Editor's perspective
Organizations and human nature

I began examining conservation NGOs and projects because I want to donate a portion of my income to such causes and would like to allocate it for maximum effect. I started this site so that everyone interested in nature conservation and environmental issues could share information and insights, have a resource for making "investment" decisions as donors, and discuss ways that green NGOs could improve. At present, I am underwriting GreenDonor and doing the programming for it.

My interests in nature conservation and environmental issues are broad, but everyone's perspective is different, and I'll try to indicate mine by listing my biases (ones I'm aware of).

Editor's perspective:

• I am particularly interested in conservation in developing countries and in my own country, Canada.

• I believe nature has instrinsic value independent of its usefulness or interest/enjoyment value to our species. I mention this because generally conservation is promoted on the basis of its benefits to mankind, which is fine, but in my view misses what I consider to be a moral reason for conservation.

• Conservation actions and positions taken in advocacy should be science-based to the extent possible. Uncertainty should be frankly admitted; cases should not be overstated; opposing views should not be unfairly discounted. Environmentalists should try to be scrupulously honest, even when others are not. Their reputations and degree of influence depend on it.

• Reliable information is necessary for 'green' initiatives and advocacy. In my view, however, action often lags information in Canada and the United States, and in these and other countries where that is the case, advocacy/lobbying and direct action become important activities, and collecting information is less important. On the other hand, in Developing countries, there is still a lot of basic biological information that needs collecting, but also many situations where we already know enough to take action. The particular challenge is to sufficiently understand the complex human dynamics impinging on conservation goals and to deal with them effectively in project planning and implementation.

• NGOs should not be doing the work that governments should (and can afford to) do. LDC governments are very limited in what they can do, so the scope for NGO action there is wide. In industrialized nations, governments are responsible for managing natural resources, monitoring and protecting rare and endangered species and ecosystems, setting aside nationally important natural areas as protected areas, monitoring and protecting the environment, and developing and maintaining international agreements. What does this leave for NGOs? There is a constant need for political pressure to spur government to greater action. There is also an important role in saving valuable natural areas that would otherwise be lost to development or resource exploitation.

  The counter-argument is that governments simply will not do everything they should.

• Rich nations should heavily support conservation efforts in Developing countries, as well as within their own borders.

• People matter. We must consider the interests of people affected by conservation projects. And because conservation problems are usually people problems, it is essential to try to understand the economic and sociopolitical factors at play, especially in regions undergoing population growth, in-migration, or development. There has been much discussion of the difficulties of integrating conservation with human development; it is nevertheless necessary. Human interests can be sometimes be nicely integrated into conservation efforts, as with developing sustainable economic uses of natural areas. But establishing protected areas usually entails a loss of economic opportunities for rural poor in Developing countries and to the countries themselves. I believe we should fully compensate people for such losses as part of the costs of any conservation action.

• I support NGOs' use of domestic (vs. foreign) expertise and their assistance with training people in the country they're working in.

• Conservation efforts need money now. Bequests are fine when donating to, say, the arts or universities, but conservation needs are urgent and opportunities will diminish over just the next few decades. We know what the conservation priorities are (e.g. see Nature:403:853-858 and Conservation International's Hotspots). Whether you're a large or small donor, the time to cough up is now.

- Anne Lambert, January 2003, slightly revised in 2005

Organizations and human nature

My experience tells me that people who work for green NGOs are generally dedicated to the cause. However, as in pretty much any group endeavour (business, government, academics, religion), there is a human tendency toward empire-building, bureaucratization, and organizational self-preservation. Specific pitfalls include:

• The tendency to exaggerate the importance of something one is involved with, which with charitable organizations can rise to the level of "true believer" adherence.
• The tendency to believe that anything that is at all worthwhile should be done, without questioning the "opportunity cost" - that alternative action might provide better value for money and effort.
• An understandable loyalty to one's co-workers, such that keeping people on the payroll can take precedence over streamlining or changing the organization in response to changing circumstances. Thus, new programs may form within an organization, but old ones are unlikely to be removed.
• A strong loyalty toward the organization that can make it hard for some people to assess their organization's value and effectiveness objectively and to consider criticism with an open mind.
• The interpretation of support (financial and other) as an endorsement of all the organization is doing. In reality, supporters tend to have a very sketchy idea of an organization's activities and effectiveness, and may be responding to the general concept, the people involved, or the marketing of the organization.

NGO staff are highly driven to achieve results, but those tendencies should be watched for.

- A.L., July 2003

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