Ali’s Foray into Politics Throws Relationship between NGOs and Government into Question
One thing that is not clear to many is the relationship between the Government and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).
While the NGOs are independent and work with Government agencies to promote policies that are consistent with their declared objectives, they are supposed to stay out of politics.
In fact, their participation should be confined to their mission statement whether it’s on human rights, democracy and its institutions, law and order, gender balance, domestic violence or health and wellbeing.
But in reality, this line has been progressively blurred over the years to the point that advocacy has developed into a new brand of political activism.
A case in point is the political involvement of the coordinator of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre, Shamima Ali. Some say she is within her rights and others argue she has overstepped the mark.
Activism to new level
Ms Ali has taken political activism to a new level by openly attacking the Government and fraternising with political parties, particularly the National Federation Party. She could be laying the groundwork to secure an NFP ticket for the General Election.
While no one begrudges her rights to do it, it’s the background where she is coming from. Would it have been ethically right for her to step down as FWCC’s coordinator before actively engaging in politics? Her area of expertise is the campaign against domestic violence – the violence against women and children. Her whole energy should be directed in this area, not on other issues that have little or no relevance to the task at hand. While the FWCC may have made some progress it is a fact that the problem of domestic violence is still prevalent in Fiji. That’s why it needs all the energy and resources to help the Government eliminate this scourge from our communities.
This is not just the FWCC’s responsibility, it’s the collective responsibility of all stakeholders.
When the Australian Government, the major donor for the funds that keep the FWCC operating, allocates the grant it is for a specific purpose – advocacy against domestic violence and rehabilitation of victims.
People sit up and listen to her when she speaks on this subject because she has been the face of the crusade on zero-tolerance against domestic violence.
If she wants to be taken seriously on matters outside this scope, she needs to stand on neutral ground, not under the guise of the FWCC.
If she remains with FWCC she should respect the protocols or conventions that have guided the relationship between NGOs and Government in the past.
If she respects the rule of law, human rights, democracy and good governance then she must respect that there is a democratically elected government in power that must be allowed to complete its term. Her recent public utterances
like calling on the Acting Prime Minister to resign went beyond the scope of an NGO that deals with violence against women. It must be repeated here that yes she has a right to political expression including joining a political party. But she needs to exercise it responsibly and transparently.