Role of Voluntary Organizations in Sustainable Development

 

Dr. Bibhuti Kalyan Mahakur

 

Faculty, Department of Political Science, Hidayatulla National Law University, Raipur, Chhattisgarh

 

ABSTRACT:

 

INTRODUCTION:

In recent times in most developing countries, a Third Sector consisting of the Non-Governmental Organization has emerged as a viable institutional framework to serve as a catalyst for development. This is in distinction to the role played by the government organization as the first sector more accustomed to maintain Law and Order and resolve conflicts, and the Private Commercial enterprises as the Second sector known to exist more for profit making than for affecting the process of development. Despite the innumerable difficulties and obstacles which this intermediate zone of non-governmental, non-profit organizations often classed under the collective form third sector have to surmount, it has became a major approach to encourage participation, social change and democratization to the theory of development and to dispersal of power in the Civil Society. In its various forms the third sector is supposed to ease the burden on government expenditure by mobilizing resources through other organizations in society, bringing about greater cost efficiency, higher flexibility and improved relations with beneficiaries and user groups and an innovative approach shows bureaucratization towards securing institutional and human co-operation for sustainable development. Since independences some urgency of voluntary action is being felt in certain areas where voluntary organization could work constructively. Attention was thus drawn to reconstruction and development ensuring people’s participation.

 

MEANING

Voluntary Organization:

The terms voluntary organization, Action Groups, Voluntary Agencies and Non-Governmental organization are used inter-changeably. The United Nation regards all these under the generic name NGOs (Non-governmental Organization).

 

The concept of voluntary organization or NGO is one, which is easy to comprehend but difficult to explain in precise terms. It has been understood, defined and used in a variety of ways.

 

The term voluntarism is derived from Latin word ‘Voluntas’, meaning will or freedom. The UN nomenclature of NGOs refers to ‘any international organization, which is not established by inter-governmental agreement and shall be considered as a non-government organization including organization which accept members nominated by government authorities, provided that such membership does not interfere with the free expression of views of the organization’. Harold Laski defined ‘freedom of association’ as a recognized legal right on the part of all persons to combine for the promotion of purpose in which they are interested. According to Lord Beveridge, a voluntary organization is an organization in which whether its workers are paid on unpaid, is initiated and governed by its own members without external control. P.D. Chowdhry, defines’ Voluntary Organization as a group of persons, who have organized themselves as a legal and corporate body based on explicit rules and procedure for giving continuity and permanent to the work of the agency, Providing facilities of group thinking ensuring collective action with division of responsibilities and relieving the members from unlimited financial responsibilities. It is initiated spontaneously, at least at the level of persons who form it and is governed by its members without any external control’. To sum up, Voluntary organization is essentially a group of individuals that feels itself one, is reality within limits to sacrifice the individual for the group advantage as a whole The group is organized on the basis of voluntary membership that is neither mandatory nor gained through birth, but is purely voluntary.

 

Sustainable Development- The Concept

Sustainable development comprises of sustainability and development. Sustainability refers to ‘Continuation’; development simply means ‘Change’. Sustainability is an integral attribute of multiple visions of development ranging from local to global scale. This necessitates a radical change in the concern for development from’ development exclusively for ourselves and for the present generation’, to ‘development for all including ourselves and future generations including the present one’. The central rationale for sustainable development is to increase the people’s standard of living and, in particular, the well-being of the least advantaged people in societies. Sustainable development is economic development that endures over the long-term future generations have a right to expect an inheritance sufficient to allow the capacity to generate for themselves a level of welfare no less then that enjoyed by the current generations. Sustainable development means, ensuring people quality of life along with economic growth. It is development,’ of the people,’ for the people and by the people, moreover it means investing in human skills, so that they can work productively, creatively and share better life.

 

The sustainable development efforts have not to be static but dynamic, ever changing and constantly requiring adaptations to various systems for meeting human needs and aspirations and not only that of one country or region but for all those who lives on this planet, now and in future. In general sustainable development has a time dimension. At least, it should continue till the next generation of people assumes the responsibility further, sustainable development could be at global, national or local level.  In view of India, the whole planning excessive shall have to be revamped and economically viable schemes in consistent with people’s needs and participation should be promoted for generating additional resources within the community. In this context, annual plans are desirable. The most effective way for achieving sustainable development is to allow people’s participation in the development programmes framed for their development.

 

Official Committees:

The need for involvement of voluntary organization has been acknowledged by a number of official committees dealing with ‘development’ for instance, the famous Balavantray Meheta Committee (1957), has viewed about Voluntary agencies:

 

“Today in the implementation of the various schemes of community development more and more emphasis is laid on non-governmental agencies and workers and on the principle that ultimately people’s own local organizations should take over the entire works”

 

The Mehta Committee felt that non-official agencies engaged in development work would no doubt like to keep their identities infact; but at the same time these agencies would in future be “drawn into closer co-operation and even collaboration with statutory organizations.

 

Report of the Rural-urban Relationship Committee 1966, of the Ministry of Health, Government of India laid emphasis on the role of voluntary organizations in mobilizing community support for local development activities. To quote the Committee Report: -

 

“Local Voluntary organization can be very helpful in mobilizing popular support and assistance of the people in the activities of local body. It is possible in the activities of local body. It is possible to maintain constant and close contact with the people through these organizations. The formation of a network of local organizations, like neighbourhood and Mohalla Committee and citizens forms, would be useful in mobilizing public participation”.

