Political Science

Introduction
In the recent past non- governmental organizations (NGOs) have become a very fundamental force as far as international development agenda is concerned. These organizations have become very active in democratization, protection of human rights and offering necessary services to the people who are needy across the globe. Without the services of these organization people in different parts of the world would greatly suffer from devastating effects experienced in these parts. Non governmental organization has a vital role to play especially in areas where governments performance is wanting. (Feher,M 2007)This also applies in situations where profit making bodies shun due to little gain associated to such ventures.NGOs mandate in the international development forum can only be ignored at our own peril. They are such important such that some parts of the globe entirely depend on their services for survival. In this paper I will define the term NGO and discuss the mandate of these organizations in the international development in the concept of globalization.

Definition
Non governmental organization are bodies which are created either legal or natural persons and have no government influence or participation.Willets,P (1996) describes NGOs as non profit making bodies which  do not involve in  or advocate for violence as a means of pressing for change. He continues to say that these bodies can be non commercial, and in most cases do not lean to any political side, that is they should not be associated or affiliated to any given political party. These bodies raise their funds either through membership contributions or voluntary contributions form well wishers. (Culter,C 1999).They are mainly formed by people who voluntarily want to work together with an aim of achieving a common objective. Another reason why NGOs exist revolves around people coming together to promote a given activity which is not undertaken by the government. Alternatively people may come together to challenge the way the government is handling an activity. In general terms NGOs are formed with an aim of bridging the gaps that exist in the society. Their aim is to address issues touching on the lives of the general population. They have become very instrumental in addressing the problems which are afflicting the poor people across the globe.

The term NGO originated with the United Nations making provision in its charter giving these types of organization a consultative status. As the number of these bodies increased with time United Nations clarified and redefined where they came to be described as organizations which are not established by the government or any international agreement. There are now more than one hundred thousand NGOs across the globe serving a wider perspective mostly in the third world countries in an attempt to alleviate the suffering of the people. They are some which are actively involved in responding to disasters among other activities. (Meyer,C 1999)

Gevanta,J and Edward,M (2002) observed that NGOs have an advantage as far as globalization is concerned. Their activities have no boundaries since in most parts of the world they are seen as saviors. The fact that they focus their objectives on the greater public interest suggests that religious and ethnic boundaries are not barriers to their operation. This makes these organizations very important in championing for development agenda especially in areas which are neglected by intergovernmental organization due to perceived differences that exist between the governments involved The neutrality of the non governmental organizations gives them credibility in areas which are in turmoil making them useful tools in providing necessary support to the suffering populations in war ravaged regions. This can be the starting point for these organizations to work towards a peaceful co existence between the warring sides through using their position to influence reconciliation. In a nutshell NGOs remain the most strategically positioned forces to forge unity among groups so that sustainable development can be achieved in a given region. (Stillman,G 2006)

Pro poor activities
 Lewi, D and Kanji, N (2009) noted that Non governmental organizations are high profile actors as far as the field of international development is concerned. They act as providers of important services to vulnerable populations as well as put a spirited campaign for the course of improving the standards of living for this segment of the society. In an article titled NGO Phenomenon, Hill, M (2005) notes that NGOs are richly diverse in the methods and goals they use to address various issues. Many are specialists ranging from democracy, environmental, women, children, youth, marginalized communities. Others are multi players where they often attempt to offer solutions to the numerous problems affecting the society.

Brikerhoff, D and Brinkerhoff, J (2006) observe that non governmental organization have for a long period played a significant role in international development. Its from this background that some of the furthest corners of the globe have come to develop and enjoy some of the facilities which are found in the developed world. Africa and Asian for example, have been the largest beneficiaries of these organizations. These two continents have received different kind of assistance in terms of goods and services. This has helped in alleviating some the problems bedeviling the impoverished continents. (Hilhourst,D 2003)

