Many Roads to Justice: The Law Related Work of Ford ... - UNDP

A GU I D E TO TH I S VO L U M E 1 5u n d e rgo significant strain at some points in their histories.Whether NGOs survive times of upheaval depends in part on theirown adaptability and their donors’ patience and flexibility.Foundation grantees have persevered through dramatic changes ofgovernment (from military dictatorships to democracy, for example)as well as more orderly shifts in political climate. Along thew a y, they have reevaluated their goals and retooled their strategiesto take advantage of new opportunities, face new challenges,and address the changing needs of their constituents. This chapterdescribes some of the ways grantees have adapted to politicaltransitions or climate changes in Russia, Eastern Europe, Peru,A rgentina, South Africa, the Philippines, and the United States.• • •An undeniable lesson emerging from GLPLI is that one size doesnot fit all, whether for grantee efforts or for the donors that supportthem. Different organizations working under different circumstancesproceed along different paths toward such commongoals as promoting human rights and development. Strategies canand should vary, depending on time, place, and organization.Public interest law work will always be more a craft than ascience. The Global Law Programs Learning Initiative and thisbook are attempts to catch just some of the successes, challenges,and innovations in action. This informal investigation points tothe need for greater examination of the processes and results ofdiverse law-related efforts. Such study could only improve thatwork, expand its impact, and strengthen those who suffer underthe burdens of poverty, prejudice, exclusion, and injustice.