The current conflict in Kenya has provided a few insights for our understanding of NGO’s and how they operate. Personally, I always assume that when conflict occurs, the Red Cross, the World Health Organization, or some other organization will have an immediate response to the crisis. This stirring quote made me realize that NGO’s are not always the efficient machines we imagine them to be: “Non-governmental organizations had been slow in providing aid, so we helped one of his neighbors set up an aid distribution point for those displaced from the Kibera slum.” (An American in Nairobi article) This quote was reveals that NGO’s, like any other system in the world, sometimes are slow in their reactions. While the responsibility for maintaining order ultimately rests on the Kenyan state, NGO’s can play an important part in stabilizing the country. While select gangs may be looting and pillaging the slums of Kenya, it seems many other Kenyan people are taking initiative to help provide food and shelter for each other. This movement for peace and stability in Kenya could only be strengthened by increased support from the Red Cross or WHO. I am surprised the the WHO has not intervened in a more visible way, and would like to further investigate the reasons for this. As for the Red Cross, they seem to be slow in reacting, and it will take much more research to determine why. In reading about the situation in Kenya the past few days, I have only come to an elementary understanding of the all the factors in the violence. I will post again soon with my conclusions about the reasons why the WHO, Red Cross, or any other organization have not been able to respond more quickly and visibly. For now, I have come to the understanding that NGO aid, as well as aid from fellow citizens, play an important role in stabilizing the individuals. It is this stability, in turn, that can determine the direction of a state. I hope that the citizens of Kenya will be even more strongly aided in their quest for peace, so that political discussions will again become a possibility.
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If you are interested in a short background piece on the Kenyan crisis, click here: http://www.urbana.org/_articles.cfm?i=631598:3375&RecordId=1166
If you would like a firsthand account of an American student overseas there, click here: (this article contains the quote from the above blog)
Very good post. Something that those who work for NGOs understand very quickly is that much too often states around the world are not very eager or willing to allow NGOs to perform their duties. It is extremely frustrating, but one can also understand why states tend to exert their power in these types of situations.