Donors: keep out. Repressive regimes are increasingly cracking down on human rights and civil society organisations by barring them from accepting foreign funding, reports The Economist. READ: econ.st/1oElrR4 “We’re not dealing with civil society members but paid political activists who are trying to help foreign interests here.” So claimed Viktor Orban, Hungary’s increasingly autocratic prime minister, last July, in a speech describing his plans to turn his country into an “illiberal state”. This continued an attack that began earlier this year on dozens of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in Hungary that have received funds from the Norwegian government under a 20-year-old deal to strengthen civil society in poorer parts of Europe. The NGOs, among them the Roma Press Centre, Women for Women against Violence and Labrisz Lesbian Association, are being “audited” by the Hungarian government, leading Norway to suspend its payments in protest. On September 8th police raided two NGOs responsible for distributing the Norwegian grants. Egypt, meanwhile, is planning to require NGOs to seek approval from a government-appointed committee before they can receive foreign funds. The planned rules are unclear; NGOs fear arbitrary crackdowns on their finances. Egypt and Hungary are just two fronts in an escalating war waged by authoritarian governments against groups promoting the Western vision of liberal democracy as not just regular elections but public, pluralistic debate. Recent years have seen a big rise in “philanthropic protectionism”, says Douglas Rutzen of the International Centre for Non-Profit Law (ICNL), which tracks how governments treat NGOs. Some, like Hungary, harass foreign-funded NGOs using existing tools, such as heavy-handed investigations. Others are writing new laws that serve the same purpose. Azerbaijan, Mexico, Pakistan, Russia, Sudan and Venezuela have all passed laws in the past two years affecting NGOs that receive foreign funds. Around a dozen more countries plan to do so, including Bangladesh, Egypt, Malaysia and Nigeria. NGOs focused on democracy-building or human rights are the most affected, but the crackdown is also hitting those active in other areas, such as public health. READ MORE here: econ.st/1oElrR4
Posted on: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 19:28:38 +0000
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