Healthcare
If profit motive was left to dictate the terms in all parts of the world, majority in the developing world would suffer. This makes the non governmental bodies an important component as far as survival and development of this segment of the world. They are known to create goods which ordinarily would not be found in the profit oriented market. The sector provides important social services where profit gained is the social progress which is achieved by the community.Mulitantional drug companies have reaped billions of dollars at the expense of poor people in the developing world. They are mostly guided by profit, since they sell some of their drugs at exorbitant prices locking out billions of people as they can not afford. Non governmental organizations have come in to help and bridge the big gap that exists between the haves and have-nots as far as access to essential drugs is concerned. There are several organizations which are committed in providing health care to people who cannot afford to the rising cost. African medical research foundations, Doctors without Borders, Care international among other organizations have responded to the suffering of the people in the developing world where diseases burden has weighed down economic development. In Africa alone these organization have helped to save millions of lives through provision of the necessary drugs. (Smillie, I 1995)

HIV and Aids have burdened developing world through deaths and increase in morbidity rates. Governments in these countries are overwhelmed in the management of this condition since they have other numerous problems which require same attention. Were it not for the response of international Non governmental organization some of the countries would have been wiped out by this disease. They came to provide the much needed funds to finance the purchase of drugs and equipment which were needed to save millions of people from the devastating effects of Aids.

Through the spirited campaign by these organizations the prevalence rates in different countries have gone down drastically renewing hope for the people involved. This has created an environment where people can contribute positively to the development of their countries. An international and local non governmental organizations contribution towards the fight of HIV and Aids is evident in many countries. There are situations where the entire programs are funded by donors and their implementations have been entirely facilitated by the NGOs.This clearly shows that international organizations can have the funds but without the support of the NGOs their missions to help the underprivileged would not be achieved.

One of the most notable successes of the NGOs is the campaign to out law the landmines in the different parts of the world especially those areas where violent confrontations have become the order of the day. A spirited campaign by hundred of non governmental organizations pushed for the ban and destruction of the landmines bringing hope to millions of people especially in the war torn regions. Through such efforts these bodies helped some semblance of peace creating an environment where people would engage in economic activities without fear of landmines. This indirectly contributed to development in the affected regions. (Edwards M and Hulme D 1996)

Reconstruction and economy recovery
According to Joselin, D and Wallace, W (2001) NGOs play roles which go  far beyond supply of relief and political activisim.Humanitarian aid may be one of the areas which most NGOs have been attributed with but a good number of them have been involved in provision of necessary machinery which aid recovery after devastating disasters.Handicapp international. Change we Want International among other international NGOs have been involved in capacity building in aid of recovery programs in countries which have witnessed natural disasters. Such efforts by these organizations go a long way in ensuring that people move on even after massive destruction chatters their economic dreams. After the massive Tsunami hit some parts of South East Asia much of the attention was focused in this region with different non governmental organization providing not only the immediate needs but also helping the locals to rebuild their lives. These efforts saw many communities rise from the destruction of their properties to a vibrant society which can contribute positively to the development and ultimate recovery of their nations. (Betsill,M and Corell,E 2008)

Financial and Technical assistance
NGOs operating in the developing world partner with the government to implement project either through offering financial or technical assistance to help in the improvement of lives for the poor. These organizations act as agents to empower those who are at the lower end of the society.NGOs have been noted to be more sensitive to the aspirations and needs of the people at this level therefore they command more respect and legitimacy in the eyes of those they seek to help.Gevanta and Edwards (2006) observe that with the proper coordination of the NGOs work, they will end up assuming several conventional mandates which are usually the responsibilities of governments and United Nation. This places these organizations at a higher level in as far as global agenda are concerned.

