Citizen and NGO Relations in Post-conflict Côte d’Ivoire

• In Event: New Insights on NGOs in Africa: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

How does civil war shape citizen-NGO relationships? A rich literature examines whether and why citizens interact with NGOs, but primarily focuses on citizen characteristics that condition their participation. I argue that war transforms NGO leadership, which can shape whether citizens uptake democratic values from these organizations. I underscore the fact that citizens want leaders who will include them in networks that can provide access to scarce resources and opportunities. Citizens thus reject and punish NGO leaders who are not altruistic, and only appreciate discriminatory leaders when they discriminate in citizens’ favor. Through a citizen survey experiment, I show that once exposed to negative leadership qualities, citizens are likely to have less desire to participate in NGO-sponsored activities ostensibly aimed at inculcating democratic norms and values. In short, NGO leader behavior and citizen reactions combine to influence the ability of leaders to promote democracy in war-torn societies.

Author

• Justine Davis, University of Michigan