Why it Hurts – Save the Children Norway and the Dilemmas of ‘Going Global’

Abstract

In March 2017, Save the Children International complied with the reinstated Mexico City Policy, banning US funding to foreign non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that inform about, advocate for, or provide abortion services. Several of its member organizations, among them Save the Children Norway, strongly opposed this decision, arguing that reproductive health is not solely about health but also concerns rights. This article explores how Save the Children's pragmatic choice of going global and becoming an international NGO creates various ideological dilemmas for Save the Children Norway, challenging its identity as a civil society actor. It draws on fieldwork conducted within Save the Children Norway 2014–2017, to identify some internal and ideological dilemmas faced by Save the Children Norway and staff as they try to preserve their autonomy and identity while being part of a one of the world's largest NGOs – Save the Children International.

Keywords:

• NGOs
• globalization
• going global
• identity
• Mexico City Policy

Acknowledgements

I would like to thank all my informants for their participation in this research. I also thank Sidsel Roalkvam, Desmond McNeill, Ann Swidler and Birgit Kvernflaten for their constructive and valuable feedback on earlier drafts of this paper as well as colleagues at the University of Oslo's Centre for Development and the Environment, and SUM's Research School for useful comments. I would also like to thank two anonymous reviewers, whose comments greatly helped to improve the manuscript.

Notes

1 The new strategy brought a new global operating model for delivering international programmes and advocacy for children. The 29 member organizations agreed to transfer management of all international development and emergency operations (and the related funding) to SCI's International Programmes Unit. SCI now has operational management of all country offices in 120 countries previously run by member organizations (Jayawickrama, 2012).

2 The USA has signed the Convention, but remains the only UN member-country that is not party to it.

Additional information

Funding

This study was funded by the Research Council of Norway [Grant number 234497] as part of my Ph.D. thesis.

Notes on contributors

Maren Olene Kloster

Maren Olene Kloster is a Ph.D. candidate at the Centre for Development and the Environment (SUM), at the University of Oslo, Norway. Her current research focuses on the role of NGOs in transferring policy, knowledge and norms within reproductive health between local, national and global levels.