History, Discourse and Paradigm Shift: NGOs in International Development Aid

Lan Yuxin

[Abstract] While Chinese NGOs are trying to go abroad under the“One Belt One Road”initiative, understanding the existing niche, discourse, and paradigm of mainstream transnational NGOs in current international development aid system is crucial for Chinese NGOs to adapt and develop their own identity on value and norms. Base on key scholars' observation, historical facts and related data, and bearing the macro history of transnational NGOs and evolvement of international development system in mind, this article analyzed the organizational development and historical changes of action strategies and discourses for mainstream NGOs in international development. Three macro aspects behind the change process are introduced to understand and evaluate the current action paradigm and discourses, namely shifting from private domain to public domain, one-way aid to equal cooperation, and voluntarism to professionalism. In the end, the differences between Chinese NGOs and current mainstream transnational NGOs on organizational origins, timing, aims and discourse background were pointed out, and five critical questions were put forward to answer for Chinese NGO's identity building.

[Keywords] Social Organization; Non-governmental Organization;Foreign Aid; Internationalization

（责任编辑 李长文）