Thematic Paper

In this thematic paper, we will develop a deeper understanding of an international

organization active in a given thematic area. This analysis will be divided into two parts, in
the first part, we will provide some background information about the international
organization and its area of focus, and in the second part, we will develop a comparative
analysis explaining the behavior of the IO using two theoretical perspectives.

The organization that will be exposed in this project is Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC),
an independent humanitarian organization that helps people forced to flee. This includes
refugees and internally displaced persons forced to flee their homes as a result of conflict,
human rights violations, and acute violence, as well as climate change and natural disasters.
In order to solve social, environmental, or humanitarian issues, the Norwegian Refugee
Council is a non-governmental organization, which means it is a non-profit organization that
functions independently from governmental bodies. The organization works on humanitarian
concerns, and refugees are one of its primary concern areas.

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) was founded in 1946 in response to the refugee
situation in Europe. After World War Two, Europe was in complete disorder. A
phenomenally effective cooperative effort to reconstruct Norway and Europe allowed
families who had been evacuated to go back home. They now provide assistance during both
short-term and long-term disasters in more than 32 countries and employ around 16,500
incentive employees and government servants.

The NRC is primarily supported by donations from individuals and organizations as well as
subsidies from the government. The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European
Union, the United Nations, and other international organizations provide the majority of
government grants. Funding for the organization is also provided by private businesses,
foundations, and trusts. By posting yearly reports and financial statements online, NRC
upholds transparency and accountability.

The organization focuses on six key areas which are; education, food security, shelter, legal
assistance, camp management, and water, sanitation, and hygiene. Their mission is to provide
essential services and to promote and defend the rights and dignity of displaced people in
local communities, with national governments, and in the international arena. In addition, the
NRC focuses as well on gender equality and the rights of refugee and displaced women and
girls, and their inclusion in decision-making and access to services and opportunities.

One example of the work of the NRC can be seen in their response to the Syrian refugee
crisis. Millions of people have been uprooted from their homes and forced to flee to
neighboring nations since the Syrian conflict first broke out in 2011. The NRC has been
working to help and support these refugees, both inside Syria and in the neighboring nations.

Upon the provision of background material, we will examine a few fundamental assumptions
concerning the behavior of the organization and the issue area in which they are involved, in
this case, the refugees.

The first theoretical perspective that can be used to explain the behavior of the organization is
constructivism. Constructivism theory in international relations recognizes the crucial role
that ideas, norms, and beliefs play in influencing state behavior and global results. According
to this theory, people construct their knowledge, which is impacted by their experiences,
social interactions, and perceptions of the outside world. Constructivists also hold that
socialization, communication, and interaction are ongoing processes through which the norms
and ideas of actors in the international system are produced and reinforced. By influencing
individual interests, choices, and behavior, these ideas and norms have an impact on state
behavior. An NGO utilizing a constructivist methodology views change as the outcome of a
cooperative effort by people and communities working together to generate a new
understanding of the problem at hand.

According to a constructivist viewpoint, the NRC's activities are a result of its interactions
with other players in the global system. Engagement with states, international organizations,
civil society organizations, and the refugees and displaced people it strives to assist shape the
organization's mission and operations. Through these contacts, the NRC has established a set
of standards and procedures that demonstrate its dedication to safeguarding and assisting
people who are most at risk during emergencies.

Concerning the following article; “Evaluation of the Norwegian Refugee Council's

Palestinian Education Program 2010-2014”; we have found statements in which we can argue
that the behavior of NRC can coincide with the theoretical perspective mentioned before. We
can find a few subliminal examples that can be utilized to support a constructivist viewpoint
as we read the article. By using participatory evaluations, we might argue that the
organization is adopting a constructivist perspective. A constructivist NGO asks locals to
identify the issues that most directly affect them and involves their involvement in the design
and implementation of the project rather than presuming that they already know what the
most significant challenges are in a community (page 80; “NRC and UNRWA staff worked
in partnership to track and interview over 130 children and their families who had dropped
out from education…”).

