France NGO Sector

Overview

The history of French non-governmental organizations (NGOs), known as organisations non-governementales (ONGs), involves navigating various institutional definitions as well as sifting through time-ordered values attached to the State’s social, economic, and international interests (Archambault 1993, p. p.1; Paul 2000, Sorgenfrei 2004,p.4). As a relatively recent term coined in the aftermath of World War II, the acronym “NGO” first appeared in 1945 in the United Nations Charter (Paul 2000, para. 20; Wikipedia 2008a, section history). Scholars remark that the United Nation’s definition, which differentiates NGOs “from those of government”, is broad enough to cover a multitude of associations, voluntary associations, institutes, non-profits and private foundations (Paul 2000, para. 2; Willets 2002, summary). French NGOs typically include an array of civic and internationally minded players such as mutual societies, development organizations, associations and foundations (Newman 2005).

To read the rest of the article, please log in using your WANGO membership username and password (using the log in at the top, right-hand corner of the page). Not a WANGO member, but would like full access to the articles in the NGO Handbook? Join WANGO (http://www.wango.org/join.aspx) as an organization or individual member or purchase a year subscription for $30.