Dilek Bozkurt - Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), which were established to find solutions to social problems and defend ethical values, have been facing a different crisis in recent years: “Strategic Hypocrisy”. In this new ecosystem, where organizations use individuals as a means of funding and prestige, while individuals ignore this exploitation for the sake of personal networks and personal prosperity, “rights advocacy” has turned into a marketing strategy.
Everyone Who Is Aware Chooses Not to Appeal
In the modern civil society world, idealism is being replaced by professional pragmatism. The fact that organizations turn human resources into a stepping stone for their own prestige, and that employees and volunteers do not leave their “comfort zones” despite being aware of this situation, disrupts the genetics of civil society. While “universal values” are discussed in face-to-face meetings, in the background everyone knows each other's agenda and true intentions.
Incredible Confession: “They were marketing the victimization of journalists”
Speaking to journalist Dilek Bozkurt, a former NGO employee who resigned from her position due to ethical concerns summarizes the insincerity of organizations working in the field of press freedom with these shocking words:
“I worked for an internationally respected organization that was founded to defend journalists‘ rights. On the outside we were a bastion for press freedom, but on the inside the situation was dire. The management used the oppression and victimization of journalists as a ’commercial tool” to raise funds, lobby and expand their personal circles. The self-interest and institutional dishonesty I witnessed went against everything we stand for. From the outside, people see these structures as a beacon of hope and give them a premium, but on the inside, there is a structure that markets these victimizations for their own personal gain. I left because my professional honor did not allow me to be a part of this theater."
Sectoral Blindness: Why the Premium?
Our news research reveals that the public's trust in these organizations stems from the fact that they are unaware of the rot within. Many experts state that the audit mechanisms of CSOs are limited to financial statements, while “ethical auditing” is completely bypassed. These false stories of heroism built on victimization exploit the public's pure emotions, while narrowing the space for real rights defenders.
What happens when the masks fall?
This artificial balance of parties using each other and knowing it, is eroding trust in civil society every day. When interests run out or funding is cut, there will be neither a changed society nor rights saved. As the “mask of goodness” of civil society falls, it seems that only the cold and unethical silence of mutual exploitation will remain.