An NGO is based on voluntary work and aims to alleviate or solve some social problem.
NGO is the acronym for Non-Governmental Organization . These are entities of social initiative and humanitarian purposes, which are independent of the public administration and have no profit motive .
An NGO can have various legal forms: association, foundation , cooperative , etc. It is important to highlight that they never seek to obtain economic profits, but are civil society entities that are based on volunteering and that try to improve some aspect of the community.
Citizen financing
NGOs are usually financed through the collaboration of citizens , state contributions and their own generation of income (through the sale of clothing or holding events, for example). Part of your resources can be used to hire full-time employees (that is, those who do not work on a voluntary basis but are dedicated exclusively to the organization's tasks).
The field of action of an NGO can be local, national or international. Health care, environmental protection, promoting economic development, promoting education and technology transfer are just some of the issues that concern this type of organization.
The importance of NGOs
The Charter of the United Nations ( UN ) already recognized, in 1945 , the importance of NGOs in various issues. It is important to keep in mind, however, that NGOs do not seek to replace the State or international organizations, but rather try to complement their functions.
The Red Cross , founded in 1863 , is one of the oldest NGOs in the world. Other of the most important and largest NGOs today are Greenpeace and WWF .
Greenpeace is one of the best-known NGOs.
The Model United Nations
Every year, more than 200,000 students from schools and universities around the world participate in a simulation of the various bodies that make up the UN, and this activity is known as the Model United Nations .
It is known that many figures of great importance in the field of politics , art, law and business at an international level have been part of these simulations throughout their years as students, a fact that undoubtedly increases their impact. and makes them more tempting for people who do not feel a spontaneous attraction to the topics covered in a model .
Already in the 1920s, prior to the creation of the UN, the first simulation of international organizations was held , a Model League of Nations. It is interesting to note that there is no concrete information about the beginnings of this activity, so popular worldwide today, which is why it is impossible to specify dates and numbers.
Some of the various exercises carried out during a model , which can take place in the training institutes themselves, or in specific centers at a regional, national or international level, are known as model conferences , and these are events of great importance. , which can bring together people from all over the world, as has been happening for five decades. Currently, more than 400 are taking place, in almost 40 countries, and the number of participants ranges from thirty to two thousand.
Celebrations usually occur monthly during the academic season, with exceptional events throughout the summer. One of the students must take on the role of a UN ambassador, and their position within the model is called a delegate . Organizers often encourage young people to take on this role regardless of their knowledge, emphasizing that it is a unique opportunity to learn and become aware of international reality .