 

Different Plans of Government:

Ever since the First Plan approved in 1952, Government has been planning for voluntary agencies. By the Third-Five Years Plan, Non-governmental organizations represented on the National Advisory Committee for public co-operation.

 

Realising the importance of participatory development, the Sixth Five Year Plan Document (1980-85), emphasized the importance of non-governmental organizations, formal and informal in nature, as new actors, which could motivate and mobilize people in specific or general developmental tasks and meet the new demands of the growing sphere of development activities. The new areas where awareness and conscious participation of the people is critical for success were identified as:

Optimal utilisation and development of renewable source of energy, including forestry through the formation of renewable energy associations at the block level.

 

Family welfare, health and nutrition education and relevant Community programme in this field’.

·        ‘Health for all’ Programmes.

·        Water management and Soil Conservations;

·        Social Welfare Programmes for Weaker Sections;

·        Implementation of minimum needs programme;

·        Disaster preparedness and management.

·        Promotion of ecology and tribal development; and

·        Environmental protection and education.

 

The Seventh Five Year Plan document envisaged a greater role of voluntary organization in the implementation of development. These are expected to

§  Supplement government efforts so as to offer the rural poor choices and alternatives be the eyes of the people at the village level;

§  It should be possible for the voluntary agency to adopt simple, innovative, flexible and inexpensive means with its limited resources to reach a large number with less overheads and with greater community participation;

§  Activate the delivery system and to make it effective at the village level to respond to the felt needs of the poorest of the poor.

§  Disseminate information

§  Make communities as self-reliant as possible.

§  To show how village and indigenous resources could be used, how human resources, rural skill and local knowledge, grossly underutilized at present, could be used for their own development.

§  Demystify technology and bring it in a simple form to the rural poor.

§  Train a cadre of grass-root workers who believe in professionalizing voluntarism.

§  Mobilize financial resources from within the community with a view to making communities stand on their own feet;

§  Mobilize and organize the poor and generate awareness to demand quality services and impose a community system of accountability on the performance of village-level government functionaries.

 

Effectiveness of Voluntary Organization:

Due to changing role of the modern state, there is no doubt that governance for the 2Ist century must overcome bureaucratic unresponsive. A modern state, in our present understanding, is supposed not only to protect the individual’s freedom and liberty but also for guarantee social security, increasing affluence and social groups. That means especially a high standard in service orientation and delivery to the citizens. Thus, the range of public duties has grown up over the years, which is now exceedingly wide. In order to fulfill these duties, the modern state has been encouraging new sector that comprises voluntary organizations through voluntary action. Hence, the role of voluntary organization as a development agency is increasing.

 

Development is a shared responsibility. The roles of various development organizations are basically complementary and hence development partnership is inevitable for the furtherance of the cause of development. The role expected from voluntary organizations is complementary and hence development partnership is inevitable for the furtherance of the cause of development. The role expected from voluntary organization is complementary but distinct from government, business and informal groups.

 

The major development roles ascribed to voluntary organization are to act as: -

§  Catalyst, enabler and innovator.

§  Builder of self-reliant sustainable society.

§  Planner and implementor of development programmes.

§  Mediator of people and government.

§  Supporter and partner of government programmes in activating delivery system, implementing rural development programmes.

§  Agent to demystify technology and disseminate information.

§  Facilitator of development education, training professionalisation etc.

 

Development in transformation and no government can transform a society. The current philosophy of development like sustainability, participation, gender equality and empowerment etc. cannot incorporated in the process of governance by Government organization or roles of voluntary organization alone but by their combination and concerted efforts. With vast command over resources and all embracing power, government can do many things. Duty of voluntary organization is to prepare the people for change, which is basically an advocacy role, i.e., development education incorporating self-sustainable development philosophy. No government can build a society. But voluntary action can do. They raise consciousness, motivation, articulate, priorities needs and mobilize social action. The participatory experience, collective learning process and indigenous leadership dissolve the fear and engender confidence for a new society. Ultimate measures of success are not material aspects but the extent to which beneficiaries are moved from dependency and self-reliance provides positive philosophy for a development model. A voluntary organization in present context is not expected to deliver directly some benefits to people but to motivate people, mobilize resources, initiate leadership, and participate in development programmes for self-reliance.

 

India has moved along the development path through a number of measures enacted by both sets of governments from time to time. But the obstacles to development so far have been due to the people’s non-participation. Looking at it deeply, people’s non-participation can be traced to the low levels of education, less awareness, lower motivation etc. These issues should be addressed on a high priority level and role of voluntary organization to be strengthened, if the development process is to be accelerated and to achieve sustainable development.

 

REFERENCES:

1.       D.L.Sills, “Voluntary Associations, Sociological Aspects”, International Encyclopedia of Social Sciences, Vol.15, New York. The Macmillan and the Free press, 1972.

2.       Terry Alliband, Catalyst of Development: Voluntary Agencies in India, West Hartford: Kumarian.

3.       Marcus Franda, Voluntary Association and Local Development in India. New Delhi. Young Asia Publication, 1982.

4.       Government of India Sixth and Seventh Five year Plan, (New Delhi, Planning Commission)

5.       Rajni Kothari “NGOs, the State and World Capitalism’, Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 21, No.50, 13 December 1988.

6.       R.K.Bhatnagar, Participatory Rural Development. Kuruskhetra, Vol.48 (5), February ,2000.

7.       S.P.Mittal, Towards Sustainable Development, Kuruskhetra, Vol.48 (5), February, 2000.

8.       Bunker Roy, Let Voluntary Agencies Plan their own Schemes. Kuruskhetra, Vol.31:1, October, 1985.