There has been a recent trend where international organizations and government have been cutting aid for the developing countries. They have shown more preference in working with these bodies than channeling their funds directly to the government. Several reasons have been cited to the change of events some of which touch on poor governance and accountability on the government part. This goes along way to show that NGOs will remain a force to reckon with as far as development of the third world is concerned. They have gained much recognition and trust as far as utilization of funds is concerned. Their expands their mandate at the international level due to the enormous power they will yield as far as setting the development agenda is concerned. (Steve W.2006)

Promotion of good governance and accountability
Good governance is crucial for any meaningful development in a country Several NGOs have played a significant role in ensuring good governance and promotion of democracy in different countries. Advocacy of human rights as well as accountability has been one of the major roles of Amnesty International this organization has worked closely with local groups which share the same objectives in promotion of democracy and human rights. They have brought to the world attention cases where human rights violation and atrocities have been committed. This has served as a platform where such issues have been acted upon. Its is the mandate of NGOs to speak for the oppressed in the society. These bodies are supposed to speak for this group of people and help them move out of unfortunate situation. Many are cases where governments have mistreated people and these organizations have come out strongly to oppose such actions. A good case in point is the situation in Darfur region of Sudan. Mass killings were first highlighted by NGOs making the international community to intervene. The government was not keen in stopping the killings since it was an interested party, the non governmental organizations came out in the defense of the targeted group. Such an action did not auger well with the Khartoum government leading to expulsion of the international NGOs operating in the region. This was a sad state of affairs since the killings continued and the suffering of the women and children was in a magnitude that was not anticipated. This shows that these organizations play a crucial role in highlighting peoples plight and bringing it to the attention of those who are in apposition to offer the necessary help or take the required action. It through promotion of good governance and protection of human rights that non governmental organizations create an enabling environment where different players can contribute positively towards nation building. (Brinkerhoff,J  and Hildy, T 2007)

Conflict Resolution
Conflict resolution also comes in hand as an avenue through which communities can coexist together and contribute towards the development of their country. Different parts of the world have seen communities rise against one another as they fight for resources or power. Such a situation presents a case where government has failed to address the root problems which lead to such scenarios. Unequal distribution of resources has fueled conflicts between different communities. Non governmental organizations have a role to play as far as a conflict resolution is concerned. First they highlight and address the situation the concerns and then through close working with the concerned groups they provide a situation where the warring parties can exist harmoniously. This might not be an easy task but bringing it to the limelight is a step forward in getting a solution to the problem. (Sidney,T 2005)

Proper represntation of the Poor in Decision Making
International NGOs have a role to play in ensuring that the developing countries are well represented in the world agenda. They have a mandate to represent the voiceless from oppression by the powerful nation. This has been clearly shown through demonstrations which have taken place in different place in the world to try and force the powerful nations to pass resolutions which can help the poor countries to come out of the woods. They press upon withdrawal of discriminative policies which have bogged down the developing countries. This is a role which can help the developing country to come out in the open and articulate their views. Advance in technology has presented a situation where NGOs network both domestically and internationally to provide important information which touches on different subjects of concern. Through such network problems affecting a given society are highlighted and within a short time the whole world have known of the situation. In such a case these organizations have a mandate to pass information to the relevant bodies for action to be taken. A number of strategies have been adopted by NGOs in an attempt to help the poor people address issues affecting them. A couple of these organizations have been at the forefront in agitating for changes in the economic forums allowing the poor to compete more effectively. (Fisher, J 1998)

Conclusion
Non governmental role in shaping the development agenda can not be over emphasized it is a well known fact that without these bodies some parts of the world population would be non existence either due to the devastation by natural calamities or diseases. The mandate of these organizations in the international development has expanded with the cut of financial assistance to the governments instead opting to channel them through such bodies. This goes a long way to show that NGOs have been recognized as the drivers of development agendas a cross the global. With onset of globalization these organization have a mandate to ensure that the poor states are not at a disadvantaged and this process works towards their survival. The many challenges facing the poor in the world can only be tackled with an open mind coupled with genuine offer help them overcome such challenges. Though skeptics have been raised as far as the conduct of some of the organization is concerned. A general overlook clearly shows that the organization have brought hope to the hopeless as well as creating a situation where the people can lead better lives. (Woods,T 1993)

NGOs have and will continue to play an important role as far as social and economic development is concerned. They will continue being a force through which communities are empowered and helped to realize their potential. Setting development agendas remains a crucial role for these organizations which have emerged as strong forces which can change the society. Realization by governments and other international organization of the potential held by NGOs have led to close working relationship in helping realize development goal.