NGOs Support Relief Effort in China
By Marnie Suss
May 29, 2008 | Printer Friendly

The Washington Post reports an increase of non-profit and grass-roots organizations which have supported the relief efforts of the recent earthquake in China. The decision by the Chinese government to allow non-governmental organizations assist with disaster relief is a departure from previous policy, a shift that has positively impacted the aid effort. The Wall Street Journal argues the sentiment is an even deeper shift, as “xenophobic anger has been exchanged for a new spirit of volunteerism.” Though the authorities are still skeptical of the smaller organizations, many independent organizations have emerged and provided aid as a result of access to technology including the use of online message boards, blogs and community coordination centers.

According to the Washington Post, the rise in citizen support is largely prompted by people in other areas of China feeling a sense of “shared responsibility” with the government for the relief efforts. Xiao Qiang, director of the China Internet Project at the University of California at Berkeley, said that the smaller, independent groups of volunteers have been able to disperse aid almost as fast as the military. "Many self-organized social networks are not formal organizations, but altogether their numbers, resources and role in society is much larger than what the government has officially allowed in the past," Xiao said.

The Wall Street Journal reported that the “100 richest individuals had already donated more than $130 million for the victims and twenty seven Chinese philanthropists individually donated 100 million yuan or more to charity last year,” which indicates that those not on the front lines of the aid relief have also shared in this sense of responsibility.

The earthquake has shown the government that NGOs can be an asset and, as Reuters writes, that “the role of the volunteers does not conflict with the role of the primary party organization. It shows that orderly and good participation will not reduce or weaken the leading role of the party.” However, the Washington Post notes that while policies may be more open to the idea of NGO participation, the government will not make it easier to register NGOs.

The Washington Post cites Gao Guizi, director of the Sichuan Social Development Research Institute, who sums up the change in the government’s attitude: “From this disaster, the government has come to realize the power of the grass roots. This power will be helpful in establishing and managing a real civil society. But the problem is how to allow the grass-roots groups to take part in an orderly way.” The Wall Street Journal adds that these organizations “fill a vital role, and not just in times of disaster and Chinese citizens are increasingly aware that government can't solve all problems, all the time.”

References:

Washington Post: Citizens' Groups Step Up In China

Wall Street Journal: Can Charity Change China?

Reuters: China Communists praise own, NGOs fast quake relief