The Power of the Middle Man |
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Monday, 19 June 2017 NGOs play an important role in many different areas: Feeding the hungry, providing shelter, teaching children, giving medical aid, etc. Those who want to work in the NGO sector are deeply passionate people. They see injustice and seek to provide justice. They see the helpless, and seek their empowerment. They see the invisible and say, “I see you.” Amongst these important roles one role is sometimes overlooked but is nevertheless just as important: the role of mediator. In the recently ended hunger strike carried out by Palestinian prisoners to draw attention to what they view as injustices perpetrated against them by Israel, NGOs played the important role of intermediary between the prisoners, their lawyers and the Israeli government. In a complicated world, teeming with injustice, inhumane treatment, propaganda, and partisanship, the role of the NGO as “the middle man” is an important one. Take, for instance, this current case of Palestinian and Israeli tensions. The crisis between Palestinians and Israelis has been going on for so many years that just mentioning Palestine or Israeli is emotionally charged for most. In these moments, actors who are expressly non-governmental have a powerful voice. NGOs are perceived as caring for human rights for all people, regardless of political affiliation, which means that they can play an instrumental role in facilitating the communication necessary for steps towards justice and peacefully navigating dangerous situations. See link for a few more details about the role of NGOs in the Palestinian prisoner hunger strike: http://www.jpost.com/Arab-Israeli-Conflict/NGO-demands-lawyer-access-for-hunger-striking-Palestinian-prisoners-489062 Photo courtesy of Joe Catron |
by April Ward
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