China Philanthropy News
April 21, 2008
Issue 013
Click here for PDF version of this publication
China Philanthropy News is produced by Grantmakers Without Borders (Gw/oB) for grantmaking organizations, donors and individuals interested in philanthropic engagement with China. It provides current news on giving, useful resources, people and books to provide a better understanding of the landscape of philanthropy in the country. For more information on Grantmakers Without Borders, visit www.gwob.net.
CONTENTS
Gw/oB HAPPENINGS
1) Register now for "Just Giving: Global Social Change Philanthropy"
Current NEWS
2) Rise of the new philanthropists
3) Top philanthropists donate 1.8b in 5 years
4) Chinese entrepreneur finds newfound wealth unsettling
5) HSBC accorded 2007 China charity award
6) CSR guideline spurs sustainable development
7) Paulson urges China to lift barriers on environmental technology
8) China's carbon dragon
9) Poisonous algae bloom threatens giant Chinese lake
10) China to spend 30b yuan to clean polluted lake
11) China's pollution nightmare is now everyone's pollution nightmare
12) A large black cloud
13) China urged to shift urban growth to supercities
14) Migrant children increase in number, visibility
15) Labor shortages hit factories
16) Education not delivering 'results'
17) Safe sex? What's that? Migrant workers wonder
18) In China, sex sells and everyone's buying
19) Red Cross launches China HIV prevention program
20) Reported HIV/AIDS Cases in China increase 45% from 2006 to 2007
Useful RESOURCES
21) Report: "China's Responsibility Standard?"
22) Book: "China's New Role in Africa and the South: A Search for a New Perspective"
23) Report: "How China delivers development assistance to Africa"
Upcoming EVENTS
24) "The Conference on Educational Renewal and School Development in an Era of Cultural Diversity"; May 16-19, Wuhan
25) "China Summit on Anti-Corruption"; July 15-16, Shanghai
26) "XVIIth ISPCAN International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect: Towards a Caring and Non-Violent Community: A Child's Perspective"; September 7-10, Hong Kong
27) "Gender & Family in East Asia, International Conference 2008," December 12-13, Hong Kong
Latest BOOKS
28) Just One Child: Science and Policy in Deng's China, by Susan Greenhalgh
China PROFILE
29) An interview with Anthony Spires, Associate Director of the Centre for Civil Society Studies, Hong Kong
- Gw/oB Happenings -
1) Register now for "Just Giving: Global Social Change Philanthropy"
Just Giving: Global Social Change Philanthropy will gather some 200 grantmakers and global southern activists for dialogue, debate and learning, following two main tracks: Grantmaking Practice and Global Issues.
With so much of the world's attention rightly on climate change and natural resource depletion, the Global Issues track will include a range of plenaries and workshops on these challenges. In particular, the conference will explore the intersection of the environmental crisis with broader social justice concerns, exploring strategies that grantmakers can employ to ensure that efforts to address climate change do so in the context of promoting equity, justice, and the right to develop. Workshops in this track will explore the role of women in addressing climate change, grassroots environmental organizing in China, local water resource management, and many other topics.
The Grantmaking Practice track is one of the things that makes this conference so valuable. Here, grantmakers will find a wealth of quality workshops on the how-to's of effective global grantmaking. Among the topics to be discussed this year are making monitoring and evaluation accessible for community-based organizations, the nuts and bolts of making grants directly overseas, and the challenges and opportunities of funding in remote rural areas.
Grantmakers Without Borders' 2008 conference is open to representatives from grantmaking organizations from around the world as well as individual philanthropists with a significant commitment to global issues.
Register today at www.gwob.net!
