NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN AFRICA.   Term Paper ID:28789 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Structure, goals & differing agendas of NPOs. Funding sources. Issues & challenges.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Structure, goals & differing agendas of NPOs. Funding sources. Issues & challenges. Paper Introduction: NON PROFITS IN AFRICA Introduction A non-profit organization (NPO) has as its charter, the goal of fostering some sort of human improvement -- either through research, social assistance, health awareness and so on. The NPO, because it is structured as an organization that spends money without generating income, must rely on the support of other organizations and governments and contributions from individuals to finance its operations. Usually there are tax benefits for the individual contributors. Africa is a breeding ground for Non-Profit Organizations. An excellent guide to the agencies functioning in that nation has been prepared by Kwasi Bosompem and is called A Guide on Who is Doing What in Africa. This book provides comprehensive information on social Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Africa Today After a period of unprecedented decline, there is fairly unanimousagreement among non-profit leaders that Africa's development prospects nowappear brighter than at any time since the decade of independence. There is agreement that the greatestissue facing Africa, and the one that requires immediate attention, isdeveloping policies to mitigate the problems arising from the related areasof population expansion, declining per capita agricultural production, andincreasing threats to the continent's fragile ecology. As aresult, hope is growing that Africa now has a distinct opportunity to meetbasic human needs and sharply reduce poverty in an environment of economicgrowth. It proposed the African Development Bank, fostered sub-regional organizations, and, in recent years, assumed fundamentalresponsibilities in regional trade, monetary relations, and informatics. Issues at Work The non-profits mentioned above are working to agree on common goalsthat would benefit the most people. This also suggests that there is a need to also concentrate ondeveloping an efficient public sector and a robust private sector,enhancing popular participation in civil society, and addressing ways toenhance their individual and linked roles. Africa is the only continent where agricultural production per capitahas been declining steadily, and population and environmental degradationare increasing. (1999), A Guide on Who is Doing What in Africa, SiverSprings, MD: PRDC U.S. A newgeneration of leaders has absorbed the lessons of the past and is boldlymoving ahead with reforms, liberalization of economies, and discipline inmanagement (Bayliss, 1994). To this end, H.R. This book provides comprehensive information on social andeconomic development programs funded by federal government agencies,foundations /corporations and work being done by US non-profitorganizations in Africa. Part of this goal is highlighted in the 1999 passage of HR 434, by theUnited States Congress. Usually there are tax benefitsfor the individual contributors. Anexcellent guide to the agencies functioning in that nation has beenprepared by Kwasi Bosompem and is called A Guide on Who is Doing What inAfrica. Bosompem, K. 7), Africare Calls For Aid To Rwandans "AnEntire Generation At Stake", Chicago Weekend, pp PG. The challenges to delivering sound economicmanagement, implementing equitable public policies, reducing pressures onthe environment, coping with food and water insecurities, and amelioratingfragile ethnic relations are among serious issues confronting Africa as itheads into the 21st century. The challenges facing non-profits, therefore, is working to educateAfrican policy-makers concerning the need of integrating food, population,and environment concerns into development planning; building national andlocal capacity to manage issues in the context of national developmentpolicies; encouraging attention of Member States on policies to accelerateagricultural productivity; and identifying and promoting the adoption ofbest practices. The assessment enabled ECA to identify how it must change and what itmust do during the next few years to help accelerate Africa's socio-economic development. The bill states that the United States would seekto facilitate market-led economic growth in the countries in sub-SaharanAfrica. At least a third of these countriesrecorded growth rates of 6 percent and above in 1995, and only threecountries experienced negative growth compared to fourteen countries theyear before. Even Africa's terms of trade are showing modest improvement.Furthermore, most African states are more determined than ever to settleconflicts peaceably. In 1995, more than half the nations of Africa enjoyed real GDP growthin excess of their population growth. Aug. This situation has resulted in greater food insecurity inAfrica and undermined prospects for long-term sustainable development.Today, Africa is the only