Why grassroots activists should resist being ‘professionalised’ into an NGO

Human rights activists are lured by donor funding to become ‘professional’ NGOs. But efficient doesn’t necessarily mean effective

by Sunil Babu Pant, The Guardian, July 7, 2017

Activists from the global south hear, far too often, from our donors that we should “learn how to become professional” and “make NGO management efficient”. Let’s decode what that means.

Professional means “a person engaged or qualified in a profession”. Donors would like you to be a “professional” activist and want to see you approaching human rights work as a profession.