What is the future for development NGOs who work internationally but are based in and governed from the industrialized world? Are they destined for redundancy as NGOs and other organizations rooted in southern societies take over their roles and replace their expertise, or will they retain a legitimate place on the world stage in the 21st century? This article looks at the changing context for international NGOs and lays out three alternative routes into the future: incremental change (which is probably unsustainable), global market brands, and international social movements. The implications of each strategy are presented, and some overall conclusions drawn. The fundamental question facing all NGOs is how to move from their current position—as agents of a foreign aid system in decline—to vehicles for international cooperation in the emerging global arena.
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