Development and social transformation-Role of the voluntary sector

Abstract

NGOs have a crucial role to play in facilitating people's movements and grassroots organisations, to ensure that governance is accountable and that people actively participate in decision-making processes. Only if they can articulate their demands and organise for collective action will the poor and excluded have a voice; hence NGOs need to be geared to mobilisation and collective assertion of rights and demands by poor and marginalised groups and communities. The NGO sector, along with people's organisations and movements need to influence State policies for allocation of adequate resources to human development priorities, people friendly markets and pro poor growth.