Refugees, particularly female Afghan refugees, are among the most vulnerable populations. For decades, previous research on displaced and refugee populations had a “nongendered” approach toward studying refugees' experiences and struggles: they either looked at refugees' experiences as a group, or in cases where they had a focus, they mostly looked at male refugees' experiences and challenges throughout the pre-flight, flight, and resettlement process. This dissertation, however, examined the personal narratives, experiences, and challenges of female Afghan refugees throughout their resettlement process in the U.S. Specifically, taking an ethnographic qualitative method approach, this study examined (a) female Afghan refugees experiences of the everyday routines throughout the early transitional period of resettlement, and (b) the advocacy work of local NGOs with refugees as they navigate and manage the new everyday routines. To address the research questions, I volunteered, worked, and drew the sample from a midwestern local refugee-advocacy NGO. I conducted participant observation for more than 24 months and 16 in- depth 1- to 2 hour-long interviews, with three female Afghan refugees, and 13 NGO staff, liaisons, and volunteers. Using Tracy's (2013) iterative paradigm data analysis yielded three emergent themes in regard to RQ1, (a) مرد و مدد (Mard va Madad), (b) illiteracy and English language (im-)proficiency, and (c) support of local NGOs. Following the same analysis approach, the relationship between liaisons and refugees was explained using parent-child relationship metaphor with one overarching theme of independence vs./and autonomy and two subthemes of fulfilling vs./and expectation and expectation vs/and reality. The result of this study provides a deeper understanding of refugee voices and experiences from their perspective and role of refugee-advocacy NGOs by pointing out the importance of considering refugees' cultural background, social gen (open full item for complete abstract)

This study examined the participatory development practice of international Northern NGOs in the context of the area governed by the Palestinian Authority. It was conducted in two phases. The first contained a two-round Delphi study to solicit the definitions and conceptualizations of people's participation in social development projects maintained by policy makers and administrators of NGOs in Northern donor countries assisting the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Thirteen major donor organizations answered a first round open-ended questionnaire, providing data on their conceptualizations and definitions; a question summary from round one was sent to those organizations to establish preliminary priorities of items. Five organizations responded to this second round. Data were collected over a six-month period during 2002 and 2003. A series of structured items based on these Delphi rounds, a Likert-type rating scale, were developed and used in the second phase examining the definitions, attitudes and practices of 109 social workers and supervisors of local Palestinian social development projects in the West Bank. The questionnaire aimed at describing and exploring how actual NGO activities and practices exhibit participatory qualities. Survey data were collected in the summer of 2003. Factor analysis explored the definitions of various underlying participation constructs, practices and attitudes, and tested whether items reflecting the different definitions (dimensions) unite as a concept. This study's results showed that donor organizations use ambitious definitions, while social workers were neutral toward participation, reporting lack of training in the topic and that participatory activities are rarely used, or take place most likely only during identification of needs. While donor organizations focused on empowering beneficiaries and target groups through participation, social workers emphasized beneficiaries' contribution to projects as the m (open full item for complete abstract)

Funding from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are very important contributions to the implementation of poverty reduction and socio-economic development. To ensure the success of these projects/programs, the role of foreign NGOs and their contribution must be thoroughly understood. However, how to maintain and improve the effective role of foreign NGOs in implementing the projects is a difficult question for policy making agencies in developing country. My research will focus on identifying the concept of NGOs - What are NGOs? What are their functions in development? How have NGOs grown in Vietnam? And what are their contributions to poverty reduction and development process in the country? From the findings, the research will explore and list out the limitations and existing problems of foreign NGOs, and proposed solutions to enhance the effectiveness of projects/programs funded by foreign NGOs to promote long-term and sustainable achievements of the country.I used quantitative and qualitative methods for my research. For field research, I conducted either face-to-face or Internet phone (Skype) interviews with foreign NGO employees, government officials at central and provincial levels, and local beneficiaries to determine the levels of contribution of foreign NGOs in development. Also, I collected site documents produced by foreign NGOs, stakeholders, and government agencies such as working reports, training materials, newsletters and websites, and minutes of meetings for my research. In my thesis, I proposed that in order to maintain the level of foreign NGOs' involvement, funding sources, and to ensure the sustainability of development programs in the country, Vietnamese governmental agencies should continuously enhance their efforts in maintaining and securing more fund from foreign NGOs and international donors by amending related legal documents with simplified and speedy procedures, building capacity for local partners to facilitate foreign NGOs operati (open full item for complete abstract)

