--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: NGOs have a complicated space in…" description: "\"NGOs have a complicated space in neoliberal politics. They are supposed to mop up the anger. Even when they are doing good work, they are supposed to m..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/062/arundhati-roy-346_complicated_ngos-have-a-complicated-space-in-neolibe_23473.png" --- # NGOs have a complicated space in neoliberal politics. They… ![“NGOs have a complicated space in neoliberal politics. They are supposed to mop up the anger. Even when they are doing good work, they are supposed to maintain the status quo. They are the missionaries of the corporate world.” quote by Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/062/arundhati-roy-346_complicated_ngos-have-a-complicated-space-in-neolibe_23473.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/062/arundhati-roy-346_complicated_ngos-have-a-complicated-space-in-neolibe_23473.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/062/arundhati-roy-346_complicated_ngos-have-a-complicated-space-in-neolibe_23473.png) > “NGOs have a complicated space in neoliberal politics. They are supposed to mop up the anger. Even when they are doing good work, they are supposed to maintain the status quo. They are the missionaries of the corporate world.” [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. NGOs operate within neoliberal frameworks, tasked with pacifying dissent while often preserving existing power structures, despite genuine humanitarian efforts. **In simple terms:** NGOs paradoxically soothe unrest while upholding the status quo. Key Takeaway NGOs can both help and reinforce existing systems. Themes political economy civil society neoliberalism social control activism Mood critical skeptical reflective Type political social critical When to use this quote - humanitarian aid - policy advocacy - community development - corporate partnership - grassroots mobilization Key Concepts NGO role corporate influence social justice power dynamics Practical Applications - critical analysis of NGO impact - designing independent community initiatives Questions to Reflect On - How can NGOs balance advocacy with service delivery? - What mechanisms ensure NGOs remain accountable to the communities they serve? A Different Perspective Some argue NGOs provide essential services and amplify marginalized voices, challenging the notion they merely sustain the status quo. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Corporate world](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/corporate-world/) [Doing good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/doing-good/) [Neoliberal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/neoliberal/) [Ngos](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ngos/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Space](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space/) [Status quo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/status-quo/) [World](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/world/) ## Related quotes > [NGOs are dangerous. They do what the missionaries used to do in Colonial times. They are Trojan Horses. The worse the situation, the more…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/ngos-are-dangerous-they-do-what-the-missionaries-used-to-do-in/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [“Local NGOs are like high-fashion boutiques. They sell very high-quality products – the Prada bag, the Armani frock – to a small number of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-pisani/local-ngos-are-like-high-fashion-boutiques-they-sell-very-high/) [Elizabeth Pisani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-pisani/) > [Obesity is a societal issue. We have to come together with government, business, civil society, and NGOs to create solutions for this.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/muhtar-kent/obesity-is-a-societal-issue-we-have-to-come-together-with-government/) [Muhtar Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/muhtar-kent/) > [I do lot of work with NGOs and I am not looking for a Bollywood career.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-khan/i-do-lot-of-work-with-ngos-and-i-am-not-looking-for-a-bollywood-career/) [Sara Khan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-khan/) > [“We are careful not to touch the NGO people, though, because we can see that even though they are giving us things, they do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noviolet-bulawayo-we-need-new-names/we-are-careful-not-to-touch-the-ngo-people-though-because-we-can-see/) NoViolet Bulawayo, We Need New Names > [Forcing companies to recruit away from the golf course might lead to the appointment of more women from NGOs and academia and medicine, all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noreena-hertz/forcing-companies-to-recruit-away-from-the-golf-course-might-lead-to/) [Noreena Hertz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noreena-hertz/) > [NGOs have a significant role to play, alongside governments, in improving the status of women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jenny-shipley/ngos-have-a-significant-role-to-play-alongside-governments-in/) [Jenny Shipley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jenny-shipley/) > [I am working for various NGOs and looking after my home.