The Concept of ‘Just Development’

INTRODUCTION

Non-Governmental Organizations are a significant potential force for promoting implementation of developmental programs and projects such as poverty alleviation in areas such as Africa and Zambia in particular. They have for example, pioneered participatory methods in project design and implementation and are strong advocates of strategies that view the poor as economic and social actors rather than passive recipients of welfare.

This essay seeks to discuss the concept of ‘Just Development’ and the reasons as to why Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) find this concept appealing to them. To achieve this, the essay will first define Non-Governmental Organizations in detail and further describe their various classifications.

It will also discuss the origins of these NGOs and briefly describe their operations. The essay will then look at the definition of the concept of ‘Just Development’ and then show clearly, why NGOs find this concept appealing to them. Finally, a conclusion will be given to wrap it all up.

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS

There is a great diversity of agencies and organizations that call themselves NGOs. These organizations include among others trade unions, savings clubs, consumer and farmer cooperatives, law associations, environmental advocacy groups, community development organizations to mention but a few. It is because of such diversity and different objectives such organizations engage in that makes it difficult to give a clear universal definition of what an NGO is. In fact, definitions vary from one country to another as guided by the legislation of a particular state.

In the case of Zambia, according to the Non-Governmental Organizations Act 2007, an NGO means;
“a private voluntary grouping of individuals or associations, whether corporate or unincorporated, not established or operated for profit, partisan politics, or any commercial purposes, and who or which have organized themselves for the

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