The effects of repression on nonprofit organizations
First in a series of posts synthesizing international research for the democracy sector
By Christopher Grady
What does research from other countries tell us about how nonprofit and civil society organizations react when there is a crackdown on the freedom of speech and association? Here are some quick takeaways with links to the supporting research.
Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) respond to repressive laws by adjusting, resisting, or disbanding
Repressive NGO laws have been on the rise since the mid 2000s. Researchers studied the effects of these laws in Bangladesh and Zambia. They found that NGOs adopt one of three strategies: (1) adjust, (2) resist, or (3) disband. Groups adjust by shifting to service provision, refraining to comment on political issues, working with local rather than central governments, and implementing rather than setting agendas. They resist by not registering as NGOs and circumventing anti-NGO laws. Or they disband and cease their activities. NGOs devoted to labor and human rights, which tend to be viewed as hostile to ruling regimes, are often disbanding or ceasing transnational advocacy activity. This research shows how NGOs strategically adapt to repression and suggests that repression effectively restricts labor and human rights organizations.
Government restrictions on NGOs hurt citizens’ health
A recent study analyzed the unintended effects of legislative restrictions on NGOs. Governments do not usually intend to restrain health-focused NGOs when they pass restrictive legislation, but the study found that legislative restrictions on NGOs are followed by a decrease in the number of active health NGOs and an increase in deaths and disabilities caused by disease. This study shows that adverse impacts of NGO restrictions are not limited to organizations that governments find threatening, and that curtailing civic space has tangible consequences for citizens’ health.
Repression of domestic Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) deprives international organizations of information needed to bring attention to domestic issues
Global public goods and development goals – such as the environment, human rights advocacy, good governance and anti-corruption – all depend on an independent flow of information from local civil society. Researchers studied how repression of domestic CSOs affects the information available to international NGOs. They found that small amounts of repression have minimal effects and trigger international shaming campaigns, but large amounts of CSO repression block information supply lines and deprive international organizations of the information they need to bring international attention to domestic issues. They illustrate this effect with a case study in Egypt. This research demonstrates the importance of protecting local civil society organizations.
