ABSTRACT
Before we can study the role of non-governmental organizations in global politics, it is necessary to be clear what is meant by an NGO. The term appears to be very abstract and remote from our daily lives. Unfortunately, it is what social scientists call an essentially contested concept. For many people, to define a non-governmental organization is to take a political position, either explicitly or implicitly. NGOs are to be admired: therefore, the term can only cover admirable organizations. Alternatively, NGOs are to be condemned: therefore, the term only covers organizations with negative features. For some people, NGOs are the organizations with which they are familiar and other very different types of NGOs are not acknowledged. The only unanimous point is we cannot use the literal meaning of the term: non-governmental organizations do not include every organized group that is independent from governments. Another confusion is the preference of some writers and activists for the terms social movements and/or civil society. This chapter will address the question of what NGOs are and discuss how they relate to the broader concepts of social movements and civil society.
