Reshaping World Politics
Chapter 4 Questions
JustAct
- What are some social, economic, and political implications of addressing
the needs of students? (86)
- Could ODN just as easily have been founded by American students as by students
from Bangladesh? Why or why not? (86)
- To what issues or causes do you have a "life-long commitment"?
What types of activities and experiences led to your commitment(s)? Based
on your answers, is JustAct's work likely to foster "life-long commitments
to social and economic justice"? Cite specific examples to support your
position. (86-88)
- Do the projects that JustAct supports in other countries, many of which
are relatively small in scale, really make a difference? How much difference?
To whom? (88-90)
- Was it a good idea for JustAct to broaden the focus of its organizational
activities in the late 1990s? What are some advantages and disadvantages of
such a move? (89-90)
- What are some of the broader implications of JustAct's particular type of
inclusiveness for global civil society? State somewhat differently: Beyond
establishing a certain type of relationship with its partners, what does JustAct
hope to accomplish by adhering to its inclusive principles? (91-92)
- How important are the (a) intercultural and (b) interpersonal exchanges
in which JustAct engages? As an organization, how much more or less effective
would JustAct be without these exchanges? (95-97)
- Was JustAct's "overt, clear decision to be more political" - part
of its late 1990s shift of focus - a good idea? Why or why not? (97-98)
Womankind Worldwide
- What are some social, economic, and political implications of addressing
the needs of women? (100)
- What is "empowerment"? What are some of its theoretical and practical
effects? (100)
- In terms of women's life experiences, is anything important not addressed
by Womankind's "four literacies"? What does this tell you about
the value of this theoretical framework as an basis for Womankind's organizational
activities? (101, 110)
- How is Womankind's inclusiveness similar to or different from that of other
NGOs examined in this book? (105)
- Is Womankind's decision to play the role of "facilitator" a good
one, or would the NGO and its benefactors be better served if Womankind initiated
projects itself? Explain your answer. (107, 110)
- How do Womankind's "clustering" approach and its emphasis on what
are sometimes called "strategic gender needs" help it to accomplish
its organizational goals? How might be some effects of this particular approach
and emphasis on global civil society? (111-113)
- How realistic is Womankind's vision "of a future society in which women
can take their place as equal partners in determining the values, direction
and governance of their community and country - for the benefit of all"?
Is your answer different after reading about Womankind's activities and their
effects than it was before? (100-115)
Oxfam
- What are some social, economic, and political implications of addressing
the needs of the poor? (117)
- Which of the three strands of Oxfam's work - humanitarian response, development
work, and advocacy - do you consider most important, and why? (118)
- Compare Oxfam's organizational development experience to Greenpeace's. In
this regard, what accounts for the differences between these two organizations?
(119-124)
- Will Oxfam's recent decision "to be global" have any notable effect(s)
on how this NGO contributes to global civil society? Explain your answer.
(121)
- What is "poverty"? How is Oxfam's conceptualization of poverty
similar to or different from your own? (124)
- Can individual people's voices be heard, and can a broad exchange of (varied)
ideas take place, in an NGO the size of Oxfam? What institutional factors
or characteristics might hamper or facilitate such a process? (125-127)
- Do you agree or disagree with Oxfam's belief that "people living in
poverty usually know how to sort out their own problems, but lack the means
to do so"? Why? What are the implications of your answer for how relief
and development work should best be approached? (127-129)
- With regard to Oxfam's organizational cognizance, which of the NGO's activities
and strategies are most significant? Why? (130-135)
- Are Oxfam's age and size a help or a hindrance when it comes to accomplishing
its organizational objectives? Are there other organizational traits that
might influence your answer to this question? (116-137)
Comparisons
- With regard to each of these NGOs, what are the most important results of
its choice to target a particular population (students, women, the poor)?
- With which of the three NGOs examined in this chapter are you most impressed?
Least impressed? Why?
- Which one of these three NGOs contributes most significantly to global civil
society? Explain your answer.