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- Current NEWS -
2) Rise of the new philanthropists
With the rise of a new class of wealthy Chinese there has been an increase in philanthropic giving, blurring the lines between private charity and public welfare. This article explores some of the tensions that have emerged alongside the growing private philanthropy movement in China. Larger issues of governance, transparency and accountability become critical discussions centered on the role and risks of philanthropy. As reported by The Standard. http://www.thestandard.com.hk/news_detail.asp?pp_cat=15&art_id=64310&sid=18481596&con_type=1
3) Top philanthropists donate US$1.8 billion in 5 years
In China, the country's top 100 philanthropists have given away US$1.8 billion since 2003, with education, social welfare and poverty reduction attracting the most donors. More people have begun to set up their own charitable trusts, and there has been a shift in the social environment that has made it both more favorable to give. Despite this, there remain challenges for the sector. Forbes announced the closure of its China philanthropy list due to the "immaturity" of the field. As reported by China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-04/03/content_6587869.htm
4) Chinese entrepreneur finds newfound wealth unsettling
Niu Gensheng found himself propelled into the world of wealth when his company went public in Hong Kong in 2004. As part of his newfound wealth, he and his family have donated a portion of their shares to set up a foundation that gives to agriculture, education and medicine. Yet along with this philanthropy, there was also a deep fear for his and his family's safety, and the burden of how others viewed his wealth. As reported by Wall Street Journal. http://s.wsj.net/article/SB120585942924045635.html
5) HSBC accorded 2007 China charity award
HSBC recently received the top "2007 China Charity Award (foreign company category)" from the Ministry of Civil Affairs, in recognition of the Bank's outstanding contribution to the Mainland community. HSBC is the only foreign enterprise to have won the award for three consecutive years since its establishment in 2005. Organized by the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the China Charity Award is the most prestigious philanthropy award in mainland China. As reported by The Asian Banker. https://www.theasianbanker.com/A556C5/Update.nsf/0/C3D4689A0B5249064825742F000B9344?Opendocument
6) CSR guidelines aim to spur sustainable development
A set of guidelines for corporate social responsibility (CSR) have been released by a federation of 11 national industrial federations and associations. These guidelines encourage companies to do more towards sustainable development and to establish CSR systems in four main sectors: management, execution, information and supervision. They also stress that companies should release their CSR reports regularly and move towards more transparency in their operations. As reported by China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-04/14/content_6614860.htm
7) Paulson urges China to lift barriers on environmental technology
US Treasury chief Henry Paulson has urged China to lift import barriers on environmental technology, turning the tables on the Chinese, who often blame the Americans for curbing hi-tech trade. As part of his trip to Beijing, he noted that advanced technology will increase energy efficiency and reduce greenhouse emissions. As reported in Channel News Asia. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific_business/view/339162/1/.html
8) China's carbon dragon
Try this statistic on for size: If China's economy continues to grow at its current pace, and the Asian giant doesn't cut its rate of energy use, by 2030 it could be emitting as much carbon into the atmosphere as the entire world does today. Already, China has surpassed the US as the number one emitter of greenhouse gases. This piece looks at some of the environmental consequences of China's economic growth, some of the improvements that have been made, and what is needed for the future. As reported by the Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0222/p08s01-comv.html
9) Poisonous algae bloom threatens giant Chinese lake
A pollution-linked algae bloom has reappeared in China's Taihu Lake, the third largest in the country. The lake, in Jiangsu province, has in recent years been plagued by the dumping of sewage and industrial waste. Last May, the authorities were forced to cut water supply to over 2 million residents in nearby Wuxi and are fearful the same may occur in the coming months. As reported by Agence France Presse. http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jMLXW0kRmOJrS3amChojGBTME-Fg
10) China to spend 30b yuan to clean polluted lake
Yunnan province is planning to spend 30 billion yuan to clean up the pollution in Dianchi Lake, the largest freshwater lake on the Yunnan-Guizou Plateau. Authorities also plan to relocate 30,000 people and restore wetlands by 2010. Already, over 4 billion yuan has been spent in the past few years on the lake. As reported by China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-04/19/content_6629248.htm
11) China's pollution nightmare is now everyone's pollution nightmare
As China's growth and development continue to expand, the environmental consequences become even more critical, not only to the country but for the rest of the world. Already the effects are being felt: acid rain from China has damaged forests in Japan and Korea. China has continued to blame developed countries for their role in environmental degradation and its economic growth is not expected to slow down any time soon. As reported by the Christian Science Monitor. http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/0319/p09s01-coop.htm
12) A large black cloud
In the 11th Five Year Plan, China's leaders have called for growth to slow 7.5% a year. In addition to allowing leaders to better plan for and direct its growth, this also helps to avoid disruptive bottlenecks. Yet another reason is the environmental consequences that come as a result of its uninhibited need for resources. In many cities, the sun is blocked by a shroud of pollution. This article explores China's environmental situation, some of the options, and the delicate balance of its environment that hinges on its economic growth. As reported by The Economist. http://www.economist.com/specialreports/displaystory.cfm?story_id=10795813
