Meraj Hamyun Khan

There is a universal belief, taught by sages from time immemorial, that unity is strength but people tend to have a preference for working alone. The desire and ambition to take credit for something supersedes motivation to build a team or organization. It is also difficult to keep everyone happy. Human management is an extremely tricky vocation. Managers as well as the ones being managed, they all have their ideas and set patens thinking and working. To adapt is a big challenge especially for those who also have swollen egos. Knowing all this when someone shows an interest and then actually starts working on the creation of a non-government organization, comes as a pleasant surprise. It means that a group of people will pool their resources, material and technical and work together for a cause. With the myriads of issues that country faces there is a need for millions of NGOs. Addition of one more is a very welcome news but unfortunately, many governments especially those that are struggling to meet the growing demands of the population, see NGOs as a threat to the power. Laws are made overnight to curb the creation and functioning of NGOs. Baseless propaganda is started to discredit them. Bureaucratic hurdles are created on every step. 

This is most unfortunate. A strong, well organized civil society plays a vital role in the development of a country. Every effort should be made to encourage people to form local organizations some general, others specializing in different sectors. One very successful village organization found all over KP takes responsibility for the funeral and burial in the family of a group member. This eases the burden on the bereaved family.

People are interested in grouping to get her to form an NGO. There is a natural longing for socializing. NGOs also provide diverse platforms for philanthropy, an inherent need, it seems, among Pakistanis. However, a lot of hard work is needed to create and then manage an NGO, a lifetime’s involvement. People come to me for advice but they are not willing to listen and adopt the guidelines for success. They come with the perception that foreign donors are ready to open their coffers and sent millions to the work the ave decided to do. This trend, this perception is not helping the growth of the civil society.