In: Psychology
Why is it difficult to define the term NGO? (Non Governmental Organization)
It is difficult to define NGO's and classify them. An NGO's orientation refers to the type of activities it takes on. The main activities included in NGO's are human rights, environmental, or development work. An NGO's level of operation indicates the scale at which an organization works, such as local, international or national. According to UN, NGO is a not-profit, non-criminal political party.
Willets argues the definition of NGOs can be interpreted differently by various organizations According to him, NGO is defined as an independent voluntary association of people acting together on a continuous basis for some common purpose other than achieving government office, making money or illegal activities. Although Willett proposes the operational and campaigning NGOs as a tool to differentiate the main activities of these organizations, he also explains that a single NGO may often be engaged in both activities.