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/i-am-working-for-various-ngos-and-looking-after-my-home/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [I've a problem with the word charity because I think that NGOs, as I prefer calling them, really do take the work of moral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emma-thompson/i-ve-a-problem-with-the-word-charity-because-i-think-that-ngos-as-i/) [Emma Thompson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emma-thompson/) > [I like to contribute as much as possible to some of the NGOs that I know and in the areas that I like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sharmila-tagore/i-like-to-contribute-as-much-as-possible-to-some-of-the-ngos-that-i/) [Sharmila Tagore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sharmila-tagore/) > [When you have an accident, they will save their own people, and those who have worked with you or with the NGOs are left.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/boutros-boutros-ghali/when-you-have-an-accident-they-will-save-their-own-people-and-those/) [Boutros Boutros-Ghali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/boutros-boutros-ghali/) > [As a philanthropist, I fund a lot of NGOs.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rohini-nilekani/as-a-philanthropist-i-fund-a-lot-of-ngos/) [Rohini Nilekani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rohini-nilekani/) > [When I came in, Haiti was not governed by Haitians anymore. Probably mostly by NGOs. And that has done what to Haiti? It has…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-martelly/when-i-came-in-haiti-was-not-governed-by-haitians-anymore-probably/) [Michel Martelly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-martelly/) > [NGOs are now turning to market forces as a catalyst for change](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/claude-martin/ngos-are-now-turning-to-market-forces-as-a-catalyst-for-change/) Claude Martin > [Every country, every donation is a different case, and there are many cases where NGOs are getting support from foreign countries for good purposes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ayelet-shaked/every-country-every-donation-is-a-different-case-and-there-are-many/) [Ayelet Shaked](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ayelet-shaked/) ## More by Arundhati Roy > [...As the disparity between the rich and the poor grows, the fight to corner resources is intensifying. To push through their "sweetheart deals," to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/as-the-disparity-between-the-rich-and-the-poor-grows-the-fight-to/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [In 2001, we were told that the war in Afghanistan was a feminist mission. The marines were liberating Afghan women from the Taliban. Can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/in-2001-we-were-told-that-the-war-in-afghanistan-was-a-feminist/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [Poverty is a crime and the poor are terrorists](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/poverty-is-a-crime-and-the-poor-are-terrorists/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [Flat muscled and honey coloured. Sea secrets in his eyes. A silver raindrop in his ear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/flat-muscled-and-honey-coloured-sea-secrets-in-his-eyes-a-silver/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [Fiction and non-fiction are only different techniques of story telling. For reasons I do not fully understand, fiction dances out of me. Non-fiction is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/fiction-and-non-fiction-are-only-different-techniques-of-story/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [I've never been that person who thought that because I've written one novel, I should write another and another. It's only when there was…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/i-ve-never-been-that-person-who-thought-that-because-i-ve-written-one/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [It is such a supreme folly to believe that nuclear weapons are deadly only if they're used.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/it-is-such-a-supreme-folly-to-believe-that-nuclear-weapons-are-deadly/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [I think one of the saddest things that's happening to literature is that it's getting over-simplified by this diet of simple political ideas.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/i-think-one-of-the-saddest-things-that-s-happening-to-literature-is/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [The only dream worth having, I told her, is to dream that you will live while you're alive and die only when you're dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/the-only-dream-worth-having-i-told-her-is-to-dream-that-you-will-live/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [But what was there to say? Only that there were tears. Only that Quietness and Emptiness fitted together like stacked spoons. Only that there…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/but-what-was-there-to-say-only-that-there-were-tears-only-that/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [Truly, there's no alternative to stupidity. Cretinism is the mother of fascism. I have no defence against it, really…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/truly-there-s-no-alternative-to-stupidity-cretinism-is-the-mother-of/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [“...the secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/the-secret-of-the-great-stories-is-that-they-have-no-secrets-the/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [“stilts, the ground floors given over to parking. It’s a good idea in this car-maddened city,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/stilts-the-ground-floors-given-over-to-parking-it-s-a-good-idea-in/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [“Perhaps