Dibie has Released His New Book on NGOs
February 20, 2008
Kokomo, Indiana—Robert Dibie, Ph.D., professor of public affairs and campus dean of the School of Public and Environmental Affairs at Indiana University Kokomo, recently published a new book with the title Nongovernmental Organizations (NGOs) and Sustainable Development in Sub-Saharan Africa. The book was published by Lexington Books in Maryland. The book examines how successful NGOs in many Sub-Saharan countries have been leveraging funds from private sector sources, especially funds from domestic sources. Dibie contends that in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of their operations, NGOs within the sub-region must diversify their funding sources, as well as foster linkages with local funding institutions, especially in light of the inevitable termination of certain large international foundations (i.e., Gates Foundation) and the temperamental nature of governmental funding bodies. In the book, Dibie argues that International non-governmental organizations (INGOs) are believed to be increasing in the African continent during the past three decades. INGOs operations in Sub-Saharan Africa reflect the complex social, economic, and cultural diversity of nations in the continent as well as the political history of a changing global world marked by increasing risks to human security and development.
Dibie’s book is relevant and timely, given the social, economic, and political climate in several Sub-Saharan countries. Dibie also argues in the book that in order to successfully achieve sustainable development programs in Sub-Saharan Africa, the people in the sub-region need to have a sense of citizenship and philanthropy. Dibie’s book is the first text to address the role of NGOs in the sustainable development process in Africa. Little empirical research has been conducted on NGOs or Philanthropy in the continent, and Dibie’s book provides a better understanding of how NGOs could diversify their funding sources in the African sub-region.
Given the social, economic, and political situations facing the growing population in several Sub-Saharan African countries, the broader impact of Dibie’s book is a required initiation of new ideas on engaging all groups in the sub-region regarding the citizenship and philanthropy development process. Further, as governments and social service agencies in Africa continue to experience financial cutbacks, public agencies will need to examine alternative and innovative methods to finance those services by collaborating with NGOs in the mobilization of citizens to participate in the citizenship and philanthropy development process. Thus, in order to build a better society, we need to promote the idea of shared governance. “The book will be useful to teach some SPEA graduate courses on nonprofit management,” said Dibie.
Indiana University Kokomo serves an 11 county area in north central Indiana. The campus offers more than 40 academic programs including four master’s degrees.
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