Conflict around the world is growing in middle-income, democratizing countries (ACLED Conflict Index, 2023). Even in the absence of war, conflict has the power to deeply impact a society and impact community development efforts. The impacts of conflict include the social, physical, and economic infrastructures, and can also leave lasting emotional and personal wounds. State fragility, ongoing violence, and illegitimate governments can further exacerbate an exhausted humanitarian system (Elayah et al., 2023). Conflict in places like Colombia is especially interesting because of the ways local gangs impact communities and post-conflict development efforts. The purpose of this study was to explore how NGOs engage with the community Vereda Granizal and leverage community capitals to pursue community development. This study in Granizal, Medellin Colombia, implemented a multiple-case comparative study designed with each NGO representing a case (Merriam, 1998). The State Failure Theory (Rotberg, 2004), the Conflict Transformation Theory (Lederach, 2014), the Community Capitals Framework (Flora & Flora, 2013), and a peacebuilding lens (Lederach, 1997) informed this study. Local NGO leaders were sampled, and data were collected using semi-structured interviews conducted in Spanish, which were transcribed, translated, and analyzed for themes and sub-themes among each case. Then, a cross-case analysis was performed to identify similarities and differences among each case. The results demonstrate a high-level of engagement with community members, the importance of social and built capitals, mid-level engagement with natural and cultural capitals, and low-level engagement with financial and political capitals. Education and programming proved to be invaluable resources to the community as was collaboration with other NGOs and external entities like universities. Ultimately, the NGOs demonstrated the ways in which they engage with their strengths and assets to promote commu (open full item for complete abstract)

The World Bank classifies the Lebanese economic crisis as one of the 10 worst such crises globally since the 19th century—and possibly one of the top three. Azma fawq ‘azma [crisis upon crisis] includes financial collapse, inability to care for 1.5 million refugees, the highest number of refugees per capita in the world, the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic on an already fragile healthcare system, and the catastrophic explosion in Beirut, one of the worst non-nuclear explosions in human history, that killed 218 people, injured 7,000, and left 300,000 unhoused. Due to unprecedented levels of inflation, the Lebanese pound has lost 90% of its value, food prices have risen 500%, and 80% of the population lives in poverty. These crises have transformed Lebanon from a beacon of success to a failed state. Given the severe lack of organizational communication research in the Mashreq (Middle East), this dissertation is of particular importance as it fills a critical gap in research. The dissertation takes an interdisciplinary approach to examine how NGOs mobilize support, provide services, and engage in interorganizational collaboration to support citizens, residents, and asylum seekers struggling to survive in Lebanon. The triangulated methodological approach includes policy analysis, two phases of field research in Lebanon, and in-depth interviews with leaders, administrators, employees, and volunteers representing 52 NGOs. Interview respondents (n = 64) provided first-hand experiences, insights, and assessments of NGOs' efforts to combat intersecting crises, reflected on the complexity of these crises, and highlighted the need for economic and political reform to assuage the feelings of being trapped in the azma fawq ‘azma. Emergent themes include the importance of collective identity through interorganizational collaboration, the benefits of group cohesion in providing support and services, a sense of purpose that has expanded alongside the crises, a continuing (open full item for complete abstract)

This qualitative study highlights rich and compelling insights into how individuals living with disability identities are treated negatively as a result of their physical differences. To understand what it means to be disabled in The Gambia, this study obtained different viewpoints of how individuals make sense of their disability identities by examining the perceptions of individuals living with disabilities, the family members of persons with disabilities, and employees of a disability NGO known as The Gambia Organization of the Visually Impaired (GOVI). The results of the study suggest that people with disabilities in The Gambia can be differentiated into three main categories. These include (1) individuals who rely on the community's goodwill for sustenance, and as a result of their dependency, feel profoundly devalued by society; (2) Folks with disabilities who are employed, self-reliant, and economically independent and therefore have the choice to defy and/or dispute the social structures that limit and discriminate against them; and (3) individuals who are assertive, embrace their disabilities, and portray themselves as resilient as a result of the positive support obtained from family members and people close to them.

