Recently, the num ber of non-governmental (NGO) personnel that are threatened, harmed, or killed around the world has gained increasing attention. Related literature reveals that theories attempting to explain this phenomenon concentrate on changes in the global context that have resulted in the targeting of NGOs. However, these explanations cannot account for why some NGOs in a particular country are more insecure than others.
This dissertation examines micro- and macro-level factors contributing to NGO insecurity. Specifically, it explores the influence of NGO attributes (micro-level) on its level of insecurity in similar and different contexts (macro-level) to determine if the profiles of m ore and less insecure NGOs differ across contexts. The primary hypothesis of this research is that the attributes of an NGO - defined in this research as its organizational identity, programs and operations, and philosophy and practice of intervention - influence whether a particular NGO will be more or less insecure.
By using reported incidents of violence against NGOs and comparing these to indicators of NGO characteristics, the research assessed the impact of NGO attributes on their levels of insecurity in Angola and Sierra Leone (similar) and Ecuador (different) using both qualitative and quantitative techniques. The findings indicate that on a macro-level, the ambient levels of insecurity were higher in countries experiencing ongoing war than in the relatively stable country. Additionally, the micro-level profiles of more and less insecure NGOs differed across country context (situational insecurity).
Thus, context does matter in determining levels of ambient and situational insecurity.
In particular, impartiality and engagement are significantly correlated with an organization's level of insecurity in Angola and Sierra Leone, although the relationship is in the opposite direction than hypothesized. Therefore, the organizations in this research sample that are more impartial and more engaged are more insecure. The qualitative findings suggest two additional categories of NGOs that experienced heightened levels of insecurity: organizations that carry out two or more types of activities and provide material aid, and operational organizations. This exploratory and heuristic research concludes with a number of fruitful areas for further study and the implications of this research on theory and practice.