Conflict, peacebuilding and NGO legitimacy: National NGOs in Sri Lanka

This paper explores the growing role of national NGOs in the interventions of western governments in conflict-affected regions. Using three case studies of national NGOs working in Sri Lanka, it focuses on the complex relationships between national NGOs, donors and a range of domestic stakeholders. These relationships involved competing demands, interests and expectations and were characterised by tensions, reversals and trade-offs. The paper argues that although donors have increasingly favoured national NGOs in their peacebuilding interventions, these organisations have been particularly vulnerable to crises of legitimacy. This tendency has disrupted NGO programmes and limited the capacity for donors to meet stated objectives.