13) China urged to shift urban growth to supercities
Shifting China's model of urbanization to favor huge supercities could boost per capita output, improve energy efficiency and help contain the loss of arable land, says the McKinsey Global Institute. By adopting a more concentrated pattern of economic growth, the country could reap even more economic benefits. China's urbanization rate has increased dramatically over the past decade, and as this continues to place more strain on resources and the environment, McKinsey notes that supercities would be better equipped to handle this change. As reported by Reuters. http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSPEK34992820080324?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews& pageNumber=2&virtualBrandChannel=0
14) Migrant children increase in number and visibility
In Beijing, nobody knows the exact number of migrant children, but an estimated 400,000 are eligible to attend school. While police usually register migrant children over the age of 16, there is a wide population that remains invisible. Many of them fear repercussions with registration. While UNICEF has implemented a number of programs to register migrant children, the government has hoped that some benefits offered for registering will help the situation. Some estimates place migrant children at 10 percent of the total population. As reported by China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-03/24/content_6561122_2.htm
15) Labor shortages hit factories
A growing number of small- and medium-sized toy and garment factories in Shantou city, South China's Guangdong Province, have been affected by labor shortages since the Lunar New Year, a local official says. Up to 95 percent of the workers in these factories are migrant workers. As reported by China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/bizchina/2008-04/07/content_6595934.htm
16) Education not delivering 'results'
A recent survey shows that people are unhappy with the gap between investments in education and its returns. Some people complain that they are unable to find good positions after graduation, and others points to the traditional system of an examination-oriented system. Most graduates aim for high paying jobs located in urban cities, which also causes an imbalance in human resources between rural and urban areas. As reported by China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-03/25/content_6561947.htm
17) Safe sex? What's that? Migrant workers wonder
Rural migrant workers are the new target for government-sponsored HIV/AIDS prevention messages. The State Administration of Industry and Commerce (SAIC) is launching a new education program on HIV/AIDS prevention for migrant workers in five pilot provinces, including Jiangsu, Guangdong and Fujian, home to most of China's private garment factories and IT plants. The spread of HIV/AIDS in the country is moving from the conventional high-risk groups to the general public, many of them migrant workers in private enterprises. As reported by Shanghai Daily. http://www.shanghaidaily.com/sp/article/2008/200804/20080410/article_355283.htm
18) In China, sex sells and everyone's buying
Sex continues to be a high demand commodity in China, and it is not difficult to find it. Whether in a hotel, in a massage parlor, or on the street, this new profession has hit China with a vengeance, as the article states. As reported by the Times of India. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/In_China_everyones_buying_sex/articleshow/2948230.cms
19) Red Cross launches China HIV prevention program
The Red Cross Society of China has launched its first ever nationwide HIV program with the aim of reaching all 31 provinces and municipalities in the country by 2010. It plans to prevent further infection through peer education and the spread of information, to expand care and support for those affected by HIV, and to reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with the disease. As reported by Agence France Presse. http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080328/hl_afp/healthchinaaids_080328144756
20) Reported HIV/AIDS Cases in China Increase 45% from 2006 to 2007
According to a report released by the Ministry of Health, the number of HIV/AIDS cases reported in 2007 was 45 percent higher than in 2006. Recent estimates place the number of HIV positive people at 700,000, and the number of sexually transmitted infections increased by 7 percent. As reported by the Kaiser Network. http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/China_AIDS_Survey/message/2370
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- Useful RESOURCES -
21) Report: "China's Responsibility Standard"
China's fast-paced economic growth and astounding expansion in international trade, some argue, are key to creating a prosperous and stable society. Yet it is only recently that Chinese business has begun to appreciate the importance of responsibility in their actions as a driver of economic success. As China's leading businesses "go outward" - needing to attract top talent, acquire natural resources and win export contracts – they increasingly understand the place of CSR in underpinning long-term performance. There is progress, at least in the words of growing numbers of CSR reports and public pronouncements. But how does this translate into business' real understanding of CSR in practice? The answer comes from Fortune China's unique, confidential reader survey of Chinese business leaders conducted annually in association with AccountAbility, a global think-tank. This report reveals the intriguing trends in how Chinese business' appreciation of CSR is undergoing profound and positive changes. Available at http://www.accountability21.net/uploadedFiles/AccountAbility%20-%20Wickerham%20Zadek%20-%20Fortune %20China%20-%20CSR%20survey%202008.pdf.
