NGOs in a global future: marrying local delivery to worldwide leverage

This article argues that global trends are creating unprecedented opportuni ties for civic action at local, national and international levels. Three in terconnected trends are identified: economic and cultural globalization, an d the inequality and insecurity they breed; the increasing complexity of hu manitarian action in response to ethnic conflict and intrastate violence; a nd the reform of international co-operation to deal with the problems these trends create. In response, new forms of solidarity are emerging between c itizens and authorities at different levels of the world system. It is thes e new relationships-expressed through partnerships, alliances and other for ms of co-operation-that provide the framework for NGO interventions, but th ey also require major changes in NGOs themselves. Chief among these changes are a move from 'development-as-delivery' to 'development-as-leverage'; ne w relationships with corporations, elements of states, the military, intern ational institutions and other groups in civil society; and new skills and capacities to mediate these linkages. These developments call for major cha nges in NGO roles, relationships, capacities and accountabilities. Copyrigh t (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.