Abstract
While China has enjoyed rapid economic growth in the past three decades, its social structure has also undergone significant changes. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) are playing an increasingly important role in local social and economic development. NGOs in China’s ethnic areas are also emerging and many of them are doing a commendable job in education, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and protection of women and children’s rights and interests. This study looks at the development of NGOs in China in general and in China’s ethnic areas in particular, and examines the way NGOs operate. We find that despite all the difficulties of human and financial resources, many NGOs have persisted in their good work. The future development of NGOs, however, requires that the state provide a better legal environment, and that the society provide more support. NGOs are the key players in a civil society. Without strong NGOs, there would be no strong civil society. The resolution of ethnic conflicts in minority areas needs a strong civil society with NGOs as key players.
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Notes
- 1.
“Jidu” comes from Tibetan language pronunciation. It is a traditional mutual benefit and cooperation organization in the village of Ba in Tibet. Its functions are mainly performed in daily activities, such as housing, production, funerals, education, and so on. When one faces difficulties and requires aid, he or she will be helped by others and record it as a standard of helping others. As such, in the view of Chen Bo (2009), it is also a social support network that exists in a guild (a religious organization that fosters a belief in secular society) or economic mutual-aid organization. The households are their basic unit, but the individual person will sometimes take part in it.
- 2.
Scholars usually divide NGOs into business-oriented international NGO (BINGOs), government-operated NGOs (GONGOs), and civilian NGOs by their missions, structures, and degrees of autonomy to make research easier (Jon 2000; Ogden 2002). However, the divisions get fuzzy; it is often difficult to determine when an NGO is independent of a business or a government partner and when they are its partner, or in fact control the NGO. For the convenience of statistics, NGOs are divided into three categories: foundations (jijinhui), social organizations (shehui tuanti), and private non-enterprise units run by NGOs (minban fei qiye danwei) in China (Wang Ming 2006).
- 3.
Shehui Tuanti Dengji Guanli Tiaoli (Regulations on registration and administration of social organizations) (promulgated by the State Council, Oct. 25, 1998, effective Oct. 25, 1998). Please see the Web site at http://baike.baidu.com/view/438452.htm, last accessed on May 22, 2012.
- 4.
Spring Bud Project. http://en.cctf.org.cn/promore.asp?lm=22. Last accessed on June 25, 2012.
- 5.
“Project Hope” is a Chinese public service project organized by the CYDF and the Communist Youth League (CYL) Central Committee. Started on October 30, 1989, it aims to bring schools into poverty-stricken rural areas of China and help children whose families are too poor to afford it to complete elementary school education.
- 6.
The “Program of Happiness” was established in 1995 by the CPWF to help impoverished mothers.
- 7.
“The Candlelight Project” (zhuguang gongcheng) was established in 1998 by the China Charity Federation to help teachers with financial difficulties improve their standard of living and to offer them further study opportunities.
- 8.
For the introduction of the Jinpa Project, please see their Web site at http://www.jinpa.org.cn/About%20us%202.html, last accessed on May 22, 2012.
- 9.
School rebuilding, please see their Web site at http://www.xuanyuan.hk/English/ItemList.asp, last accessed on May 15, 2012.
- 10.
Our Programs. Please see their Web site at http://www.wvchi.org.cn/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=10&id=31&Itemid=97, last accessed on May 15, 2012.
- 11.
National Ethnic Orphans Relief Fund, please see their Web site at http://en.cctf.org.cn/prozi.asp?lm=25&lm2=39, last accessed on May 15, 2012.
- 12.
For information on Oxfam Hong Kong, please see their Web site at http://www.oxfam.org.hk/en/china_206.aspx, last accessed on May 15, 2012.
- 13.
“China Programme Committee of Oxfam Hong Kong: xiangmu shenqing zhiyin ji xiangmu guanli gaishu (program application guide and management brief)” (2009), at http://www.oxfam.org.cn/userfiles/application_handbook.pdf, last accessed on May 15, 2012.
- 14.
“Zhouqu xian jiuzai zijin wuzi guanli banfa yi chutai” (Rules and regulations on the management of relief fund and materials for the county of Zhouqu) at http://www.gn.gansu.gov.cn/html/2010-08/4778.html, last accessed on May 6, 2012.
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Liu, X. (2014). NGO Development in China’s Ethnic Areas. In: Hao, Z., Chen, S. (eds) Social Issues in China. International Perspectives on Social Policy, Administration, and Practice, vol 1. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-2224-2_9
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