At a Crossroads: Civil Society & Development

group of people with Department of Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker

This summer has been most challenging and yet, invaluable. I must admit, I completely overestimated my ability to balance my internship and my research project in the way I had hoped. But what has surprised me most is how these two separate opportunities have overlapped in ways that have highlighted the complexities of civil society and economic development.

I started this project last year trying to understand the ‘strains’ of U.S. NGOs’ ability to tap into Chinese civil society. I did this by exploring the institutions China has set up to meet the needs of its civil society – and found that there is a uniquely strong relationship between Chinese government & its NGOs, one which the United States initially seems not to have. I am used to U.S. NGOs being characterized as fiercely independent of government and political influence. U.S. NGOs are think tanks, humanitarian organizations, and ‘world savers’ that build their brand on understanding civil society’s needs in a local, field-based, realistic, and thus arguably a more ‘effective’ way.

With my buddy Cindy in the Forbidden Cindy! Always get a tour guide, just so you actually aware of all the buildings you are staring at! haha
With my buddy Cindy in the Forbidden Cindy!
Always get a tour guide, just so you are actually aware of all the buildings you are staring at! haha
Bargained for my favorite panda hat before almost getting scammed into taking a rickshaw home! hahah the best part is the people trying to scam you are laughing at you while you laugh at them and say 'Nice try!'  Very funny and memorable day!
Bargained for my favorite panda hat before almost getting scammed into taking a rickshaw home! hahah the best part is the people trying to scam you are laughing at you while you laugh at them and say ‘Nice try!’
Very funny and memorable day!

Much of my research efforts for this summer have been directed towards understanding the foundations of both the United States’ and China’s governance structures and their relationships with their respective civil societies. This has demanded a lot of text reading on these nations’ foundations. But my internship at the Department of Commerce in the Economic Development Administration has been an invaluable but entirely unpredictable asset to this project.

The Economic Development Administration is charged with the mission to “lead the federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy.” My work with EDA this summer has contributed specifically to my research project by providing me with a unique insight into how the United States government partners with civil society through NGOs to contribute to the nation’s sustainable development efforts and civil society’s empowerment and self agency.

With my colleagues - and friends - and Department of Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker. I have learned so much from my fellow interns this summer - and one of them , Evan, (behind Ms. Pritzker to the left) will be attending NYU Law in the Fall! NYU Pride! :)
With my colleagues – and friends – and Department of Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker.
I have learned so much from my fellow interns this summer – and one of them , Evan, (behind Ms. Pritzker to the left) will be attending NYU Law in the Fall!
NYU Pride! 🙂

These relationships are unique in that EDA’s government investments in innovation and leveraging assets in U.S. civil society work directly with a local community organization that has developed and intends to implement a program that meets their identified need. This collaboration allows civil society to determine its needs and what is best for its community, and government to support by investing in ‘risk’ and innovation – in the hopes of more effectively contributing to sustainable economic development and the building of capacities.

From my limited knowledge and experience in this field, I am more used to the popular discussion of the separation between government efforts and those of NGOs. Furthermore, I am used to understanding that the greater value lies between said separations. This summer has shed necessary light on the extreme value that lies in their partnership – in their collaborative efforts. My discussion cannot seek to only understand government’s and NGO’s contribution to civil society independent of each other – as an example, EDA’s investments are by nature dependent on the local, ‘on the ground’- knowledge communities and their representative organizations (NGOs,cultural institutions, local government, etc.) An NGO in this collaboration is equally dependent on government to bear the cost of ‘risk’ – the risk that is needed to build capacities and achieve human development and self agency.

This summer has exposed me to the collaborative culture of U.S. Government and U.S. NGOs – which softens the apparent differences between China and United States’ government-NGO-society relationships. I still need to better understand the more granular and foundational level structures of the United States’ and China’s governance frameworks – and that will involve me reading, reading, & reading some more!

Reading, Reading, Reading - One can never read know enough!
Reading, Reading, Reading – One can never know enough!

Bittersweet-ly, my internship will finish on August 15th, which is great in that it clears up a block of time ideal for more text reading. But I am quite sad: I have been fortunate to learn from and contribute to one of the most inclusive environments I have ever worked in. I am extremely grateful for and humbled by this opportunity – and I have learned more about what it means to ‘serve the public,’ than I could have ever predicted!