The gap between rich and poor has never been so wide. The income of the richest fifty
million people (a mere one percent of world population) is at par with the combined
income of 2.7 billion people sharing a life of extreme poverty.1 Moreover the unequal
distribution of wealth and social wellbeing measured in levels of education or literacy,
life expectancy, child mortality and economic performance are geographically skewed.
The people in the north of the globe are living a good life, while the people living south
of the tropic of cancer often struggle for survival. Especially on the African continent,
‘development’ has failed. The statistics for Sub-Saharan Africa’s development are
particularly alarming. Here real per-capita incomes have dropped significantly over the
last decades leaving half of the population with less than One Dollar ($1) per day.2
HIV/AIDS and other communicable diseases continue to cripple the region like nowhere
else on the planet, not only challenging ongoing development efforts, but also by filling
orphanages and cemeteries in a disturbing pace.3
Table of Contents
1. Skillshare International: Bridging the gap between North and South?
2. Skillshare International: a northern NGO working in the South and back?
3. Skillshare International’s: Agent of Change and Advocate of development?
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper investigates the role of Skillshare International (SKI) as a development agency, specifically analyzing whether it effectively bridges the gap between the affluent North and the impoverished South. It critically explores how such non-governmental organizations function as both autonomous actors and mediatory institutions within the global development landscape.
- Analysis of North-South NGO development relationships.
- Evaluation of SKI’s funding structures and institutional autonomy.
- Examination of SKI's three core principles of development.
- Assessment of the impact of international development workers as agents of change.
- Review of the Leadership Development Programme (LDP) in Southern Africa.
Excerpt from the Book
Skillshare International: a northern NGO working in the South and back?
Skillshare International is a UK charity registered legally as a company limited by guarantee. Its head offices are based in Leicester, UK and since 2003 in Dublin, Ireland. SKI also runs offices in its countries of operation in Botswana, Mozambique, Swaziland, India, Namibia, Tanzania, Lesotho and South Africa. With a total number of fifty staff and an additional approximate seventy development workers it is fairly large NGO.
In the early 1990s the organization separated from the International Voluntary Service (IVS) and formed Skillshare Africa. In July 2000, Skillshare Africa merged with Action Health and has since been registered under the new name Skillshare International. The organization again broadened in 2003 by incorporating Skillshare International Ireland in order to ‘work closer with the Ireland government and the Irish people’ and ‘to build on the close relationship that existed with the Irish government’s development programmes for over 20 years’. SKI plans to expand existing geographic boundaries into Southern and East Africa, North-East Africa, and south Asia and expects to work in both low and middle income countries within the next four years.
It is here as de Mars noted, that the organization signals like many others a ‘moral global compass’ by choosing an evocative surname of being ‘International’ while also increasingly acting internationally. And further in choosing a word combination of skill and sharing suggests that it does not want impose authority but is committed to equality and exchange.
Summary of Chapters
1. Skillshare International: Bridging the gap between North and South?: This chapter introduces the context of global inequality and the growth of NGOs in Africa, setting the research question regarding the effectiveness of Skillshare International in bridging the North-South divide.
2. Skillshare International: a northern NGO working in the South and back?: This section provides an organizational overview of SKI, its funding structure, its strategic shift towards partnership models, and its core developmental principles.
3. Skillshare International’s: Agent of Change and Advocate of development?: This chapter examines the practical tools used by SKI, such as the placement of development workers and the Leadership Development Programme, to foster local empowerment and sustainable change.
4. Conclusion: The concluding section reflects on the necessity of a multifaceted approach to development, arguing that NGOs like SKI serve as vital, albeit supported, agents in the global effort to combat inequality.
Keywords
Skillshare International, NGOs, North-South relations, global development, human agency, capacity building, civil society, Sub-Saharan Africa, development workers, empowerment, inequality, poverty, sustainability, leadership, partnerships.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this research?
The paper examines how Skillshare International (SKI) functions as an NGO to bridge the developmental gap between the wealthy global North and the disadvantaged global South.
What are the central themes discussed in the work?
Key themes include the role of NGOs in global civil society, the tension between donor requirements and grassroots needs, and the importance of human agency in development.
What is the primary research goal?
The study aims to determine whether SKI acts as an autonomous actor or a mediatory institution, and if its strategies effectively contribute to reducing global inequality.
Which scientific approach is utilized?
The paper utilizes a contextual analysis, combining scholarship with practical observations from the author's own experience as a development worker.
What does the main body of the text cover?
It covers the organizational history of SKI, its funding dependencies, its strategic principles, and specific programs like the Leadership Development Programme.
Which keywords best characterize the work?
The work is characterized by terms such as North-South development, capacity building, civil society, and NGO autonomy.
How does SKI navigate the balance between donor expectations and local community needs?
SKI acts as a mediatory institution, using its "partly autonomous" status to comply with donor logic while remaining sensitive to local, community-identified requirements.
Why is the "Leadership Development Programme" considered significant?
It is considered innovative because it focuses on personal and organizational strategic transformation, empowering civil society leaders in Southern Africa to drive development.
What conclusion does the author reach regarding the impact of NGOs?
The author concludes that while NGOs cannot replace the need for state or private support, they are essential, pragmatic actors in addressing human development needs.
- Quote paper
- Jan Lüdert (Author), 2006, Skillshare International: Bridging the gap between North and South?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/90074
