Governments and NGOs (non-governmental organizations) in Asia face critical development challenges. This volume examines ways to improve the policy environment for NGOs in Asia so that they may contribute more effectively to the development process. The contributors identify the main factors which influence the policy environment for NGOs, characterize and compare the political space for NGOs, examine the roles that governments and international development agencies can play in supporting NGOs, and propose possible strategies and policy guidelines for improving government-NGO relations in Asia.

The Politics of NGOs in Southeast Asia traces the history of the emergence of NGOs in the Philippines and southeast Asia and the political factors which encouraged this. The main focus is on the period from the mid-1990s when NGOs first became a notable force in the region. It documents the complex relations between NGOs and other political actors including the state, organised religion, foreign donors, the business sector and underground insurgent groups and their impact on NGO strategy.

There is already much literature on the significance of NGOs in the development process. However, there has been little discussion on why the NGOs take on different forms in different countries. This volume examines the state-NGO relationships in fifteen countries. It is not, however, a pot-pourri of country reports. All the contributors use the same analytical framework and focus on the key concept of "e;economic and political space"e; for NGOs. Readers will find that the analysis of the various NGO forms is well synthesized in this volume.

This volume examines the state-NGO relationships in fifteen Asian countries.

This book addresses itself to mobilisation and involvement of rural people in development projects. It describes an imperfect but, nonetheless, exciting and thought-provoking exercise that drew social science researchers and students from four public universities in Kenya into an experiment in participatory research, community education and development in two locations. The experiment was grounded on the assumptions that the people of Kenya are a primary resource and that given proper roles and contribution of planners, researchers and programme implementers, self-sustainable development can become a reality. The contributors of this book have focused on the potential of the university to facilitate participation of the people in development. They have given specific suggestions on how this might be accomplished.

This presents twenty specially commissioned case studies of farmer participatory approaches to agricultural innovation initiated by NGOs in Asia. Beginning with a broad review of institutional activity at the grassroots, the authors set the case material within the context of NGO relations with the State and their contribution to democratisation and the consolidation of rural civil society. Specific questions are raised: how good/bad are NGOs at promoting technological innovation and addressing constraints to change in present agriculture?; how effective are NGOs at strengthening grassroots organizations? and how do/will donor pressures influence NGOs and their links to the State? This title is part of a series on Non-Governmental Organizations co-ordinated by the Overseas Development Institute. To complete this comprehensive review and critique there are two other regional case study volumes on Africa and Latin America and an overview volume, Reluctant Partners?