22) Book: "China's New Role in Africa and the South: A Search for a New Perspective"
This volume examines China's geopolitical positioning in Africa and within the global South. It finds that China's involvement in Africa has three main dimensions: foreign direct investment, aid and trade. In each of these dimensions, its engagement is dwarfed by those of US and European countries, and is often smaller than those of other Asian economies. The papers in this volume identify possible arenas and strategies for intervention and influence from which to build future cooperative and solidarity endeavors between Chinese civil society and international groups. Available at http://www.eldis.org/go/display&type=Document&id=36082.
23) Report: "How China delivers development assistance to Africa"
China's "new foray" into Africa is attracting much international attention and contentious debate. China is seemingly engaging Africa on new terms – terms that are not shaped by traditional powers, nor perhaps even by Africans themselves. It represents a new approach to the continent that the authors have termed China's "coalition engagements" in Africa – a collaborative state/business approach to foreign policy. China's foreign aid forms an integral component of this paradigm. While it is a challenging task to evaluate the aid policy and practice of the Chinese Government to Africa, the authors outline the main drivers of this process, with emphasis on South-South Cooperation, a focus on the intersection of the aid and commercial incentives, political drivers and Asian competition, as well as the issue of conditionality. Available at http://www.ccs.org.za/downloads/DFID_FA_Final.pdf.
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- Upcoming EVENTS -
24) "The Conference on Educational Renewal and School Development in an Era of Cultural Diversity"; May 16-19, Wuhan
The Conference on Educational Renewal and School Development in an Era of Cultural Diversity will offer participants a firsthand look at teacher education (including reform/response of teacher education to the conference theme, school partnerships, and international teacher education initiatives), an opportunity to build collaborative networks and partnerships to understand and lead school improvement, and insight into the leadership dimension so critical for education reform in an era of cultural diversity. It is an opportunity to engage in a dialog examining social, economic and individual equity issues through the framework of curriculum redesign and instructional improvement. More at http://ceps.georgiasouthern.edu/conted/EdRSD.html.
25) "China Summit on Anti-Corruption"; July 15-16, Shanghai
This China Summit on Anti-Corruption brings together an exceptional faculty of experienced corporate ethics and compliance executives, senior attorneys, forensic accountants and government officials to discuss the complex anti-bribery landscape in China. They will examine the intersection of the FCPA and local Chinese anti-bribery laws and how to implement robust anti-corruption policies in this environment. More at http://www.americanconference.com/AntiBriberyChina.htm.
26) "XVIIth ISPCAN International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect: Towards a Caring and Non-Violent Community: A Child's Perspective"; September 7-10, Hong Kong
Children around the world face different forms of maltreatment: some unique to their locations and many more that transcend cultures and nations. ISPCAN congresses provide a unique opportunity for professionals all over the world to meet, discuss their concerns, learn from each other and support each other. Apart from stopping and preventing abuse and neglect, the theme of the XVIIth ISPCAN Congress hopes to stimulate participants to move the world "towards a caring and non-violent community" emphasizing "a child's perspective" along the way. The sessions will offer participants new advances and opportunities to present innovative approaches to the subject and share well-tried evidence-based best practices. More at http://www.ispcan.org/congress2008/.
27) "Gender & Family in East Asia, International Conference 2008"; December 12-13, Hong Kong
Over the last few decades, East Asia has emerged as one of the fastest changing regions in the world. Amidst all these changes, how has the family as a fundamental social institution been affected? How is the understanding of the family as the core of Asian values and nation-building re-negotiated? Who are the agents that have contributed to these changes and who will decide what the future of family will be? Most importantly, in an increasingly globalized world, in what ways have issues of diversity and multiculturalism challenged the definition of the East Asian family in the new century? These are some of the issues that this coming conference will address. It aims to provide a forum that encourages the sharing of knowledge and experience on the region of East Asia, a platform to build a network of like-minds that are concerned about the nature and development of the family, and an opportunity to develop joint strategies that combine academic discussion and activism. More at http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/hkiaps/grc/2008conference.htm.
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- Latest BOOKS -
28) Just One Child: Science and Policy in Deng's China, by Susan Greenhalgh
This review was written by Elsa L. Fan, Grants Program Coordinator for AIDS Relief for China, PhD candidate in Anthropology at the University of California-Irvine and intern for Grantmakers Without Borders.
