Civil society organizations, role in social development [Archives:2002/47/Business & Economy]

BY MAHYOUB AL-KAMALI
YEMEN TIMES STAFF
Governmental and non-governmental societies functions and tasks are varied and multiple. There are many kinds of societies whose functions are determined by the nature of their orientation. There are therefore charitable, scientific, agricultural, fish, housing and cooperative societies, sport federations and clubs and various other societies specialized in charity and services activities.
The question that is raised is whether those societies have achieved their goals of serving the civil society ad the individuals targeted by their activities. Are the funds these societies obtain as support from the Social Fund for Development and from government institutions, the private sector and foreign aid are enough to help them implement their plans and projects?
Reports and information derived from general administration for societies and unions of the ministry of social affairs and labor mention that there are in Yemen 245 social societies, 28 scientific societies and 66 sport societies and unions. There are 987 cooperatives, distributed over 541 agricultural, 89 consumer, 109 fish, 222 housing and 26 professional.
During the past ten years, the number of overall societies amounted to 2783 cooperatives and social societies. The general administration for societies and unions follows up activities of societies and the procedures of their establishment on institutional bases with support of the Social Fund for Development. This administration has carried out a field survey on the support offered to non-governmental organizations and soundness of ways of spending it by them and extent of people benefiting from that support. The field survey on the societies has shown that in 2001 there were 1165 societies, and that 844 of them had been established according organized method while the remainder were not founded on correct bases and had no offices , as well as facing problems particularly in remote areas. These societies are mainly active in public welfare, care and rehabilitation, public health, social solidarity and rights and law. Some of the societies are concerned with developing products, encouragement and paying attention to culture and tourism, while other organizations are concerned with charitable and religious activities and protection of environment and population.
Activities and works of these societies are mostly focusing on services projects of which they have finished 467 projects costing YR 2 billion, 137 million and 950 thousand. Sources of funding those projects are 51% non-governmental, 25.7% governmental, 11% local organizations and 11.7% social organizations.
Some reports mention that finishing those projects by the societies does not mean that they have realized their goals. There are several services projects still unfinished due to shortages in funding.

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