This research examines the funding practices of international non-governmental organizations supporting grassroots women's groups in Nicaragua. Specifically, it explores the disconnect between the theoretical ideals and organizational practices of foreign donor agencies and the "on the ground" perspectives of grassroots women's organizations regarding the best use of international development resources in promoting women's rights and empowerment in Nicaragua. This thesis investigates why this discrepancy exists and what can be done to reconcile the divide. The suggestions put forth in this work are rooted in the ideas of people in the field, specifically interviews with leaders from both international and local organizations about the relationship between the two kinds of organizations. The thesis is divided into five chapters covering a brief history of Nicaragua, Nicaraguan women's movements, the role of NGOs, key ideas from the interviews, and final conclusions.

The struggle between the needs of activists working within a local context and the international opinion of the best actions are often at odds within women's rights work. The international organizations have a disproportionate amount of power, as they can largely control whether domestic activists see the international support that would help their cause. International support can entail funding, awareness, pressure on governments, or the ability to be involved in international decisions in the future. This disparate power relationship can lead to toxic relationships in which domestic activists have to change their work to suit the international expectations. Even when domestic activists avoid working with international activists, there are constraints placed upon them because of the beliefs of international feminism. Two case studies of activists within Nigeria and India show how activists are restricted by this international pressure, as well as how they are adapting to make it work in their favor. The domestic organizations are sometimes able to bypass gatekeeping, allowing for more diversity within feminism, but it is still limited by the international community.

This research examines the situation with the delivery of humanitarian services to the internally displaced persons in the Republic of Azerbaijan. It explores the ways in which relief assistance could be delivered more efficiently. The study concentrates on several major approaches to service delivery: 1) delivery of assistance in an integrated fashion (addressing multiple issues at a time), 2) delivery of assistance in a segmented fashion (addressing one issue at a time), 3) delivery of assistance with participation of the Government of Azerbaijan, and 4) delivery of assistance without the Government's participation. The research focuses on five main issues which have been identified as the most urgent ones: food aid, shelter, health, employment/income generation, and education. For each of these issues, the research tests the effectiveness of the above approaches to service delivery. The study concludes by establishing that integrated approaches to service delivery tend to yield longer-term results, but they can be complex and consume many more resources and much more time than segmented approaches. Segmented projects, generally, tend to be simpler, and reach far more beneficiaries. However, they are more likely not to eradicate root causes of problems addressed. And finally, collaboration and coordination of efforts with the government and other organizations involved are crucial to avoid overlapping and duplication of activities in both integrated and segmented projects.

This study uses qualitative methodology to examine the contributions of Non-Governmental Organizations in response to the conditions of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Kano metropolis. The study investigates what these organizations do, what methods, techniques, and strategies they employ to identify the causes of OVC's conditions for intervention. The study acknowledges colonization, globalization, poverty, illiteracy, and individualism as contributing factors to OVC's conditions. However, essentially, the study identifies gross misunderstanding between paternal and maternal relatives of children to be the main factor responsible for the OVC's conditions. This social disorganization puts the children in difficult conditions including exposure to health, educational, moral, emotional, psychological, and social problems. The thesis concludes that through "collective efficacy" the studied organizations are a perfect means for solving-problem. The associations operate on existing family structures, cement relationships, provide social networking among the contending relatives, and most importantly positively impacting the lives of the OVC.

The recent history of women's movement in India is dominated by discourses on roles of Non-governmental Organizations fostering women's empowerment. This dissertation responds to the gaps in such discussions through a study of three women's rights NGOs Sanlaap, Jabala and New Light in Kolkata, India working primarily with sex workers and trafficking survivors. The study challenges simplistic conclusions about the role of NGOs to promote women's empowerment by addressing the following questions: which conceptualizations of empowerment prevail in an organization? Are they contested and under what circumstances and with what results? How do women targeted as beneficiaries perceive projects, the organization, its staff, and their own potential empowerment? And, in a more general sense, how does the shifting socioeconomic framework of neoliberalism in India in general and in West Bengal specifically constrain or contribute to women's rights advocacy on the part of women's rights NGOs? Further, the study has situated the three NGOs within their history, culture, and political and economic context, all widely recognized as critical to the understanding of the opportunities and constraints under which NGOs make strategic decisions, establish goals, and develop and implement programs. The dissertation identifies circumstances that play key roles in the conceptualization of empowerment and that influence not only the goals and strategies of the organizations but also the relationships among the multiple actors that contribute to the financing, management, and outcomes of NGOs.