As many as 300 international non government organisations support development projects in China, with a combined investment of around USD 200 million per year, according to a directory of international NGOs published today by China Development Brief.

But it's not the money that counts so much as the international exchange of ideas and experience according to the directory's editor, Nick Young.

"This is an extraordinary indicator of China's integration into the global community," said Mr. Young. "Our directory includes organisations from several continents and several distinct traditions - faith-based agencies; secular, humanitarian associations; philanthropic foundations and activist groups. This highly diverse community employs hundreds of professional staff who every day engage with Chinese partners and officials in thousands of conversations about the nature of 'development'."

The directory profiles the work of more than 200 organisations, ranging from small, grass roots groups working in a handful of villages to major, grant-making foundations. Each entry outlines the origins and history of the organisation in question, describes its way of working, and gives details of its annual budget and number of staff in China. Asian organisations are included along with those based in Europe, North America and Australasia. Also included are organisations based in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Macao.

'200 International NGOs in China' is published in Chinese, but an English language version is also available.

A global context for China's civil society

As well as facilitating further, constructive exchange between international and Chinese agencies, the directory sets out a global context for China's own, emerging civil society.

"Several Chinese researchers have elaborated theoretical frameworks for China's non profit sector," says Mr. Young. "We felt that a global, historical perspective was often missing from this work. We have tried to fill that gap with a publication that introduces Chinese readers to NGO history -- which is actually far longer than the history of, say, the United Nations or the World Bank! There are some amazing stories to be told: about people like the Swiss banker, Henri Dunant, who created the international Red Cross movement after happening to witness the battle of Solferino in 1856; Eglantyne Jebb, who created the international Save the Children movement in 1919 in order to save German children from the needless cruelty of an economic blockade that continued after the end of the First World War, and American steel magnate, Andrew Carnegie, who argued in 1903 that the wealthy have a duty to give away their riches before they die, and who spent the last decade of his life building libraries around the world with the huge fortune that he had amassed."

The internationalisation of INGOs

Given the internationalist ethos of most development NGOs, it is not surprising that many are strongly committed to localisation, on the one hand, and to incorporating Chinese partners into international networks, on the other. The directory includes an introductory essay that considers the growing trend towards 'localisation + internationalisation'. It concludes that in the near future more international NGOs can be expected to look for cooperation opportunities in China, with a view either to establishing local chapters or to working through local organisations; and this may itself have a significant impact on the development of China's civil society.

"It's a bit like the way that Christianity used to be seen as a 'Western' religion, associated with European and US imperialism," says Mr. Young. "Nowadays the church congregations of Latin America, Africa and Asia far outnumber those of the West. Similarly, international NGOs that are based in Western countries now actively seek to connect with and work through local partners who share their ideals. It's about a world where people are united by shared values, not divided by lines drawn on maps. That's the real hope for the 21st century."

--Ends-

EDITORS: For more information, contact:

Tina Qian
tina@chinadevelopmentbrief.cn

SALES INFORMATION:

The British Council and the Ford Foundation contributed to the research and publication costs of '200 International NGOs in China' but a large part of the costs must be recovered from sales. Review copies will therefore only be available only to accredited journalists.

The primary product is in Chinese; 232 A4 pp, stitched and bound. It is available to Chinese organisations and individuals for CNY 80 per copy plus carriage.

Also available is a photocopied, ring-bound version in English. USD 40 per copy, plus carriage.

For further sales information, contact

English Edition:dingoen@chinadevelopmentbrief.cn

Chinese Edition:dingocn@chinadevelopmentbrief.cn