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Essay / Questions and Answers on International Relations - 2211
1. There are fundamental differences and similarities between IGOs and NGOs. To begin, one definition of the IGO is “international/transnational actors composed of member countries” (Rourke and Boyer 2010, G-6). Some good examples of IGOs are the EU, NATO and the UN. A definition of NGOs would be: “international (transnational) organizations with private membership” (Rourke and Boyer 2010, G-8). Some examples of NGOs are Amnesty International, the Red Cross and Saving the Children. Membership is one of the easiest ways to differentiate these two organizations. NGO members are diverse and usually consist of ordinary citizens, volunteers, nurses, doctors, etc. NGOs can be funded by governments, foundations or corporations; although some avoid formal funding altogether. Membership in an IGO is significantly different from membership in an NGO. The membership of IGOs consists primarily of sovereign states, called member states, or other IGOs. To illustrate this idea, some of the UN member states are China, Belgium, Afghanistan and many others. IGOs are founded by governments who recognize that it is in their national interest to obtain multilateral agreements (Wilkinson, Paul 2007, 79). Another way to differentiate these groups is to look at their position in the world. IGOs work above the state level in the international system. They provide a form of supranational governance. They take actions to address threats, problems and obstacles that cannot be resolved unilaterally. NGOs are more independent from government constraints and policy. They often even refuse government funding to avoid giving the impression that they are affiliated with a particular government. This allows...... middle of paper ...... structuralists favor a radical restructuring of the economic system to end the unequal distribution of wealth and power. I cannot support this system, because I believe there is nothing wrong with competition. However, I remain fundamentally convinced that many parties have the opportunity to succeed. Works cited: Diez, Thomas, Ingvild Bode and Aleksandra Fernandes da Costa. 2011. Key Concepts in International Relations. Key concepts of SAGE. Los Angeles; London: SAGE PublicationsPease, Kelly-Kate S. 2010. International Organizations: Perspectives on Governance in the 21st Century. 4th ed. New York: Longman. Rourke, John T. and Mark A Boyer. 2010. International Politics on the World Stage. 8th ed. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher Education Wilkinson, Paul. 2007. International Relations: A Very Brief Introduction. Oxford, GBR: Oxford University Press, United Kingdom.