In order to better understand the UN and NGOs, there
has to be an understanding of who are they? What do they offer, what helps are
offered by them around the world, and are these organizations effective?
Society as a whole and its effect on one’s life is
influenced by one's power and wealth. For this reason, non-governmental
organizations (NGO) have been on the go in the United Nations since its
establishment. UN and NGO’s are found to assist the poor and disadvantaged
around the world. The important motivating strength in all their activities
relates to the improvement of human suffering, the development of people,
assistance and justice in the world. UN and NGO provide direct aid to the poor,
and contain people in their own growth, helping them to realize their
potential. UN and NGO also educate the people of the United States to achieve
their moral responsibilities toward human beings around the world by helping
the poor, working to remove the causes of poverty, and promoting social justice
as well. The aids that UN and NGO offer to communities are very huge but have a
fine goal. The aids help the community get back on their feet and become
self-financing. Some of the aids include
that of environmental, health, education, emergency response,
HIV/AIDS and other things.
NGO’s are legally created by people who
work independently from any form of government.
There are NGO's which have "official UN status." And, then
there are thousands (maybe millions) of NGO's worldwide.
1. ECOSOC Status (Economic and Social Council - highest status for NGOs
at the UN)
2. DPI Status (Department of Information)
3. Press Status (News Media and Press - this is part of DPI)
4. Other Status (Direct relationships with individual UN Organizations)
Non-UN Status NGO's Worldwide!
I'll write about ICRC and UNICEF. The
International Committee of the Red Cross’s order monitors essentially from the
Geneva Conventions of 1949. Based in Geneva, Switzerland, it occupies 12,000
people in 80 countries.
The ICRC as the biggest
humanitarian self-regulating organization in the world and recognized in 1876
to assisting victims of war as well as other situations of violence. Because
wars frequently involve disagreements over land or political and religious
dissimilarities the damage of lives, history and the economy are about to
happen. Although war is often viewed as a bad thing, it can often be seen as
obligatory. Disagreements over lands result in conflict. Throughout the past,
as culture changes, the prior inhabitants will not easily release their native
land. This is why some of the bloodiest wars were fought over land. Simply
because two groups of people could not quietly regulate where their border
lies, they fought each other. Instead of both countries having some land, one
country has all the land. Moreover, giving to the Geneva Conventions of 1949
and their Additional Protocols of 1977, residents not taking part in fight may
under no conditions be the object of attack and must be out of danger and
sheltered. In truth, still, this principle has been weakened, because the
civilian population, particularly since the Second World War, has suffered most
of armed violence.
On the other hand children are defined as our future,
our greatest resource, and our hope for a better tomorrow. For them to learn in a healthy and normal
way, it is important to meet the basic needs for stability, food, health care,
emotions, affection, and security and UNICEF is undertaking it. It was created
by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to offer emergency
food and healthcare to children in countries that had been overwhelmed by World
War II. Today, the work of UNICEF is operating
in 191 countries through country programs and National Committees. Some 88 per
cent of the organization's posts are located in the field. UNICEF provides
children with health care, clean water, food, education, protection, emergency
relief, and more. The U.S. reserve for UNICEF supports UNICEF’s work through
fundraising, advocacy, and education in the United States. There are eight local offices and country
offices worldwide, as well as a research center in Florence, a supply operation
in Copenhagen and offices in Tokyo and Brussels. UNICEF headquarters are in New
York.
The similarity between ICRC and UNICEF is that both
organizations’ goals are that of human’s rights as well as fighting against
nasty conditions of human beings. It is a major challenge for the ICRC locating
people as well as putting them into contact with their relatives. The efforts
are exchanging family messages, reuniting families and seeking to clarify the
luck of those who remain missing. Conflicts and disasters leave more than
physical wounds: in the chaos, fear and horror, family members can be separated
in minutes, every so often primary to long years of suffering and uncertainty
about the destiny of children, partners or blood relation.
Besides taking care of victim, ICRC helps also
economic security to promise that families and communities affected by conflict
or armed violence can see vital needs and maintain bearable livings. Needs
covered including food, shelter, access to health care and education. Economic
security events are closely related to health, water and surroundings programs.
All these undertakings come within the ICRC’s global mission to protect victims
of conflict. Each year, armed conflict upsets millions of lives. The ICRC’s
water guarantees access to water in conflict zones and maintain a bearable
living environment. Ultimately, this work cuts death and suffering due to surroundings
damage or disruption to water supplies. In addition, the goal of ICRC’s Health
Unit activities is to prevent and cure people affected by conflict. The ICR works
closely with the National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and with their
International Federation in order to ensure a rigorous, balanced and quick
humanitarian response to the needs of the victims of armed conflict or any
other situation of internal violence.
Another similarity between ICRC and UNICEF is that
both are found by donation. Throughout history money has been donated to the
needy, as well as food, clothing, tools, bedding etc. There are plentiful
donations that support victims of wars, children in several locations, victims
of diseases, homeless people and disadvantaged people around our world. These
organizations also hang on the generosity of people to make donations to
charity of money, goods and services, in order that they can achieve their
work. Many offerings are entirely self-funded while others receive some
government funding as well. Donation is an outlook to make a difference in the
world. By making a difference to someone’s life our lives are meaningful
because we support our society
While UNICEF deals with improving the lives of
children and mothers, International Committee of the Red Cross deals improving
the lives of prisoners of war and residents jailed during armed fight or in
other forms of violence. Its wish is to confirm that prisoners are treated with
dignity and kindness, in agreement with international rules and principles and
that is by working close with experts to prevent mistreatment and to advance
both the treatment of prisoners and their conditions of prison. It seeks to
ensure the respect of the rights of people protected in international
humanitarian law and international human rights law.
ICRC does a lot for example keeping and supporting negotiations
to protect and assist people affected by war and other situations of violence. Negotiation happens when two or more groups come
together to try and reach a jointly pleasing agreement over a conflict for the
reason that those who actually carry the weapons wound or kill people or to themselves.
They are also in a situation to either help humanitarian action who bring about
bigger prospects for underprivileged groups or hold it back.
There has to be UN and NGOs support to help people get
through hard times. Did UN and NGO’s improve the quality of life globally? I believe
yes! The UN and NGOs have brought noteworthy changes to the world. The advances
from UN and NGOs are in the life of human beings. Taking these, and many other
factors, into consideration, one could say that, social developments today and
those about the past are almost incomparable.
Ardiana Xhafa
MS in Communication
