The American Mideast Leadership Network Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The American Mideast Leadership Network - Essay Example George W. Bush, in his second inaugural address, stressed that "it is the policy of the United States to seek and support the growth of democratic movements and institutions in every nation and culture, with the ultimate goal of ending tyranny in our world" (qtd. in Lowenkron, 2006: np). While these policies may sound familiar, almost boilerplate in some respects, it is the increasing interest in and overt support of many non-governmental organizations that merits attention. For instance, in his remarks to the American Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Barry F. Lowenkron, the Assistant Secretary for Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor, stated, regarding President Bush's desire to end tyranny in the world, that "The work of NGOs is crucial to reaching that goal" (Lowenkron, 2006: np). It is this nuance, the interposition of non-governmental organizations, that indicates a growing trend in international relations. ... s; for example, they report and publicize facts otherwise not known about civil societies, they lobby and protest, and they sponsor educational conferences and debates. Non-governmental organizations deal with health issues, environmental concerns, education, humanitarian relief operations, and the protection of fundamental rights and liberties. They are, in short, free of many of the constraints faced by state actors and increasingly well-funded and supported. This trend, from a western perspective, has been emphasized by one leading scholar in the field: NGOs in this context appear as missionaries of the good word about the marriage of convenience between the free market and democratic elections, and the virtues of social democratic action in the spaces available within the power structure as opposed to direct action against it. In this context, the NGOs are enlisted by official development agencies (ODAs) and governments as partners in the process of "sustainable human development" and "good [democratic] governance"-as watchdogs of state deviancy, as interlocutors and participants in the formulation of public policy, and guarantors of its transparency to inhibit or prevent corruption and rentierism (Veltmeyer, 2005: 90). In the final analysis, non-governmental organizations are increasingly thought to be able to accomplish goals traditionally associated with more traditional state and multinational actors. One example of a non-governmental organization doing such work is the American Mideast Leadership Network. American Mideast Leadership Network Incorporated as a section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization under the Internal Revenue Code, the American Mideast Leadership Network is dedicated to the creation of educational and cultural exchanges (American