NGOs in the International System

3 units

Over the past several decades, NGOs (non-governmental organizations) have become an integral part of international politics, addressing crucial problems pertaining to environmental degradation, human rights, immigration, poverty, disease, and so forth. This course will explore ways in which NGOs influence the shaping and execution of policy in international affairs. We will first consider the rise of NGOs and the rationale for their emergence, then examine - through case studies in Africa, Asian, South America, and the former Soviet Union - how they have approached their mission and whether they have succeeded.