NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

NGO Research Guide

Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO) Research Guide

Christof Galli, Subject Librarian

326D Bostock christof.galli@duke.edu (919) 660-5850

Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have become increasingly influential in world affairs. They often impact the social, economic and political activities of communities and the country as a whole. NGOs address a host of issues, Including, but not limited to, women’s rights, environmental protection, human rights, economic development, political rights, or health care. In numerous countries, NGOs have led the way in democratization, in battling diseases and illnesses, in promoting and enforcing human rights, and in increasing standards of living. More...

Thousands of NGOs are also active at the international level; according to one estimate, some 25,000 organizations now qualify as NGOs. Some of these NGOs only impact a small region of the world, while others have spread across multiple continents. Amnesty International, for instance, has more than a million members and affiliates in over 90 countries and territories. In the field of international relations, scholars now speak of NGOs as “non-state actors” (a category that can also include transnational corporations). This term suggests NGOs’ emerging influence in the international policy arena where previously only states played a significant role. Though NGOs have few formal powers over international decision-making, they have many accomplishments to their credit. In recent years, they have successfully promoted new environmental agreements, greatly strengthened women’s rights, and won important arms control and disarmament measures. NGOs have also improved the rights and well-being of children, the disabled, the poor and indigenous peoples.

Source: http://library.duke.edu/research/subject/guides/ngo_guide/