According to Justin the question of equitable relationships is a big challenge. "I worked for many years with an Irish NGO that had huge over $65 million a year as resources. Our partners were small CSOs in the South, who did not have so much money. When you have the money it gives you power. We have to release that power so that it becomes a partnership of equals. But then who do we become accountable to? To our less-privileged partners in the South, or to our donors who give the money and are just looking for a report on outcomes? This is a challenge for the northern CSOs. It is also a challenge for southern CSOs. Many of our partners at CPDE are very sophisticated organisations based in metro-cities, with a good income. But the organisations that they represent are in far-flung parts of rural areas. This poses a challenge for an equitable relationship."
For Azra, "Many governments in the south see Istanbul Principles as a whipping tool for civil society. After 9/11, the world scenario has changed drastically, especially in countries like Pakistan. If you ask for any kind of accountability from the government you are labelled as being anti-national. CSOs who work in difficult areas - with undocumented migrants, with farmers whose lands have been grabbed in the name of so-called development like making posh residential colonies, highways, big dams - and make themselves accountable to the people, get into trouble with the government. At the same time many iNGOs and big CSOs are getting billions of dollars many of them have become clearing houses for Overseas Development Assistance (ODA)."
Redefining accountability and effectiveness
Justin finds merit in understanding what accountability means, rather than redefining it. "It is more of a question of sustainability. A lot of our work can be short term - say a 3-year project funded on a 3-year budget. But we may not get the endpoint in such short projects that involve the community. Economic and social issues are complex problems and cannot be resolved by short-term programmes. So how do we handle that relationship in terms of long-term commitments and sustainable partnerships?"
But for Azra, there is a dire need to redefine accountability, and organizations who consider themselves to be the biggest players in field of development (like the World Bank, World Trade Organisation and International Monetary Fund) need to be restructured.
"The issue of accountability is used as a stick against the CSOs who really want to serve the people. However, CPDE is grounded in the belief that aid has to be accountable. There are many shades of accountability, apart from fiduciary accountability. There has to be accountability in the work we do, and in the messages we convey."
Is civil-society space shrinking?
Both Azra and Justin agree that CSO space is shrinking.
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