The Players of the “GoNgos”

By: Ayman Okeil

The players of the “GoNgos” resemble a group of musicians who continued to play their violins, pianos, and guitars while the Titanic was sinking, sinking, sinking. Although some say the purpose of the music was to calm those on board and reduce the fear and anxiety caused by the ship’s collision with an iceberg, I believe that the soothing music played on the ship’s deck may have given a misleading impression about the seriousness of the situation, leading the Titanic’s passengers to delay their escape to the lifeboats.

For those unfamiliar with the term “GoNgos,” it consists of two parts: “GO,” which is an abbreviation for “Governmental,” and “NGOs,” which stands for “Non-Governmental Organizations.” It generally refers to organizations that are purportedly run by governments. This term gained traction during the Cold War and was subsequently used by a group of organizations that labeled themselves as “independent organizations,” to the point where the term became distorted and was used both appropriately and inappropriately, losing its impact.

However, as the old Egyptian proverb goes: “When people go broke, they start chasing old debts.” The bankrupt foreigner attended the 85th session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights and claimed that “GoNgos” are trying to silence what he calls independent organizations. Of course, “Love makes you overlook flaws.” But what the foreigner or his representatives fail to recognize is that civil society, in its true sense, represents the foundation of balance and the link between the citizen on one hand and the governments on the other. I have said before and will continue to say: civil society is the foundation of balance, and NGOs were not established to hold governments accountable or to oppose them, nor to defend them, but to assist them in achieving development goals and addressing human rights situations. Whether these organizations are rights-based, developmental, or charitable, their goal should be to help the state achieve the welfare of its citizens and to educate them about their rights and responsibilities.

This is my opinion that I will not change, and my constant convictions that I will not abandon. These bankrupt players, following the foreigner, allege that organizations are seeking to dominate regional human rights platforms to marginalize the true defenders of human rights. It is our right to ask: why do they think they are defenders of human rights, while others are not? Who gave them the right to describe themselves as independent and label others as “GoNgos”?

Clearly, these gentlemen playing this old tune, bankrupt of content and failing despite gathering signatures, want organizations that operate according to their perceptions and visions, that work in their methodology, and in their own way. This is their direction, and they are free to pursue it.

However, if I were to advise them and others sympathetic to their performance: unite to confront the midlife crisis facing civil society, especially amid declining funding and changing donor priorities or “the foreigner.” Strive harder to achieve successes for the sake of the citizen, and leave others to their affairs.