Viewing the non-governmental organisation Pazifik Netzwerk e.V. from a postcolonial perspective (Research Note)
This article embraces a postcolonial view for analyzing the German NGO Pazifik Netzwerk e.V. In doing so the authors shed light on the critical awareness that an intercultural NGO should have, and thereby contributes to the political commitment many associate with postcolonialism. The NGO Pazifik Ne...
| Main Authors: | , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Pazifische Studien e.V.
2019-09-01
|
| Series: | Pacific Geographies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://pacific-geographies.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/PG52_1317.pdf |
| Summary: | This article embraces a postcolonial view for analyzing the German NGO Pazifik Netzwerk e.V. In doing so the authors shed light on the critical awareness that an intercultural NGO should have, and thereby contributes to the political commitment many associate with postcolonialism. The NGO Pazifik Netzwerk e.V. is engaged in making the political, economic, ecological and cultural situation of the Pacific island states known to a broad public in German-speaking countries. Firstly, relying on different postcolonial theorists, four criteria of postcolonialism are carved out that are then matched against the NGO. Overall, the analysis shows how the NGO does not sit outside power relations, sometimes contributing to inequality and stereotyping, even though it aims to do otherwise and tries to counteract this. While some cases affiliated with ‘othering’ can and should be avoided, others prove to be more difficult given the NGO’s western foundation. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2196-1468 2199-9104 |