Non-government organisations, self-help groups and neo-liberal discourses

Tanya Jakimow from the University of Melbourne focuses on the normative and actual roles of NGOs by examining civil society processes as manifested in the self-help groups (SHGs) program and the role of NGOs in its implementation. A processual approach requires identification of the processes and functions that are associated with civil society. A radical approach to civil society can be a useful adjunct to a pluralist perspective by specifically focusing on power relations that are often ignored in the latter. Civil society has the potential to be a site of plural representation and build a consensus for dominant ideologies. SHGs can be defined as any small group of persons who intend to find a solution to a common problem with a degree of self-sufficiency. SHGs primarily start as savings and credit groups, with rotational lending and access to external loans available once financial credentials have been established.