Since the implementation of the one-child policy in China in the late 1970s, this program has been one of the most controversial policies of all time, generating a range of responses, from recognition of its success to criticism over its abuses. Drawing on 20 years of research, Susan Greenhalgh, a professor at the University of California-Irvine and expert on population governance in China, offers a fascinating glimpse into the making of this policy, tracing the history of its scientific roots from the military to the national government. At a particular historical moment in which science dominated and became the overarching motivation behind the creation and implementation of the policy, the policy reveals the deeply embedded politics that were at the heart of its formulation. China's one-child policy was conceived, formulated and implemented amidst a backdrop of political, economic and scientific tensions that were taking place both within and external to the country. Each of these served to influence and shape the course of the policy, itself embedded with the many social and political values of that time. Greenhalgh poses a series of questions in the beginning that she seeks to address, and asks "why did China's leaders adopt a population policy that was certain to fail in reaching it demographic goals while producing so much harm in the attempt?" By rethinking the policy through the lens of science and technology studies, she questions the "taken-for-granted" notions of the policy, and instead offers a different understanding of how the policy was formulated in a context of radical scientific rationalizations and applications of mathematics and quantification that ultimately served to "scientize" population governance.
Greenhalgh highlights the critical role and application of science and scientific reasoning in the making of the one child policy. Population was reduced to a biological entity and manipulated to produce desired effects. The result was the production of a universal law that could be standardized and applied to any situation to achieve its desired outcome. The science served to legitimize the exercise of power through policy and the authority of policy making, because "science has powerfully depoliticizing effects" (Greenhalgh 2008:8). In China, however, such science was never "objectively" defined, but instead embodied and carried with it the multiple politics, ideologies and values of the individuals who helped to shape it.
Particularly fascinating in this account is the politics that was involved in much of the policy making, and some of the key individual architects that emerged from this process. Tracing the historical roots of this process helps us to understand much of the political assumptions and social backgrounds of these individuals that underscore the development of the policy. Moreover, the book reveals the dominance of party politics that rose above these tensions and ultimately guided the framing of the problem and policy. Within a framework of "scientific policymaking," the one-child policy is better understood as a complex network of actors and institutions rather than a monolithic, unilateral policy of state control.
As one reads through the book, one is inclined to ask: Why the policy at that moment, at that time, and not later or earlier? How did the political context of the time define the priorities for the country? At a time when China was just emerging from 50 years of isolation, it was important for the country's leaders that it become a great, powerful modern state, and its objective was to assume its rightful position in the international world. As such, Greenhalgh aptly situates this policy within a historical moment where China itself was undergoing complex changes. The result, of course, was a policy that not only reflected the dominant social and political values of the government, but the goal towards which the country was striving.
Greenhalgh does an excellent task of teasing out the many threads of the policy, from scientific rationalization to the construction of ideological discourse. By revealing the many complexities and tensions that surrounded the making of the policy, one is able to glimpse into the process by which the policy was not only made, but accepted, implemented and eventually, took on a life of its own.
As China continues to struggle with the one-child policy, this book comes at an opportune moment, allowing us a better understanding of why the policy continues to be implemented with vigor, even today. By situating the policy within a historical and political backdrop, it offers insights for a wide range of audiences, and provides a critical look at the construction and consequences of policy development.
For more information, please visit: http://www.ucpress.edu/books/pages/9649.php
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- China PROFILE -
29) An interview with Anthony Spires, Associate Director of the Centre for Civil Society Studies, Hong Kong
This month, CPN speaks with Anthony Spires, Assistant Professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong and Associate Director of the Centre for Civil Society Studies. Mr. Spires has spent time in China and written about civil society and the role of nongovernmental organizations in the country. Here, he looks at the shifting landscape of civil society in China.
CPN: Can you tell us a bit about your own work and research in China? What first sparked your interest in grassroots NGOs and civil society in China?
AS: In late 2004 I had a chance to hear a fascinating talk at Yale by the head of one of China's leading labor rights NGOs. Since then my focus has been on grassroots NGOs and the development of civil society in China. Three areas in particular grabbed my interest early on: government-grassroots NGO relations, influences from abroad (especially through funding priorities and training programs), and internal democracy and decision-making authority within Chinese NGOs.
CPN: In your own work, what shifts and/or trends have you seen in the development of civil society over the past several years in China?
