Message-ID: <9606141412.AA03038@u1.ici.ro> Date: Fri, 14 Jun 1996 14:10:00 EDT From: Mihai Zsigmond <mailto:fiman@U1.ICI.RO> Subject: Re: WHAT HAVE WE DONE! To: Multiple recipients of list DEVEL-L <mailto:DEVEL-L@AMERICAN.EDU>
Dear Riaz Khan,The problem is simple and not at the same time, as it often happens in life. I am for some time now a guy from "that bloody NGO" and here's my personal opinion on this problem.
A human activity is something to be done with a purpose. If this purpose is not ours, than the purpose must by substituted with a reward, that is giving the reward as a purpose. Again, this reward is not neccesary money. It may be fame or only community recognition, access to some resources or just the possibility to "do something else".
Thus, when we act on purpose or on a non-financial award we call ourselves volunteers. Otherwise we are just some payed guys. It is very arguable that the people acting on non-financial awards are indeed volunteers. I think they are not and of course, this leaves little room for the real ones.
This is the theory, so to speak. In practice, and to answer to your question, no you haven't destroyed that NGO. First of all, there is no real connection between NGO's and volunteers, but the one that this kind of organisation is using them. An NGO is not depending on any rulling body but itself and this is the essence of it. Coming back to people, you just substituted any other motivation by financial incentives, and these ones are preffered for more flexiblity. For instance, if you have more money you can get access to any resource you want.
Is the process reversible? I think it is but unpractical. It would take longer time and for the flexiblity I have mentioned above it would be more difficult.
Ok guys, this is it. All I have now is to sign.
Mihai Zsigmond
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mihai Zsigmond Information Centre Officer International Management Foundation 6-8 Povernei street, 71124 Bucharest Romania tel. 40 1 212 2912, 211 1945 fax. 40 1 211 1937 e-mail mailto:fiman@u1.ici.ro ----------------------------------------------------------------------------