LSMs self-reliant?
LSMs self-reliant?
It would not be an exaggeration to say that local LSMs (NGOs)
in Indonesia are mushrooming. This is because many people are not
satisfied with the results of rapid national development, which
has brought unexpected problems. The problems are emerging at
national, regional and especially village levels.
People living in rural areas often become victim of
development. In an attempt to address the situation, the
government has come up with the IDT (presidential program for
least developed villages) program, which is considered one of the
best alternatives to fight poverty. But still the IDT program
hardly works in the eyes of certain groups of people. They then
come up with their own alternatives under the flag of an LSM,
which can be literally translated in English as Self-reliant
Institution. At the international level the LSM is often
derisively referred to as an NGO by Indonesian officials.
The rural areas, sometimes called "the poverty bags", are the
most strategic and potential position for the LSMs to set up.
Most of the time they declare themselves to be the most effective
and efficient agents of development. They criticize the
government and others who are not in line with them.
Some are radical and confrontational in articulating their
mission and vision, and some are calm and more cooperative with
the government. The latter groups mostly focus on practical
activities to directly help their beneficiaries. But it is not
rare for them to collide with government ideas and programs. They
compete to raise funds for survival. No money, no project.
As the development process goes on and LSMs mushroom, the
competition for financial assistance from funding agencies
(mostly foreign NGOs) is getting tougher and tougher. The LSMs
have to work very hard to prove their abilities to funding
agencies. And most importantly they must carry out their tasks in
agreement with the donor. They are in fact highly dependent on
funding agencies.
Ironically, despite wanting to help people help themselves,
the LSMs themselves are in fact not self-reliant.
ABDURRAHMAN BINSYEH
ABUBAKAR
Jakarta