The Plight of NGOs in Guangdong - Educating Government,

UNCLAS GUANGZHOU 000017 C O R R E C T E D C O P Y - ADDED STATE PASS LINE SENSITIVE SIPDIS STATE FOR EAP/CM, OES/PCI, DRL, AND EAP/PD STATE ALSO PASS USTR FOR CHINA OFFICE STATE PASS TO ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLGY COLLECTIVE EPA FOR OFFICE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EFIN EAGR PGOV SOCI ECON CH SUBJECT: The Plight of NGOs in Guangdong - Educating Government, Overcoming Internal Challenges REF: Guangzhou 0418 ¶1. (U) Summary. Political reform and a serious debate about civil society have not been at the forefront of 30 years of reform and opening in Guangdong province. In fact, the development of non-government organizations (NGOs) has been held back by a combination of government suspicion, their own poor management and a lack of funding. Although local NGO leaders and scholars, many of whom recognize that the scope of their activities is relatively circumscribed, in part by their lack of legal status, believe that education programs could help allay official concerns and lead to a more open environment for NGOs, they understand that the economic downturn could cause the government to tighten control of NGOs even further. End Summary. -------------- - Government Obstruction: Suspicion and Ambition -------------- - ¶2. (SBU) Guangdong Province has led China's economic development much of the past 30 years, but NGO activity here has barely gotten off the ground. According to Professor Wang Yunxiang, Director of the NGO Research Institute, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies, local government has maintained an environment more hostile to NGOs than in other economically advanced parts of China. He told us that this is due to Guangdong's historic suspicion of civil engagement and the ambition of Guangdong's leaders for professional advancement. Wang said that officials see growth in the scale and reach of NGOs as posing a potential threat to social stability. He commented that many officials continue to equate NGOs to the Color Revolution organizations of Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where non-violent demonstrations challenged and brought down governments by promoting democracy and civil engagement. ¶3. (SBU) On top of the local dynamic is a central one: Wang argues that Guangdong officials do not believe the central government is supportive of NGOs. Therefore local support will create obstacles for them as they pursue a career in Beijing. Wang claimed that the "professional advancement" culture of Guangdong politics perpetuated an unhealthy environment for the proliferation of NGOs. -------------- -------------- Shifting Mindsets: Promoting NGOs through Education -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Local academics and NGO-leaders hope that education programs - lectures and conferences in particular - will help reduce suspicions and lead to a more open environment for what some call the "third sector." Some have expressed hope that recent publicity from NGO-led relief efforts in Sichuan will draw attention to the positive work they do and the challenges they face. According to Wang, half of the battle for the hearts and minds of government bureaucrats is to reduce their fear of the unknown insofar as NGOs are concerned and explaining the positives that civil engagement can lead to. (Note: Professor Wang is one of several academics who conduct lectures for local officials on NGO theory and practice.) ¶5. (U) As one example of this type of effort, the Asia Foundation and Tsinghua University recently sponsored a conference held at Guangzhou's Sun Yat-sen University on "Civil Society Organizations and Harmonious Society." The conference was open to participants across China, but the vast majority was from Guangdong. While event organizers expected approximately 50 attendants, over 100 participated. They included not only NGO practitioners and academics, but also media and area students, a clear illustration of the growing interest in NGOs among various circles. ¶6. (SBU) At a separate event, the NGO Research Institute's Wang delivered a lecture to local officials titled "The Social Function of NGOs and the Color Revolution," to counter the notion that NGO's are revolutionary in nature. Although some experts express hope for greater cooperation between the local government and the NGO sector, Wang predicted that local officials may once again crackdown on NGOs now that China's economic growth is slowing, and there is public growing discontent with rising inflation and government corruption. -------------- A Fine Line: Limits of Local NGOs Activities -------------- ¶7. (SBU) Many experts emphasize that there are definite limits about what local government deems as "acceptable" NGO operations in Guangdong. Local officials tolerate NGO activities as long as their work does not disturb social stability or call into question government policies. According to Thomas Cai, founder of Guangzhou-NGO AIDSCare China, NGOs avoid attracting undue notice as long as they operate under the radar, and provide a public good that the government is unable to provide due to its own inherent limited capacity. ¶8. (SBU) According to Zhu Jiangang, Professor of Anthropology and head of the Institute for Civil Society at Sun Yat-sen University, "NGOs must know what they can do and what they cannot do,"' and must work within the limits of government tolerance. Within this environment of knowing what is possible, Zhu said NGOs don't necessarily have to alter their mission as an independent organization, but can, rather, focus on building the kind of cooperative relationship with local government that benefits both sides. ¶9. (SBU) In addition, most local NGOs lack legal status. Few are legally-registered in Guangdong. Many of those that are registered receive substantial government support and arguably are not strictly-speaking NGOs. Several are headquartered in Hong Kong, such as environmental groups Greenpeace and Friends of the Earth, and simply have satellite offices in Guangdong. Others continue to operate under the radar, such as internationally-recognized AIDSCare China, an HIV/AIDS NGO headquartered in Guangdong. According to the NGO Research Institute's Wang, NGOs can exist without legal status in Guangdong, as long as they do not outright violate any laws. However, he also pointed out those which do lack legal status and receive financial backing from foreign organizations do tend to arouse suspicion, even if their activities accord with those of the government. -------------- -------------- Internal Challenges: Operations, Funds and Legal Status -------------- -------------- ¶10. (SBU) In Guangdong, NGOs not only face external obstacles created by government distrust, but also struggle with internal challenges like uneven management and lack of funding. According to Dan Viederman, Director of Verite, a non-profit social auditing and research organization, many local NGOs self-destruct due to poor management. Too often NGOs focus more on how to carry out the tenets of an organization's social mission rather than on implementing best-practices and long-term organizational development. According to Liu Xiaogang, Research Fellow from the Institute for Civil Society of Sun Yat-sen University, this poor management style is exacerbated by the inability of NGOs to attract and retain qualified personnel, who often prefer more secure jobs in the private sector. ¶11. (SBU) Liu Xiaogang said that while many local NGOs have commendable missions, the lack of money prevents them from achieving success. Those local NGOs that have managed to stay afloat are assisted by funding from Hong Kong or foreign foundations and governments, but they may find themselves unable to deal with the twin challenges of cost-control and budgeting for the long-term. GOLDBERG