[Anthropgrad] Lunchtime Seminar

[Patrick Kilby]

1-2.30 pm, 1 August, 2008, Theatrette, Old Canberra House 

 

NGO'S: THE WORK OF EMPIRE? 

 

Matthew Connelly, History, Columbia University, NY 

 

Patrick Kilby, Archaeology and Anthropology, ANU 

 

Facilitator: Tamara Jacka, Gender Relations Centre, ANU 

 

Recent events, including devastating cyclones and famines, as well as
problems deeply rooted in histories of imperialism, are potent reminders
that there are transnational problems in the world that call for
transnational solutions. 

Over the twentieth century non-governmental organisations have received
praise for providing aid, delivering services, and building capacities
for improved life outcomes in the world's poorest regions. 

But has the question of NGOs accountability been overlooked? 

In this Friday Forum, two leading academics reflect on the capacity of
NGOs to reinvent imperialism, as well as the prospects for governance
models designed to ensure their accountability. 

Matthew Connelly is an historian based at Columbia University, U.S.A.
His most recent book, Fatal Misconception: the Struggle to Control World
Population (Harvard, 2008), analyses how affluent countries,
foundations, non-governmental organizations, and the population control
movement have experimented with ways to limit population growth. 

Patrick Kilby convenes the Master of Applied Anthropology and
Participatory Development (MAAPD) Program at ANU. He is an expert on NGO
accountability, particularly in relation to evaluations of women's
empowerment. His recent work both defends the NGO approach to service
provision, and suggests ways in which NGOs can reduce their
vulnerability to criticism and improve their effectiveness. 

Tamara Jacka is a senior fellow affiliated with the Gender Relations
Centre, ANU. Her most recent book is Rural Women in Urban China: Gender,
Migration, and Social Change (M.E. Sharpe, 2006). 

Image: Forum of Women's Non-governmental Organizations of Kyrgyzstan
www.stopvaw.org/19Aug20