The Effect of Charity and Society Proclamation On the Save the Children International Office: case Study

Abstract

Even though the preamble of the Charities and Societies Proclamation No. 621/2009 states citizen’s constitutional right to freedom of association and the need to enhance and strength the role of charities in the overall development of Ethiopia, the Proclamation continues to have ambiguity and has created insecurity on the parts of the Civil Society. The main objective of this study is to assess the effect of Charity and Society proclamation on international Non-Governmental Organization called Save the Children International. To address the objectives in this study, the research method used is descriptive case study. Through the use of primary and secondary data sources, the researcher has gathered the necessary information regarding the effect of the proclamation. Purposive sampling technique was used. Semi-structured interviews were carried out. Information obtained from these sources was then analyzed qualitatively based on descriptive analysis. The findings show that the Proclamation has brought about new changes in terms of operational areas and structural change. On one hand, the Proclamation creates an independent agency for the Charity and Society Organization sector, allows income generation activities, and tries to control bad practices by Charity and Society; it has strict funding source requirements especially on the right component of the organization. However, the absence of a tradition of giving financial support to human rights organizations, and the lack of the necessary skill and experience in generating funds from local sources are currently challenging the Charities and Societies. Creating an enabling environment for the operation of charity and society organizations cannot be guaranteed by the enactment of the law by itself unless it is complemented by reducing the restriction on foreign funding and properly classifying the program costs. This finally would hit hard given the lack of obvious fundraising and development opportunities inside of Ethiopia, one of the poorest countries in the world.