AS: China is rapidly changing in many ways. In the civil society field, some things are changing at lightning speed, while others are proceeding at a snail's pace. One obvious change over the past three years is the government's formal recognition of foreign foundations' potential positive contributions to China. Following the 'color revolutions' in Georgia, Ukraine, and Kyrgyzstan, in early 2005 some Chinese Communist Party leaders and government officials were very suspicious of foreign funders' motives in China. However, the recent approval of the Clinton Foundation's and Gates Foundation's applications to establish offices in Beijing can be interpreted as an indication that either those concerns have been put to rest or that the people with those fears lost that particular debate.
CPN: What have been some of the challenges to the growth of civil society, and how has this impacted the work of NGOs?
AS: Certainly one major challenge has been the lack of clear government support for people to organize into associations outside the control of the government. Although freedom of association is guaranteed by the Chinese constitution, the law requires that all NGOs must register with the government or risk being declared an 'illegal organization'. In order to register, however, the NGO must first find a government agency to act as its 'supervisory agency'. Many government agency heads, however, are unwilling to assume the political risk implied by taking an NGO under the agency's wing. 'What if they cause social unrest?' is a frequently cited fear. This is the major obstacle preventing NGOs from obtaining a proper legal status. However, it is equally important to understand that because many groups are pursuing socially legitimate goals (e.g., helping poor kids pay for school supplies), oftentimes government officials are very supportive in an un-official capacity. That is, while they won't sign on to be a group's supervisory agency, they may be willing to lend their support informally. This is how a lot of groups manage to operate quite publicly even in the absence of a clear legal status.
A related aspect of this issue has to do with social trust in China. After decades of political turmoil in the 1950s-1970s, many people can view 'do-gooders' with a measure of suspicion. This isn't such an issue for younger people, in my opinion, but for people who lived through the Cultural Revolution and other destructive political campaigns, there is a discernible amount of cynicism towards groups claiming to work for charitable purposes. It's a complicated issue, but it seems that Chinese civil society associations have a long way to go before convincing others that 'Serving the People' is not simply dead rhetoric from another era.
CPN: Where do international donors/funders fit into this overall picture? How has the role of international donors and funders shifted over the years?
AS: International donors/funders are playing a key role in many regards. Donors have made useful contributions to action on the ground in many fields, including education, labor rights, etc. But my own analysis of US-based grantmakers in China suggests that the majority of funding is going not to grassroots groups, but rather to government agencies, GONGOs, and academic institutions. This is despite a heavy and consistent rhetorical emphasis on community-based solutions and grassroots organizations. Also, while undoubtedly large amounts of money are being lost due to corruption, through their various activities – such as conferences, training programs, and study tours – foreign donors have managed to facilitate an unprecedented and meaningful dialogue about civil society amongst China's elites. At times, too, non-elite-background grassroots leaders have also been incorporated into these discussions, but I believe this is generally the exception rather than the rule.
By engaging government agencies and Chinese scholars (who consult for government agencies) in conversations about the meaning of 'civil society', foreign donors have generated a great deal of interest in the topic. For better or worse, this interest is perhaps most evident in the government's intense efforts to develop legal regulations designed to bring any potential NGO activity in line with government interests.
CPN: Some people have suggested there seems to be a gap between what donors are interested in funding, and what NGOs are implementing at the community level. In your own work with NGOs, have you seen evidence of this kind of disconnect between what donors want and what NGOs want and/or do?
AS: I can give you an example of this without, I think, revealing too much about the players involved. For two gay rights groups – based in two different major cities in China – this has been a recurring point of frustration. Both groups are unabashed about promoting awareness of gay issues, self-acceptance, and official recognition of gay relationships. Both of them applied for funding from a couple of major US-based donors, and both were rejected outright. The reasoning was along the lines of, 'Well, if you only did HIV-AIDS work, we could support you. But because you're doing this gay rights stuff, we can't.' The leaders of these groups understood the reaction not to be a sign of homophobia as much as an indication of fear that that supporting a gay rights group would cause the donors trouble with the Chinese government. What the donors failed to see in both cases, however, is that these groups enjoy warm relations with local and provincial government agencies and area hospitals. They have been invited to comment on gay rights policies and educate government officials about HIV issues related to the gay population. Fortunately, for both groups, they have not given up so easily and continue to seek funding from outside donors as well as members of their community.
