"As is above, so is below." The ancient idea from alchemy that the microcosm reflects the macrocosm is a lesson that Taiwan's non-governmental organization (NGO) community should bear in mind.
I recently spoke at a seminar on the development of NGOs in Taiwan sponsored by the National Youth Commission, at which the future of Taiwan's NGOs was discussed.
What is clear is that NGO development in Taiwan is full of both promise and pitfalls. Both need to be addressed if the NGO community is simply not going to become a reflection of the problems affecting both politics in Taiwan and the wider society.
Before beginning a discussion of some of the pitfalls that need to be avoided, let me first mention a few points to counter any impression that I may give of being anti-NGO.
First, in the seven years I have worked with NGOs in Taiwan, I have had the pleasure and honor of working with a number of fine, dedicated people. These were people who were seriously committed to improving this nation, people who were well informed about the issues and clear about the solutions thereto, people who were willing to lay their personal interests aside and work for the betterment of Taiwan.
Second, in my analysis, much of Taiwan's progress is due to the work of its NGO community and the individuals who make up that community.
Third, I need to state clearly that my comments may or may not be true for the entire spectrum of NGOs in Taiwan. My comments are based on my first-hand experience and are limited to the human rights/criminal justice NGOs that I know. Taiwan's NGOs can be subject to the same problems that affect the worlds of politics and culture in Taiwan; it is a case of the microcosm reflecting the macrocosm.
A major example of this unfortunate parallel is the bane of petty politics and dirty infighting that is often present in NGOs in Taiwan. A significant amount of the time and effort of NGOs is wasted in petty bickering and palace intrigue. The same of course can be said for politics in Taiwan.
The costs of these kinds of things are twofold. First it inflicts costs on the NGO community itself, as many skilled, knowledgeable and dedicated people get fed up with the petty politics and leave forever. The second cost is the obvious loss of effectiveness. If most of an NGO's efforts go into backstabbing among its members and its board then that leaves little time or energy to devote to the ostensible goals of the NGO.
The solution to this is simply to keep the focus of the NGO on the goals and purposes of the organization as opposed to keeping the focus on "who is in and who is out and who is friends with whom." Here in Taiwan, that is easier said than done. It seems to be a sad truth that sleaze, corruption and petty personal politics are an ingrained part of Taiwan's culture. The key is to realize that these cultural aspects can manifest themselves in NGOs, and not to assume that all "NGO people" are good people.
Keeping the focus on the goals connects with a second pitfall -- vague or nonexistent mandates. A mandate, in the NGO context, is the formal outline of what the organization's goals or purposes are. The more specific the mandate, the more successful the group will be; the more vague, the less successful.
A specific clear goal or mandate does two major things for an NGO. First it keeps the group from drifting about from one issue or one project to another. Second, to a limited extent, it reduces the internal politics that can disable an NGO. Simply put, the more things that are set out in black and white, the fewer things there are to argue about; the fewer things there are to argue about, the less likely the organization is to fall into petty bickering.
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