Atam Dev

Chairman Prakashan

NGOs are non-political, non-profit and non-governmental organisations. The term “non-government-organisation” is of recent origin. However, members of society have always been organising themselves to attend to social needs or such of the functions in which the governments of the day have been found wanting. Activities of NGOs could aim at charity, providing much needed service or empowering the society by creating awareness about their own potential power to control their lives. Their area of work could be particular community,city, national or international.

NGO may initially be founded by a person or a group of persons with a missionary zeal and in due course it is joined by others. It has a mission to accomplish. In commercial terms, it is the society that is its “customer” and which it aims to serve. Does the role and skill-set of its leadership have to be different from that of a commercial or governmental organisation? What qualities or skills should its leaders posses or need to acquire? What is the role of professionalism in NGOs?

(From “Gyan Prabha”; April-June, 2010)