Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07GUANGZHOU176
2007-02-07 07:33:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Guangzhou
Cable title:  

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

Tags:  PHUM SOCI PGOV CH 
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C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 000176 

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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

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 000176

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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