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How
did you first come in contact with what in Spain is called the "Tercer
Sector" ("Third Sector")? Through your work,
or via another route?
For one reason or another, ever since I remember, I've always had
contact with organizations dedicated to social causes, especially
those that promote the equality and participation of all, especially
of women, or that promote understanding among different cultures.
Although I have to say that when I started, such organizations didn't
used to be denominated under such a grandiose heading as "Tercer
Sector".
How did you get to know RESCATE? What kind of contact did you have
with the NGO before becoming a part of the Board of Directors?
I got to know RESCATE many years ago, when it was still called IRC
and its staff worked frantically to help group after group of Cubans,
Iranians, Iraquis, Somalians, Eastern Europeans and others to resettle
to other countries. Some ended up staying here and others went on
to the United States, Canada or Australia, where many had family
members. I worked in the immigrant visa section in the U.S. embassy
and at that point initiated a relationship with the organization
that continues today.
Why did you decide to join the Board?
I've always liked the work carried out by RESCATE. Refugees have
been, and continue to be, an unknown group. This despite the fact
that they need an enormous amount of support given that they normally
escape their countries in very precarious conditions. When Nora,
the director of RESCATE, spoke to me about the organization's need
for more members, I became a member. And then I was immediately
selected as a board member.
How has the experience been? What aspects of the work motivate
you more, and what motivates you less?
It has been a fantastic experience. The only drawback is that I
have very little time and what I would really like to be able to
do is be more involved. What motivates me the most is the enthusiasm
that RESCATE's workers put into all of their projects. It's easy
to back them when you learn about their work from close-up, because
they capable of being professional without losing their human warmth.
And also seeing that their efforts translate into concrete improvements
for many people.
To
give one example, it made me immensely happy to see pictures from
some of our activities in Ethiopia, where in spite of the terrible
droughts suffered by the region, thanks to a dam constructed as
part of one of RESCATE's projects, it's been possible for the surrounding
communities to grow gardens and orchards that will produce food
for thousands of people. The looks of satisfaction on the faces
of the women and men working the fields, gives you an unbeatable
sensation. I also feel that the public awareness work carried out
by RESCATE is invaluable. By helping us learn more about refugees,
and by helping refugees to get to know our society better, they
will help diminish the type of racist outbursts that do so much
harm to all of us.
What
I like the least about this work is the bureaucracy.
Based on your experience with RESCATE and other organizations
belonging to the Tercer Sector, what would you say are the
primary challenges of the sector?
Ufff! Without entering into the controversy that's so fashionable
right now regarding what qualifies and what doesn't qualify as the
Tercer Sector, I would say that the primary challenge is
to adapt ourselves to the demands of the new norms, to professionalize
our operations. Promote the participation of the very people affected
by our work. Foment solidarity, equality and the participation of
all members of society. Make ourselves visible and demonstrate our
transparency. Develop our organizational capacity, our ability to
collaborate in networks, in order to achieve an autonomy that will
allow us to negotiate with the State and with private companies.
All this, without losing sight of our altruistic goals.
Would you recommend to other people that they work with or collaborate
with NGOs? Why or why not?
Of course I would. All of us should participate in creating a better
world, one that we like better. It's not enough to complain about
the things you don't like, you have to act. And it's not that this
can only be done from within NGOs, but they are a good place from
which to do it. Each NGO works in favor of something different,
so that it should be easy for every one of us to find the one that
fits the mould of our ideals. And what's more, it provides you with
a type of personal enrichment that's incomparable.
Do you think many people have a distorted image of NGOs?
There are all sorts of people with all kinds of ideas about NGOs,
but it's true that in recent times there's a growing movement of
people who don't trust them, who think that they only pursue personal
gain. The blame for this lies with the few organizations in whose
case this idea might be accurate, and who for that reason have been
in the headlines of all the communication media. However, all those
people who work day after day, as volunteers or with limited salaries,
never appear in the media.
What do you think NGOs should do to gain the respect and continued
support of our society?
Transparency,
communication and public awareness are the key requisites
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