region where the number of poor-and hence thenumber facing food insecurity (now estimated as one-third of thecontinent's population)-is projected to continue rising. Already, the middle class is increasing, governance is moreresponsible and pluralistic, and cooperation among African nations isbeginning to yield reciprocal gains. In the process,ECA was willing to put everything on the table-substantive workprograms and management systems alike. Over the forty yearssince its founding, the Commission has made major contributions to Africa'sdevelopment. Intellectual and program strengths abound on the continent. This source reveals that more than $17 billion in non-profitdevelopment funds have been alloted. Africa is a breeding ground for Non-Profit Organizations. To prepare itself to be effectivein this time of decision, the Economic Commission for Africa in 1997announced the completion of a systematic, yearlong assessment (mid-1995 tomid-1996) of its strengths and weaknesses (Bosopmen, 1999). 434 contains a statement of policy that Congress would support economic self-reliance for sub-Saharan African countries, particularly those committed to economic and political reform; market incentives and private sector growth; the eradication of poverty; and the importance of women to economic growth and development ("U.S. One of the biggest challenges, therefore, for the non-profits will betrying to assist governments to reform regulatory frameworks that canimprove market functioning, promote dialogue between government andbusiness, and establish methods and techniques of collaboration that canfoster enterprise. The remainder of this paper willattempt to determine to what use that money has been put. Thus, one can foresee a future in which, at the very least,universal basic education and health services are available and enterprisesflourish. The primary onesare these economic organizations: African Centre for Women, AfricanDevelopment Bank, African Economic Research Consortium, frican Federationof Women Entrepreneurs, Council for the Development of Economic and SocialResearch in Africa Development Policy Management Forum, Economic Commissionfor Africa, Economic Community of Central Africa, Economic Commission forEurope, Economic and Social Council, Economic Community of West AfricaStates, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, Economicand Social Commission for Western Asia, Food and Agriculture Organization,African Women's Development and Communication Network, German Agency forTechnical Cooperation, International Bank for Reconstruction andDevelopment, African Institute for Economic Development and Planning,International Development Research Centre, International FinanceCorporation, Inter-Governmental Authority on Drought and Development,International Labour Organization, International Monetary Fund,International Telecommunications Union, Southern Cone Common Market,Multilateral Investment Guarantee Authority, Organization of African Unity,Pan-African Development Information Service, Pan Institute for Development-Eastern and Southern Africa, Pan-African News Agency, Pan-African RadioSystem and the Southern African Development Community. This willnot be an easy task, but only by bringing Africa into the Information Age,can the new technologies that the continent needs to participate fully inthe global economy be introduced and exploited. REFERENCES Bayliss, D.A. NON PROFITS IN AFRICA Introduction A non-profit organization (NPO) has as its charter, the goal offostering some sort of human improvement -- either through research, socialassistance, health awareness and so on. In public-sector training, thesenon-profits must focus on promoting good governance by encouraging systemsthat foster accountability and minimize corruption. The document provides an inventory of theseorganizations and, most importantly, their sources of funding, along withthe amounts. The course towards such a new worldis by no means certain. Economic relations with Africa bill documents (1999, March 8),Africa News Service Economic," 1999, Online). Bosompem points out that in Africa, the problem could very well bethat there are too many non-profit agencies at work, since most of themhave different agendas. As Africa's development teeters between the forces of progress and theforces of fracture, timing is critical. The NPO, because it is structuredas an organization that spends money without generating income, must relyon the support of other organizations and governments and contributionsfrom individuals to finance its operations. In conclusion, it is safe to assert that there are numerous non-profit organizations in Africa, and most of them share a common goal: tobring the most under developed Continent into the 21st Century. As a result, ECA is being reshaped to anticipateopportunities, rather than merely react to events. (1994. Bosompem (1999), in his excellent guide to Africa points out thatthere are, at last count, more than 4, non-profit organizationsfunctioning (or disfunctioning in some cases in Africa. 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