Language, NGOs and inclusion: the donor perspective

ABSTRACT

Listening to communities is valued by UK’s Department of International Development (DFID) for contributing to “beneficiary” empowerment and programme efficiency. This article is based on interviews with elite DFID officials to explore their understandings on how they expect NGOs to engage with local languages and the role of language intermediaries. It uncovers their perceptions of the ways that languages and cultural knowledge shape NGO relationships with communities. It finds that the officials assume that listening is unproblematic for NGOs, and ask few questions about translation and interpretation. The article concludes by reflecting on policy implications and directions for further research.

KEYWORDS:

• Aid
• Civil society – NGOs

Acknowledgements

This article presents some findings from a broader research project, titled “The Listening Zones of NGOs”, which has been conducted with Professor Hilary Footitt (Reading), Dr Wine Tesseur (Reading) and INTRAC. The project has produced a report containing detailed policy recommendations for NGOs and donors on the role of languages and cultural understanding in development work.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Notes on contributor

Angela Crack is a Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Portsmouth, who specialises in issues of NGO accountability.

Additional information

Funding

This research has been funded with the kind support of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).