it’s true that things can change in a day. That a few dozen hours can affect the outcome of whole lifetimes. And that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/perhaps-it-s-true-that-things-can-change-in-a-day-that-a-few-dozen/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) > [Thousands of years of ideological, philosophical and practical decisions were made. They altered the surface of the earth, the coordinates of our souls. For…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arundhati-roy/thousands-of-years-of-ideological-philosophical-and-practical/) [Arundhati Roy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) [Explore all 628 Arundhati Roy quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arundhati-roy/) ## More Complicated quotes > [Of course I like you. It's because I like you I don't wanna be with you. It's a complicated emotion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marlin/of-course-i-like-you-it-s-because-i-like-you-i-don-t-wanna-be-with/) Marlin > [“Why the hell did he have to be so complicated? One minute he was charming, the next he withdrew behind his internal walls.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lia-davis/why-the-hell-did-he-have-to-be-so-complicated-one-minute-he-was/) [Lia Davis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lia-davis/) > [Life is more complicated than we think, yet far simpler than anyone dares to imagine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lawrence-durrell/life-is-more-complicated-than-we-think-yet-far-simpler-than-anyone/) [Lawrence Durrell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lawrence-durrell/) > [I think adoption becomes complicated whenever the biological parents are alive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-haven/i-think-adoption-becomes-complicated-whenever-the-biological-parents/) [James Haven](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-haven/) > [We animals are the most complicated things in the known universe.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/we-animals-are-the-most-complicated-things-in-the-known-universe/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [Programmers are always surrounded by complexity; we cannot avoid it… If our basic tool, the language in which we design and code our programs,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tony-hoare/programmers-are-always-surrounded-by-complexity-we-cannot-avoid-it-if/) [Tony Hoare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tony-hoare/) > [“Just because it's complicated, just because you think you can't ever know everything about another person, it doesn't mean you can't try.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-semple/just-because-it-s-complicated-just-because-you-think-you-can-t-ever/) [Maria Semple](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-semple/) > [The one thing I absolutely hate about social media are the people who abuse it. Whenever I see a person who constantly posts negative…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jazmin-garcia/the-one-thing-i-absolutely-hate-about-social-media-are-the-people-who/) [Jazmin Garcia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jazmin-garcia/) > [I think the ethics and morals of genetic engineering are very complicated. It intrigues me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-spottiswoode/i-think-the-ethics-and-morals-of-genetic-engineering-are-very/) [Roger Spottiswoode](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-spottiswoode/) > [Your Starbucks order is directly proportional to how complicated your personality is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin/your-starbucks-order-is-directly-proportional-to-how-complicated-your/) [Kevin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin/) > [Geometry, which should only obey Physics, when united with it sometimes commands it. If it happens that the question which we wish to examine…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/geometry-which-should-only-obey-physics-when-united-with-it-sometimes/) [Jean le Rond d'Alembert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-le-rond-d-alembert/) > [I have learned so much from my dad. Perhaps the biggest thing I've learned from my dad is how to be prepared at all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jay-sekulow/i-have-learned-so-much-from-my-dad-perhaps-the-biggest-thing-i-ve/) [Jay Sekulow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-sekulow/) > [The world is complicated and full of grays, but there's still truth there to be found.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/the-world-is-complicated-and-full-of-grays-but-there-s-still-truth/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [ The parts of the \[Civil Right\] Movement we recognize so well now were not born from a single decision, but were a complicated and… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-aydin/the-parts-of-the-civil-right-movement-we-recognize-so-well-now-were/) [Andrew Aydin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-aydin/) > [Two people could build an outhouse in four hours. They're not complicated.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-maxwell/two-people-could-build-an-outhouse-in-four-hours-they-re-not/) [Robert Maxwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-maxwell/) Browse all 3,190 Complicated quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "NGOs have a complicated space in neoliberal politics. They are supposed to mop up the anger. Even when they are doing good work, they are supposed to maintain the status quo. 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