The Opening Plenary Session addressed the general theme Ethical NGOs: Forces for Peace in a World on the Edge. This session provided insight into both the tremendous challenges that lay ahead and an optimism generated from the sacrificial work of so many NGOs engaged in addressing those challenges. It touched upon the fact that although there are unethical actors in the sector, and even those that exacerbate conflict, there are many NGOs that have a spirit of sacrificial service to others and founding visions to address societal ills in a responsible and accountable manner. Such ethical NGOs have shown a remarkable ability to work beyond borders, and on issues and in areas that governments and corporations fear to tread. Some NGOs tackle root causes of conflicts, reaching the grassroots, while others implement conflict resolution on the highest levels. NGOs’ flexibility, adaptability, and ability to build coalitions and use persuasion (soft power) are some of the traits that enhance their capability to build a world of peace.

Chaired by WANGO Secretary General Taj Hamad, the session was opened by The Honorable Jean Augustine, PC, Commissioner of the Canadian Office of Fairness. Ms. Augustine has been a prominent and groundbreaking Canadian politician. She served as the first African Canadian woman elected to the Parliament of Canada (1993-2005) and the first black woman in a federal cabinet (as Minister of State for Multiculturism and the Status of Women). Her 2004 appointment to the position of Assistant Deputy Chair of Committees of the Whole also made her the first African Canadian to occupy the Speaker’s Chair in the Canadian House of Commons.

Following Ms. Augustine, the attendees heard moving and well-prepared remarks from Stephen Bubb, Chief Executive of the Association of Chief Executives of Voluntary Organisations and Secretary General of the Third Sector Leaders Network; Debbie Gray, Development Coordinator for Free The Children; and Kailash Satyarthi, Chairperson of the Global March Against Child Labour and President of the Global Campaign for Education. Dr. Chung Hwan Kwak, Chair of WANGO’s International Council, sent his remarks to be read at the opening session as well.

Stephen Bubb provided insight into the critical role of NGOs, surmising that the Century of Political Parties is giving way to the Century of the Third Sector, and noting the unique ways that NGOs are contributing to solving societal challenges. Kailash Satyarthi’s and Debbie Gray’s talks had some testimonies about child labor that were particularly heart wrenching for the audience. Among Mr. Satyarthi’s reflections were the fact that young girls were being kidnapped and sold into slavery for as little as $25 whereas a water buffalo could be bought for $250. Ms. Gray recounted a tale of young children, ages 5 to 13, being abducted for purposes of serving as child soldiers, with a gripping testimony regarding one child being blindfolded, given a gun, and asked to shoot it – killing his best friend unknowingly. Others also were being forced to kill their families, thus severing that fundamental bond to make a new bond with their captors. Dr. Kwak’s paper examined the ethic aspects of NGOs. He noted that while governments seem slow, bureaucratic, and inflexible, NGOs, by contrast, are fast, innovative and flexible, moving at the speed of an email list. But, he cautioned, as NGOs grow in importance, they are subject to the same flaws and failures as are attributable to governments, religions and corporations. That is, NGOs may also violate ethical standards and engage in practices that are detrimental to the common good. He stressed that in each of our NGOs we should continually re-examine our core values, and assess our performance in terms of those values.

The Interactive Plenary Session concentrated on the theme NGOs and Human Security: Ethical Dilemmas. The concept of human security represents a new paradigm in understanding the complex of interrelated threats impacting the individual. Historically, security paradigms have focused on the state and its ability to defend itself from external threats. In the human security conception, the individual is the primary referent of security. This people-centered approach broadens the focus from security of borders to the protection of individuals inside and across those borders. Chaired by Dr. Aurora Martin, President of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership for Sustainable Development, three presenters began the session with short remarks designed to stimulate discourse. These speakers were Gina Ross, Founder and President of International Trauma Healing Institute, Duff Conacher, Coordinator of Democracy Watch, and Zoe Nielson, Deputy Director of the Human Security Report Project. These short presentations provided plenty of inspiring information. For example, Ms. Nielson provided detailed, graphical data that showed, contrary to popular views that the climate regarding conflicts actually has been changing in positive ways since 1992, with reduction in the number of conflicts and deaths from conflicts. While some areas, such as the Congo and Rwanda, have seen millions of deaths, overall the picture of inter- and intra-state conflicts has been ones of positive trends, with some of this success attributable to the work of NGOs.

However, the real work of the session was done by the participants. Discussing in small groups, they grappled with such issues as: Is poverty a violation of a basic human right? What should an NGO do if its basic human rights principles conflict with local cultural norms, such as an NGO working with a community that may practice “honor” killings of women accused of marital or sexual improprieties, or female circumcision, or the requiring of the NGO practitioners to wear certain dress or exhibit certain behavior when in public? Is it acceptable for NGOs to use emotional appeals using vivid images of helpless, poor, and starving people in the developing world if such messages portray people as helpless victims, dependent and unable to take action, and convey the sense that development problems can only be solved by a Northern charity? Is it okay to use pictures of torture victims for fundraising even though some feel such pictures may exploit the victims (who probably did not agree to being used in such images)? Does the use of NGOs as subcontractors to provide government aid conflict with the independence and moral compass of the NGO? Can force be used to achieve desired ends, such as to provide food, end torture, or stop genocide? If force is acceptable, when is it acceptable? Is torture justifiable to deal with threats of terrorism or weapons of mass destruction? Do citizens of a country experiencing serious problems of economic insecurity or other deprivations or human rights abuses have the moral right to illegally immigrate into a more developed nation? The insightful conclusions from the small groups were presented to the full audience at the end of the discussion time.