Is there anything wrong with establishing voluntary civilian organizations to focus on issues of direct concern to the public? For years we have been calling for the establishment of such bodies to handle problems such as environmental degradation, drug and alcohol abuse, road accidents, adolescence, disabilities, chronic diseases and problems relating to people with special needs including the elderly, natural disasters and the preservation of our cultural heritage.
I cannot understand why there is so much sensitivity and unjustified fear about creating non-governmental organizations (NGOs) which would be run by volunteers and play a complementary role to that of other official bodies.
It is of no importance what these organizations are called — committees, unions or whatever — as long as they are able to operate independently of the crippling and senseless bureaucracy that characterizes our government departments and institutions.
The tale of our fellow Saudi, Abdullah Al-Alami, who, along with many others, has been trying for a long time to establish a group to assist cancer patients is all too typical. After contacting government officials, businessmen, doctors, the media and all others whose contributions were needed and after seeking legal approval and even creating a database to serve the project, his committee is yet to see the light of day!
I would have thought that if the authorities had been presented with such a project, they would have rushed to embrace it and do all in their power to see that any obstacles were removed. Unfortunately, in this case, the opposite happened. At present, no one knows how long it will take for the idea to materialize — if it ever does.
We all appreciate the need for rules and guidelines and taking precautions when it comes to establishing private voluntary bodies. What we simply cannot understand, however, is the ease with which certain high-sounding organizations are established while, at the same time, others which would function on a purely humanitarian basis and serve the unfortunate are unable to get up and running.
Arab News From the Local Press 21 January 2003
