Barriers to Charity

Disaster and other relief organizations are faced with the dilemma of complying with laws barring broadly defined “material support” for terrorism or violating the International Red Cross’s long-standing standards of neutrality in aid delivery. Development and relief programs are hampered when working in areas controlled by designated organizations. These measures have done little to fight terrorism. Instead, they are politicizing aid and creating a hierarchy of beneficiaries that is not based on need. 
photo by remuz78

 

Barriers to charity

The Impact of Counterterrorism Measures on Charities and Donors After 9/11

in
Date: 
August 16, 2010

There is increasing evidence of the negative impact on all charities of the counter-terrorism measures introduced since 2001.[i] A January 2006 workshop held by INTRAC (International NGO Training and Research Centre, Oxford, UK) foresees that such measures will have ‘disproportionate and far-reaching effects on public giving, international cooperation agendas, movement of funds and other types of support’ for charities.

March 1, 2010 Event: Civil society, Security and Aid Post-9/11: Challenges, Tensions and Dilemmas

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Date: 
February 12, 2010

On March 1, 2010, the Charity and Security Network held a reception and discussion based on a new book Civil Society Under Strain; Counter-Terrorism Policy, Civil Society and Aid Post 9/11(Kumarian Press). The books editors, Jude Howell and Jeremy Lind of the London School of Economics Civil Society Centre provided their analysis on how nonprofits and aid agencies can engage in security debates and respond to security initiatives in a way that does not compromise their own priorities and principles.

Book: Countering the Politics of Fear

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Date: 
April 1, 2010

Countering the Politics of Fear features a collection of first-hand accounts of individuals and groups fighting against the repression and suppression of civil society and human rights. Written by Frank van Lierde, and distributed by the Dutch development agency, Cordaid, Countering the Politics of Fear examines myriad conflicts, and the affects they have on civil society, in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. 

Saudis No Example for Rules on Charities

in
Date: 
July 22, 2009
Author: 
Suraj K. Sazawal

No explanation was necessary to understand the main reason why Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was speaking at the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce in Saudi Arabia on July 16, 2009. Geithner was assuring investors from oil-rich Gulf States skeptical of supporting slumping economies in the West. But between his praise for the host nation and repeated affirmations of a global rebound, Geithner found time to touch on the importance of protecting charitable donations and the good causes they support.

Americans Support a Foreign Policy that Targets Terrorism's Roots

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Date: 
July 23, 2009
Author: 
Suraj K. Sazawal

When examining the results of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs' July 2008 survey on U.S. foreign policy, a remarkable thing stands out- Americans are in agreement. 

Provision that Criminalizes Conflict Resolution Training Ignored by Senate Committee

in
Date: 
October 16, 2009
Author: 
Suraj K. Sazawal

As went Feingold and Durbin’s JUSTICE Act so too did a provision that encourages conflict resolution training and human rights advocacy. Included in the rejected bill was language that would have amended the material support statute to require specific intent to further an organization’s unlawful activities before imposing criminal liability.

Book: Civil Society Under Strain Includes Chapter on U.S. by CSN Staff

in
Date: 
January 15, 2010

A January 2010 book is the first comprehensive examination of the restrictive and punitive impact from counterterrorism legislation on nonprofits since 9/11. Civil Society Under Strain; Counter-Terrorism Policy, Civil Society and Aid Post 9/11 (Kumarian Press) describes the threats organizations conducting humanitarian operations around the world are subjected to by unjust or overbroad anti-terror laws. Each chapter is authored by nonprofit experts or scholars, presenting the common, shared and unique challenges for nonprofits in countries such as the United States, Sri Lanka, Australia and former Soviet republics like Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzsta. The chapter describing counterproductive counterterrorism laws that restrict U.S. nonprofits is written by Kay Guinane and Suraj K. Sazawal of the Charity and Security Network.  The book was edited by Jude Howell and Jeremy Lind, both distinguished researchers at the London School of Economics.

Book: Regulation of the Voluntary Sector

in
Date: 
December 30, 2009

In Regulation of the Voluntary Sector: Freedom and Security in an Era of Uncertainty, Mark Sidel discusses the shrinking space for nonprofits to operate caused by increasing security and legal measures. By juxtaposing the treatment of nonprofits around the world, Sidel outlines how the work of nonprofits is marginalized by legal and regulation barriers. He also examines the increasing varying degrees of opposition and suspicion of nonprofits by the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, India, and E.U. countries. This October 2009 volume provides the first available comparative analysis of state responses to voluntary sector activity after 9/11.

Book: Civil Society Under Strain

in
Date: 
December 30, 2009

Jeremy Lind and Jude Howell’s November 2009 book, Civil Society Under Strain: Counter-Terrorism, Aid and Civil Society, examines the interconnected nexus of anti-terrorism policies, nonprofits, and foreign aid. By using specific case studies from Afghanistan, Kenya, and India, Lind and Howell discuss how the “War on Terror” has changed the United States’ government attitude toward nonprofits from one of an ally to one of suspicion. They illustrate the impact this change has had on development and aid programs, donors and the people the nonprofits’ services assist.

Conviction of Holy Land Foundation Raises Questions, Concerns for Nonprofits

in
Date: 
May 11, 2009

On Nov. 24, 2008 the two-month retrial against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF) and five of its leaders ended with guilty verdicts on charges of supporting Hamas, which was designated as a terrorist organization in 1995. The convictions came even though the prosecution admitted that all funds went to local charities, called zakat committees, that are not on government watchlists. Attorneys for the defendants said they would appeal.