The Relationship between Social Movements & Non-Governmental Organizations
Social movements and Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) often work together to achieve common goals, but they have different characteristics and roles. Discussing and owning social problems by society, and defending social freedom against the authorities paves the way for an important awareness process. Non-governmental organizations and social movements take an active role in raising awareness of the society and protecting its problems in the struggle for democracy. NGOs and social movements strive to create an international form of political struggle over the problems shared by all societies, not limited to the local. They defend global justice and peace against the anti-democratic practices of the globalization process, against global policies that cause societies to become impoverished and lose their freedom. There is an important interaction process between social movements and NGOs, they are influenced by each other in two structures and they serve social liberation and social creativity as effective opposition centers in the context of the defense of the social sphere against power.
Non-governmental organizations are basically organized around social problems and the defense of the society is their main emphasis. NGOs, on the other hand, are formal organizations established to address specific social or political issues. They are usually staffed by professionals and have a clear structure and hierarchy. They aim to democratize social life and solve social problems in this context. Non-governmental organizations claim to be the voice of the poor, the oppressed, that is, the societies and segments of society that are negatively affected by the globalization process. Non-governmental organizations try to create opportunities for those who are impoverished as a result of global policies, who are deprived of their social security and rights, to express themselves on a global scale, to share their problems and to fight against the global power. Examples of NGOs include Amnesty International, Oxfam and Greenpeace.
Social movements, on the other hand, can be seen as effective organizations that defend the society against the government with their ideology and forms of action in accordance with the conditions of the period in which they live in the context of social opposition movements. Social movements are loosely organized groups of individuals who come together to advocate a particular cause or issue. Both fight for social freedoms and democratization, strive to implement social policies against poverty. They are typically grassroots by nature and are driven by a shared sense of injustice or oppression. Unlike non-governmental organizations, social movements are based on a large mass organization and try to struggle in a line that goes beyond the limits of the power, exceeds the limits of the legal, but is socially legitimate. Social movements want to make social utopias real, apart from transforming the existing reality, they have a radical social fiction for the future. Examples of social movements include the civil rights movement, the feminist movement, and the environmental movement.
The relationship between social movements and NGOs can be understood within the framework of the life cycle of these movements and organizations. Social movements often start out as small, informal groups, but as they gain momentum and attract more participants, they can evolve into more formal organizations such as NGOs. For example, the feminist movement of the 1960s and 1970s began as a grassroots effort, but over time gave rise to formal organizations such as the National Organization for Women (NOW).
NGOs can play a critical role in supporting and raising the voices of social movements. They can provide resources, expertise and funding to help movements achieve their goals. Additionally, NGOs can act as a bridge between social movements and government and other institutions, helping to bring about policy change and other forms of systemic change.
The concept of autonomy is also important for understanding the relationship between social movements and NGOs. Social movements are often autonomous, meaning they operate independently of government or other outside influences, meaning they are not controlled by outside groups or organizations and are instead guided by the collective actions and decisions of their members. They are driven by the collective action of individuals motivated by a shared sense of injustice. On the other hand, NGOs are often dependent on funds from governments, foundations and other outside sources that can influence their decision-making and actions. Social movements push people to act collectively and thus to produce new ideas by going beyond their own limits. The ability of society to reproduce itself and in this process to become free and autonomous social organizations in non-governmental organizations depends on the creativity of social movements. The autonomy of social movements can be threatened when they become overly dependent on resources from NGOs or other external actors.
Social movements and NGOs in Turkey may have different goals and areas of focus, which may affect their level of autonomy. For example, some social movements may focus on issues such as democracy and human rights, while others may focus on specific issues such as workers’ rights or environmental protection. Similarly, some NGOs may focus on providing humanitarian aid or promoting education, while others may focus on research or advocacy. This can affect the level of autonomy they have in terms of making decisions and taking action.
Some examples of autonomous social movements in Turkey include the 2013 Gezi Park protests, which began with the government’s plans to demolish a park in Istanbul and morphed into a broader movement against the government’s policies and deprivation of democratic freedoms. Another example is the feminist movement in Turkey that has been active for decades, organizing protests and campaigns to defend women’s rights, including the right to abortion and ending domestic violence.
An example of the autonomy of CSOs in Turkey is the Human Rights Association (İHD), an independent organization that monitors and reports human rights violations in the country and works to promote human rights through legal and educational means. Another example is Amnesty International Turkey, an independent organization that investigates and exposes human rights violations and advocates for the rights of prisoners of conscience, fair trials and freedom of expression.
In summary, social movements and NGOs often work together to achieve common goals, but they have different characteristics and roles. In general, although social movements and NGOs share similar goals and values, they may have different strategies and levels of autonomy that can affect their relationships and ability to work together. Social movements tend to be autonomous and driven by a shared sense of injustice, while NGOs are formal organizations established to address specific social or political issues and may be dependent on external funding.