In February this year, philosopher Adela Cortina got us thinking after she published in the same newspaper that the acronym for NGO was outdated. “Goodbye to the NGOs?” he even asked. This had an impact on all of us who are involved in the third sector and development cooperation. Are we clearly defined as an NGO? What else can we do in the 21st century? What is our future?
The debate that Cortina has initiated has a lot to do with the internal processes that we have been promoting for some time, I would say all third sector organizations. The world is a completely different one than it was in 1945, when this acronym was born. Whether it’s better or worse is another debate. But it is clear that it has nothing to do with it. It has changed and with it society. But also solidarity, well-being and commitment.
During these times we have learned a lot and left a lot behind. We have moved, at least in much of the industry, from depicting our humanitarian and development work with disastrous and sensational photos to hopeful images that value human dignity and diversity. We have stopped engaging society with nostalgia, sadness and even guilt to appeal to participation, impulses and everything that every person has in their hands to change society. We should go there. We are not here for compassion, we are here for social justice.
This message is important for this day as it is the first time that National Third Sector Day is celebrated, a recognition given last year. And that’s why we want to value our role by talking about the future that awaits us: working in a system of development cooperation, between countries, but also between generations.
The speed with which crises occur is leading us into an uncertain future
The best example to understand this is addressing the climate crisis. Aren’t the new generations the ones who will suffer the most from the consequences of what the older generations have created? Won’t young indigenous women in Latin America feel the devastating consequences of natural disasters firsthand? Won’t African girls be the most forced to migrate when their country has nothing but drought?
A woman in Ethiopia’s Seru and Bele Gesgar region looks at the horizon. Hugo Palotto
If you have any doubts, I can tell you that this is in fact the case. The interrelationship between the different axes of inequality such as gender, race/ethnicity, social class or economic income, territory, sexual orientation or age determine how you will experience the climate crisis, but also future crises. There is therefore an urgent need to address the challenges of the future, such as climate migration. But also a greater political impact to ensure that global agreements are reached, which in most cases are not fulfilled.
We NGOs will not change our acronym tomorrow, but we can commit to making even greater efforts to have the perspective that new generations deserve to strengthen social responsibility, increase and ensure well-being in the world that young people can develop life plans in Spain as well as in Ethiopia. Or rather, not in the same way, but in the way that every person wants, without discriminatory, educational or labor barriers.
The speed with which crises occur is leading us into an uncertain future. Climate, health, war, nutrition, economic crises… everything is leading us in the wrong direction, towards poverty and inequality. But that is not what future generations deserve. Not the current ones, although it is in our hands to promote cooperation and solidarity in the face of fear and marginalization. Because we shouldn’t be there to provide food aid or meet other basic needs, or at least not alone. We must be there to create the conditions that enable youth to develop and create opportunities for the future.
As we continue to move forward and reflect, we must not stop. Let us use our power to mobilize citizens, monitor politics and defend human rights. And above all: change the world through collaboration.
Fernando Mudarra He is General Director of Ayuda en Acción.
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