Because the globalization of industrial activities has caused
\nnew problems related to the environment, land, civil and human
\nrights as well as clean governance, more aid is allocated for
\nstructural adjustment aimed at improving the quality of life,
\nboth politically and environmentally.<\/p>\n
In developing countries with repressive and authoritarian
\ngovernments, aid for NGOs is mainly aimed at civil society
\ndevelopment, which includes the improvement of democracy or fair-
\npower relations between society and the government. (riz)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/leave-us-financial-aid-for-ngos-alone-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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