Conducting large-scale surveys in China is politically sensitive, and to date we don't have reliable data on even the simple numbers of NGOs. That being the case, I can't comment on how widespread this situation is. But as long as donors fail to grasp the possibilities and realities at the ground level, it's reasonable to assume that this sort of 'disconnect' happens with other groups and with other issues.
CPN: More recently, there has been a growth in the presence of philanthropic donors, such as Gates Foundation, or Clinton Foundation. What do you think the impact of foreign philanthropic support to China has been to date, and how do you see this shifting?
AS: To date there has been a good deal of emphasis on funding of explicitly government-backed NGOs, government agencies, and academic institutions that have the government's stamp of approval. Funders have been reluctant to work outside of these three groups for fear of rocking the boat and getting kicked out of China. Unfortunately, some funders fail to realize that many grassroots groups are appreciated and supported (albeit informally) by local government officials. In the short term, donors' aversion to supporting such 'un-official' civil society organizations is likely to continue. There are many factors besides political risk, of course. But I am hopeful that when government regulators are ready to give more legal recognition to community-based groups, perhaps donors will feel more comfortable working at the grassroots level.
CPN: In terms of their relationship with NGOs, what do you see as some of the benefits to NGOs through these relationships?
AS: Other than funding, of course, one can see that foreign donors are bringing in new ideas about state-society relations and new ideas about relationships between people within society. As Chinese NGOs struggle to address the social issues they believe are important, such new ideas are a great resource. Their challenge, of course, is to consider how these ideas can be applied or modified to fit their particular situations. But for many it is the possibilities opened up by ideas brought in by foreign funders that are most exciting.
CPN: Are there ways in which such philanthropy can have a negative and/or unintended consequence on the landscape of civil society in China? That is, are there challenges for NGOs in this relationship?
AS: Foreign funders, particularly those based in the US who are under pressure to make large grants to 'legal' organizations, often encourage grantees (and potential grantees) in China to structure themselves in a more 'efficient', 'transparent', and 'accountable' fashion. In practice, for the few grassroots groups that do manage to get funding, this results in an organizational structure that mimics the hierarchy Chinese people experience in all the other realms of social life (school, business, government). If Chinese NGOs are – as many would speculate – to become the great classrooms of democracy that many funders see in American associational life, then this is not a good trend. Indeed, many Chinese staff and volunteers are drawn to NGOs because of the promise of a more participatory and 'democratic' space where their voices can be heard. But under pressures to professionalize, a pyramidal organizational structure tends to dominate even the most idealistic organizations. This being the case, dashed expectations of staff and volunteers is one factor contributing to the high turnover rate found in many Chinese NGOs today.
Another challenge to this relationship that cannot be overlooked is the political sensitivity of taking 'foreign' money. Not all government officials are so enlightened and welcoming of foreign influences in China, and NGOs that are recipients of foreign monies can be viewed with a great deal of suspicion as 'agents' of foreign imperialism or anti-China forces. For this reason, some grassroots NGOs have either refused offers of foreign money or simply chosen not to seek it out.
CPN: If you could offer some advice to funders interested in working in China, what would it be?
AS: My first bit of advice would be to invest money and time in listening to potential grantees and to nurturing long-term relationships in China. That may mean employing someone in your office who speaks Chinese and understands something about China. There are many grassroots groups that could put even a small amount of money to great use, but many do not have the formal education or English skills to relate to funders on the funders' own terms. If a true partnership is to be developed, foreign funders have to make a sincere effort to reach out to local groups and be prepared to work with them locally, understanding and appreciating local constraints and possibilities.
Another bit of advice would be to listen carefully to local voices and consider the practices and ideas that you suggest to Chinese grantees. Solicit local views on problems and potential solutions, and consider the implications of the requirements you make of local grantees. A great deal of money has been spent on training programs and study tours emphasizing transparency, accountability, and good governance. But for many Chinese NGOs, while the ideas are valid, the processes expected by foreign funders simply don't make sense for them. Boards of directors, for example, are great in principle, but few people in China have any sense of how they can be developed and function in the present Chinese political and social context. As to what funders might do next in China, I suggest donors consider supporting re-granting centers for distributing smaller grants and training programs that emphasize communication skills like consensus-building. Both of these are needs that Chinese NGO participants have identified to me as roles they would like to see foreign funders play.
Anthony Spires can be reached at ajspires@cuhk.edu.hk.
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