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PĂCE?ILĂ Mihaela FAMP
INVOLVEMENT OF NGOS IN CONTEMPORARY SOCIETY CCASP

seeking ways to encourage the NGOs activities, others are suspicious about their role as agents of
change. According to Williams (1990) the growth of NGOs is often a dilemma for the state, especially in
the societies where voluntary associations have not played a formative role and the state has had a
PROCEEDINGS OF THE 11 TH ADMINISTRATION AND PUBLIC MANAGEMENT INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
predominant role in all areas. Other governments insist on their political sovereign right to act as guards
in relation to organizations operating in their territory and agencies from the outside world.

4. THE CURRENT SPECTRUM OF NGO ACTIVITIES AND ROLES

In the current societies NGOs became more of a necessity than a luxury. The 20th century history has

demonstrated quite convincingly that the welfare state is unable to provide welfare, economic and civil
society development. The shortcomings of the state and the disadvantages of the market system have
spurred citizens around the world to create civil society organizations - NGOs - in order to solve society's

problems. Currently, a wide range of non-governmental organizations could be found in democratic
societies having social, political, cultural, civil, sportive, religious, business or recreational purpose. Taking
30 th – 31 st October 2015 ”Strategic Management for Local Communities” Bucharest and economic constraints, the activities and the role of NGOs has expanded.
into account the multitude of needs and the inability of governments to meet them due to globalization

In the report elaborated by the Commonwealth Foundation (1994) NGOs activities are grouped into two
categories:

Care and welfare
Welfare organisations
Service and delivery Change and Development
Mobilizing resources Development organisations

Research and innovation Environmental organisations
Human resource development Indigenous people’s organisations
Public information Women’s organisations

Youth organisations
Human right organisations

Environmental groups
Income generating projects
Job creation programmes

Children organisations
Disabilities organisations
Workers organisations

NGO Activities in Modern World
Source: Commonwealth Foundation (1994).

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