Mailnews_old

?

Shortcut

PrevPrev Article

NextNext Article

Larger Font Smaller Font Up Down Go comment Print
?

Shortcut

PrevPrev Article

NextNext Article

Larger Font Smaller Font Up Down Go comment Print
austraLasia 1276

Real food for thought: NGOs making a huge, but often unreflected difference to Asian national accounts

BANGKOK: 8th October 2005 --  It would be difficult to put an exact figure on the direct funding, contribution of personnel and economic impact of Salesian NGO and not-for-profit activity in the East Asia Oceania Region, but in the light of information coming from a Bangkok Conference this week, the figure, contribution and impact are likely to be rather more significant than governments acknowledge - if they acknowledge, and that may be the problem!
    The Bangkok Conference looked at the role of non-profits and how to get more governments to include them in their national staistics or 'national accounts'.  The Conference was organised by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia-Pacific (ESCAP).  And the statistics they have turn on their head the assumption that non-profit work - and Salesian activity falls under this category - is welcome and nice but not essential, and thus could be done away with.
    In the Philippines, non-profit and volunteer organisations are a 1.2 billion dollar (USD) industry, with expenditures reaching 1.5 percent GDP.  They employ five more times people than huge utility companies and have many more employees than in the country's biggest companies, including San Miguel Corp (beer and other beverages and foodstuffs). "We didn't know the contributions were this big until we looked into the figures" pointed out Prof. Ledivina Carino of the Uni of Philippines College of Public Administration and Governance.
    In many countries, governments give funds to non-profit organisations to reach groups of people they find hard to reach otherwise.  This is certainly true of Italy and Germany, where the Salesians have either large Mission and Development Offices or NGO organisations (like VIS and JDW).  Many of these funds end up in the EAO region (though not only).
    To date, 18 countries - including Belgium, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Argentina, Brazil, Kenya, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Japan - have committed to changing their statistical systems or adding what are called 'satellite accounts' to track profits.  It is interesting to note that in both South Korea and Japan, recent years have seen a huge growth in voluntary groups (5,000 of them listed in the South Korean NGO directory alone, and 30% of these reporting annual budgets of 10,000-100,000 USD).
    And while it might be difficult to put an exact figure on the Salesian part in this activity, it would be interesting to give some thought to a global picture of  'Salesians NGO', as well as the usual Salesians SDB.

VOCABULARY
NGO:  abbreviation for Non-Government Organisation
__________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific.  It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome.  For RSS feeds, subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/rssala.xml.  If you subscribe, email this information and your name will come off the regular email list.  RSS eliminates problems such as multiple mailings, viruses, email bloat.  Think about it!


List of Articles
No. Category Subject Views
117 THA 1094_Thai summer camp peace zone 422
116 THA 1097_Holiday time at Hua Hin 265
115 THA 1109_Happy New Year: if you live in Cambodia, Thailand! 435
114 THA 1115_Zealous missionaries for Local Church: SIHM Sisters follow-up to General Chapter 458
113 THA 1122_New spirituality magazine for Salesian Family: Path to Inner Life 623
112 THA 1180_106.4 FM: Thai province foray into public radio 565
111 THA 1201_Diocesan Process opens for Founder of Daughters of the Queenship of Mary (DQM) in Thailand 574
110 THA 1223_Tsunami relief 'Bangsak Project' almost at constructions stage 482
109 THA 1229_Southern Thailand's 'ghost war' - Salesians are working and praying for a different spirit 467
» THA 1276_Real food for thought: NGOs making a huge, but often unreflected difference to Asian national accounts 472
107 THA 1290_Thailand uses mid-term 3 week vacation for youth action 526
106 THA 1362_Floods in Southern Thailand swamp our schools 436
105 THA 1372_Brother stands tall! 501
104 THA 1388_"A good word mixes well with good food" - become virtual chaplain to a food chain! 433
103 THA 1390_"We proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord and ourselves as your servants, for Jesus' sake": two Thais newly ordained today 450
102 THA 1428_"Build the 'ban' with heart"! Thai Province 2006 slogan 517
101 THA 1502_"DB, I LUV YA COZ UR BAD" 512
100 THA 1517_Servant of God Fr Carlo della Torre and the passing of former DQM Superior 482
99 THA 1532_Timely pastoral note from Hong Kong on death and new life 536
98 THA 1555_Thai vocations showing good signs of revival 433
Board Pagination Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Next
/ 8