You will hear a lecture. After listening to the lecture, in 10 seconds, please speak into the microphone and retell what you have just heard from the lecture in your own words. You will have 40 seconds to give your response.
A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization that is neither a part of a government nor a conventional for–profit business. Usually set up by ordinary citizens, NGOs may be funded by governments, foundations, businesses, or private persons. Some avoid formal funding altogether and are run primarily by volunteers. NGOs are highly diverse groups of organizations engaged in a wide range of activities, and take different forms in different parts of the world. Some may have charitable status, while others may be registered for tax exemption based on recognition of social purposes. Others may be fronts for political, religious, or other interests. The number of NGOs in the United States is estimated at 1.5 million. Russia has 277,000 NGOs. India is estimated to have had around 2 million NGOs in 2009, just over one NGO per 600 Indians, and many times the number of primary schools and primary health centres in India. NGOs are difficult to define, and the term ‘NGO’ is rarely used consistently. As a result, there are many different classifications in use. The most common focus is on “orientation” and “level of operation”. An NGO’s orientation refers to the type of activities it takes on. These activities might include human rights, environmental, improving health, or development work. An NGO’s level of operation indicates the scale at which an organization works, such as local, regional, national, or international. Sample Answer: This lecture mainly talks about the non-governmental organization. NGOs may be funded by governments, foundations, businesses or private persons. The number of NGOs in the US is 1.5 million and India has around 2 million in 2009. It is difficult to define NGO as the activities are highly diverse, some may have charitable status while others maybe registered for tax exemption.
