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[claudio at hcmc.netnam.vn]

Human Rights Reader 77

MORE ON LEADERSHIP.

1. When reading the last three (or more) Readers, it becomes clear that the 
question of leadership is a crucial one for the human rights (HR) movement.

2. A leader is a person who is able to hold a vision, to articulate it clearly 
and to communicate it with passion and charisma. S/he creates conditions 
rather than giving a pre-conceived direction; s/he uses the power of authority 
to empower others, enabling and mobilizing communities, giving sense to where 
they are going. S/he often accepts responsibility far beyond what may be 
expected.  Leaders do not design solutions, they analyze situations, reflect 
them back, increase connectivity, amplify voices, recognize opportunities, act 
with a purpose, make people feel they are supported, feel free to make 
mistakes (learning is as good as success).
How many of these characteristics does anyone of us have?

3. Because of so many past and present misdirected efforts, most NGOs no 
longer can be counted among the leaders in HR work. For the time being, 
funding NGOs is not the groundbreaking answer to the reduction of poverty --
and less so to the eradication of HR violations.

4. No one doubts NGOs have good intentions, but it is no longer accepted 
without question that they actually do any good. So far, there is no evidence 
many of them are better than governments. They just do things differently. 
Their million dollar projects just ‘do not cut it’
 It is a shame that NGOs 
are often better networked with the outside world than with their own 
hinterland. (R. Chambers)

5. A mass of mini and micro projects conducted by NGOs does little for the 
development of the countries they work in. It is thus high time they put their 
(original/initial?) ideals first. They need to embark in a frank internal 
political dialogue and a dialogue with beneficiaries (and decision-makers).

6. Without effective leadership, I see no prospect for governments developing 
an intrinsic commitment for the needed structural reforms unless they realize 
it is in their enlightened self-interest to do so. Nor do I overestimate the 
current power of civil society actors to make a difference and bring about 
change.

7. Here is the challenge, then, to become an effective leader and to influence 
thousands of others in our respective fields of work. Are we up to it?

Claudio Schuftan, Ho Chi Minh City
claudio at hcmc.netnam.vn 
==================================
Through much of this Reader I distilled arguments found in several issues of 
D+C the German development journal, the book ‘The Hidden Connections’, by 
Fritjof Capra, the book ‘Heading South ,Looking North’ by Ariel Dorfman and 
the book ‘Refugiado del Iraq Milenario’ by Claudio Sepulveda.



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