Kazak NGOs Struggle for Influence

by Bakhytzhamal Bekturganova

International experience with democratic development has demonstrated a connection between stable democracy and the presence of a mature, active Third Sector. As Kazakstan moves toward democracy, studies of the processes taking place in its nongovernmental sector reveal many difficulties in creating a strong and respected sector.

Until the end of 1991, the Third Sector in Kazakstan was entirely government controlled. Even in December 1995, a survey of NGO leaders showed that a significant percentage (47.1 percent) of the country's NGOs were government-oriented organizations that formed before reforms began. The subsequent rapid growth in new NGOs was a reaction to the socio-economic changes taking place in the country and the difficulties of the reform period.

After this time, as the NGOs government-oriented structure became unstable, cracks appeared in the movement. New, independent NGOs began to form, replacing the former government-oriented agencies. One source of division in the movement is the conflict in orientations among the organizations that have emerged from beneath the facade of official unanimity of opinion. Some are communitarians, some Westernizers, some believers in national socialism, some nationalists, some democrats. Last year saw periodic bursts of integration among certain NGOs, but it is still not clear which direction these processes will take. As of the end of 1996, the Third Sector had still not unified into a single "democratic house."

Progress is slow and the government remains the only clear center of activity. NGO activists look to the government as an interlocutor and opponent, but the Third Sector has not formed into an opposition to the government. The legal uncertainty that reigns in the republic, the sluggishness and apathy of civil structures and the internal divisiveness and apoliticism of most of the Third Sector have slowed the NGO sector's institutionalization as a democratic segment of society. The public continues to view the NGO sector as unimportant and not useful as a source of assistance or model of grassroots civil initiative.

The paucity of funding resources and the absence of economic and legal conditions conducive to philanthropy make NGOs directly dependent on international assistance programs. An understanding of NGOs' role as a vitally important ingredient of democracy comes to us from foreign countries in the form of sponsorship support, grants, study programs and so on. Without these one-time foreign contributions, most NGOs would have little chance of surviving financially. Unfortunately, the influx of foreign funding has, in some cases, created a gap between democratic talk and democratic actions, as some have attempted to use NGO language as a cover for commercial goals and interests.

The Greenwomen Ecological News Agency has conducted surveys and compiled information over a three-year period to get a more precise idea of how NGOs view themselves and are viewed by others.

Survey Results

The highest level of recognition of the Third Sector was among leaders of NGOs and trade union heads, followed by (in descending order) government officials, businessmen and government workers. The level of recognition of NGOs among the general public was extremely low.

A comparative analysis of data from 1995 and 1996 shows a steady decrease in interest in NGOs among "expert" groups in society. The level of interest among NGO representatives themselves declined by nearly two-thirds between December 1995 and October 1996. The same trend is evident among government officials: at the end of 1995, a third of them shared the interests of NGOs, while by the end of 1996, that number had fallen to one-quarter.

Not only is there a low level of social esteem for the Third Sector, but the public is largely uninformed about the activities of NGOs. Most members of the public surveyed either do not know or had difficulty naming an NGO that reflected their interests.

Among those aware of NGOs, there are clearly negative attitudes regarding NGO activities. Over the course of 20 months, a consistently high number of survey respondents were firmly convinced that the NGOs working in the republic did not reflect their interests.

When evaluating the likelihood that the Third Sector will become an influential player in society and politics, one must consider the level of public recognition for NGOs. Though created at the initiative of citizens and intended to represent and protect their interests, most NGOs are only weakly involved in political and social processes and by the end of 1996 had not been able to assume the role of public opinion leader.

The authority and capabilities of today's NGOs are very low. The primary reasons for this are the fragmentation of NGOs and the predominance of corporate interests over the interests of social groups. Without broad recognition and public support, NGOs have little real influence on the institutions of power. The energies of practically all NGOs go into the constant search for resources to survive. It is no coincidence, therefore, that many of them have failed to become more professional in their staff training and public outreach.

Additionally, the nongovernmental label is somewhat limiting. Most people who work at NGOs are not professionals, which has diminished their credibility. NGOs have not developed effective communication with the media, so have not been able to garner much coverage. Because of this, the public continues to perceive NGOs as having little impact.

The prospects for NGOs to form partnerships with the government continue to be limited. Virtually nowhere have NGOs been brought in to help create or implement government programs. According to NGO leaders, government leaders generally pay no attention to nongovernmental organizations and underestimate the role of NGOs in the reform of society.

Although the 1996 saw a sharp increase in the number of NGOs in Kazakstan, in and of itself, the growth in the number of NGOs is not evidence of their level of authority or influence on public opinion. NGOs need to find ways to unite among themselves as well as to develop new means of carrying out public actions. NGOs are created relatively quickly but stay afloat with difficulty.

Bakhytzhamal Bekturganova is a sociologist with the Greenwomen Ecological News Agency in Kazakstan. Translated by Andrew Reese. Greenwomen Ecological News Agency, Microregion Koktem-2, House 2, Apartment 73, Almaty 480070, Kazakstan; phone: (3272) 47-45-37; e-mail: root@greenwomen.almaty.kz