Civil Society in South China, Part II: "NGO for

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 000176 SIPDIS C O N F I D E N T I A L SIPDIS SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM AND DRL PACOM FOR FPA E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/07/32 TAGS: PHUM SOCI PGOV CH SUBJECT: Civil Society in South China, Part II: "NGO for NGOs" Ref: A) 06 Guangzhou 31041; B) 06 Guangzhou 18191 ¶1. (U) Classified by Consul General Robert Goldberg. Reason 1.4 (d). ¶2. (C) SUMMARY: The three-year old NGO Institute for Civil Society (housed under Zhongshan University) was created to research, train, support, and network NGOs in Guangdong province. Started by Hong Kong academics and returned Mainland overseas students, the group's most successful activities are its "NGO salon" and an independent magazine (Minjian),which highlights NGO projects in China. Facing government pressure, the institute was forced to change its parent organization and is currently under the Anthropology Department. Such pressure has made the group unwilling to risk collaborating with dissidents. This is the second of two cables describing independent civil society groups in Guangdong province. END SUMMARY. ¶3. (C) Congenoff met with Dr. Zhu Jiangang (protect, a Zhongshan University anthropology professor) and Alice Lau (protect, Liu Xiaogang),leaders of Zhongshan University's Institute for Civil Society (ICS). ICS is a research and training organization for Non-Governmental Organizations - "an NGO for NGOs" - and was formerly known as the South China Research Center for NGOs. ICS was jointly created by the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) and Zhongshan University in August 2003 and is currently organized under the Department of Anthropology. ICS has 13 research fellows, who advise the group and contribute to ICS's magazine. Besides those from Zhongshan University, fellows include professors from CUHK, Xiamen University and Taiwan's Chengchi University. ICS has a staff of approximately 12 people, including a few undergraduate interns; three staff are dedicated to publishing the bi- monthly magazine "Minjian" (Civil Society). The ICS leaders said there are not many organizations like theirs, though Fudan, Peking and Qinghua universities all have similar institutes, the latter of which offers a masters degree in social service. Goals even the CCP would like -------------- ¶4. (C) The genesis for the organization came from Lau's experience while studying at Harvard's Kennedy School and from a number of CUHK professors interested in developing China's nascent civil society. The organization realizes the restrictions the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) places on activists and the limits of the "Chinese concept of NGOs". Borrowing from CCP rhetoric, ICS's goal is (through research and training) to "develop NGOs, facilitate civil society's communication and cooperation with both the government and the business community, thus creating a harmonious and just society." Eventually ICS would like to become the China's leading institute in the field of civil society. Activities -------------- ¶5. (C) Both Oxfam in Hong Kong and the New York-based Rockefeller Brothers Foundation (a non-profit organization dedicated to social change in South China) have provided adequate funding to ICS. This funding has allowed the group to conduct a broad spectrum of activities including theoretical research into civil society with "Chinese characteristics"; NGO research, training, and networking; promotion of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR); research on the development of urban and rural communities; and promotion of volunteerism. Additionally, ICS has limited funds to provide groups as "seed-money" for beginning an NGO. Zhu and Lau believe that civil society development cannot be separated from economic development, which is why they focus on issues of health and educational services, poverty elimination programs, and environmental protection. Zhu and Lau stressed that they do not want to merely follow the "Western-conception of NGOs," where NGOs act as policy advocates, often in opposition to the government. Instead, they view NGOs as service providers that should work with government and business groups to solve social ills. ¶6. (C) ICS hosts a monthly forum for activists to share GUANGZHOU 00000176 002 OF 002 their experiences, drawing approximately 60-80 people per session. In addition, it holds quadrennial NGO "salons", inviting a number of NGOs from Guangdong Province for training and networking. The sessions provide advice on starting an NGO, project management, raising funds and membership, and leadership/capacity building. Perhaps the most important ICS activity is the magazine Minjian, which describes NGO activities in fields such as the environment, rural development, and labor. Minjian is not sold publicly, but is distributed (both within and outside the Mainland) to a select 4,000 person list. Until October 2006, Minjian was distributed together with the independent magazine "Citizen," but the latter has ceased publication due to problems with propaganda authorities (ref A, B). The group has avoided launching a website because of fears of censorship. ¶7. (C) Yale University Ph.D. candidate Anthony Spires (protect),who is writing his dissertation on NGOs in Guangdong Province, is critical of ICS's work. Spires told Congenoff that the group looks good from the outside, but has few concrete successes (though he praised Minjian). Moreover, while the Ministry of Civil Affairs has reported that there are 280,000 registered NGOs in China, Spires believes these numbers are largely inflated. According to his research, Guangdong has only 50 truly independent NGOs (Note: This contradicts a Consulate contact, who said there are approximately 100 labor NGOs in Guangdong alone. End note). A Cautious Future -------------- ¶8. (C) In late 2006, ICS was forced to change its parent organization from Zhongshan's Research Institute for Guangdong Development to the university's Department of Anthropology. Spires said this was because Zhongshan University's Dean was suspicious of the group, particularly because it sends Minjian outside the Mainland. Fortunately, Zhu persuaded the Dean of the Anthropology Department (who has influence with the university's Chancellor) to take ICS under his department. ¶9. (C) ICS wants government leaders to realize that NGOs are not dangerous institutions, intent on overthrowing the CCP. Rather NGOs can be patriotic and essential organizations that harmonize with government goals. The ICS leaders plan to hold more conferences that bring government and NGO leaders together, helping to break down misconceptions. Zhu and Lau spoke of a clear distinction between "activists" and "dissidents," where dissidents conduct activities that are in opposition to government goals while activists are responsible, government-allowed groups (and fall within ICS's purview). Comment: Starting an NGO Ain't Easy -------------- ¶10. (C) Some South China foreign diplomats have complained that it is difficult to support NGOs, because they have no long-term capability and are too dependent on one single leader. ICS's goal is to address this problem by providing a platform for NGO networking and institutional knowledge. ¶11. (C) ICS provides a good comparison with the magazine "Citizen" and its parent organization, the Guangdong Humanistic Association (GHA). Like the GHA, ICS has remained in operation partly because of its connections to influential leaders. While conducting meetings for a limited membership is allowable, the production of publicly-available media, however, is often prohibited. Thus ICS has not started a website and keeps its magazine subscription limited to a select group, avoiding the problems that Citizen faces. ICS also highlights Guangdong's proximity to Hong Kong and its democratic institutions, an influence felt in South China's civil society and media climate. ICS demonstrates that successful examples of civil society, partly because of the CCP's political control, will inevitably develop with "Chinese characteristics," placing them more under the influence of the government than is the case in many Western societies. GOLDBERG