In the article "Assessing the Civil Society's Role in Refugee Integration in Turkey: NGO-R as
a New Typology," which describes the instance of an NGO whose subject area is the same as
NRC, this theoretical perspective is also demonstrated. The article's main conclusion
demonstrates that religious and belief motives are the primary factors that play a significant
role in the establishment and maintenance of the initiatives of R-NGOs (Refugee Non-
Governmental Organizations) and Refugee Community Organisations, an aspect that
considers constructivism as they respect and support the cultural brands of each community.
The second major conclusion drawn from the article's findings is that NGO-Rs play critical
roles in assisting refugees in obtaining state-provided rights, in integrating refugees into local
society by fostering new social spaces, and in distributing humanitarian aid to those in need,
in this case, in Syria. By doing this, the organization creates context- and culturally-specific
understandings of the refugee situation as well as solutions.

The liberal viewpoint, in contrast to the constructivist viewpoint, places more emphasis on
individual freedom and equality to, among other things, build better communities for less
fortunate nations, whereas the constructivist viewpoint emphasizes individual participation
and cooperation to solve problems jointly.

According to the liberal theory of international relations, exchange and interdependence

between nations can be used to further shared interests and objectives. In liberal thought, non-
governmental organizations play a crucial role in furthering human rights, advancing the
cause of the underrepresented and marginalized, and establishing norms. This theoretical
approach holds that NGOs have the power to influence global politics for the better by
fostering international cooperation through their networks, campaigns, and other initiatives.
These organizations are essential for creating international policies and advancing global
conversation because of the advocacy and lobbying work they do. They act as a conduit
between local grassroots movements and global organizations, offering insightful
commentary and subject-matter knowledge on problems impacting disadvantaged groups.

From a liberal point of view, the actions of the Norwegian Refugee Council can be examined
in accordance with liberalism's fundamental principles, including equality, free markets,
freedoms for individuals, and democratic government. Therefore, their behavior could be
seen as supporting individual rights, particularly when refugees are denied access to
fundamental freedoms.

The article called “Women refugees in Lebanon and the consequences of limited legal status
on their housing, land and property rights” explains the difficulties Syrian and Palestinian
refugees face in obtaining entry and stays documentation to be considered legal in Lebanon.
Without this "legal stay," migrants not only risk criminal prosecution but also encounter
several additional challenges. These include restrictions on freedom of movement, a lack of
employment or other options for support, difficulty accessing services, and, among other
things, the need for humanitarian aid. For this reason, the NRC contends that the Government
of Lebanon should create an extensive refugee policy and suitable administrative processes
based on refugee rights for all Syrian refugees in Lebanon. A comprehensive refugee policy
based on refugee rights and administrative practices that safeguard the rights of all refugees,
according to them, should be established by the Lebanese government with help from
humanitarian and development actors. Refugees should be guaranteed the following rights:
freedom of movement, access to all required services, access to territory, access to shelter,
access to justice, access to a means of subsistence, and any other fundamental rights.

Another reason why the Norwegian Refugee Council's actions can be consistent with the
liberal viewpoint is that they stated that all people should have equal rights and equal
opportunities to receive fundamental resources, services, and protection. Their goal is to
protect and advance the rights of refugees, including their access to healthcare, education, and
employment opportunities. As we can observe in their “Gender Policy”, their strategy entails
incorporating a gender perspective into all of the NRC's core programs and at the policy
level. They also expressed in this document that the organization works in various cultural
contexts to safeguard the refugee from outside threats and that gender is emphasized rather
than women only.
In conclusion, both the constructivist perspective and the liberalism perspective are
theoretical tools that coincide with the behavior of the organization analyzed in this thematic
paper. After carefully examining both viewpoints and contrasting them, we can state that
while the nature of one theory differs from the other, when it comes to using it to explain how
an NGO acts, they are completely consistent. The explanation of the organization's behavior
may thus be made using both views.

References
Women refugees in Lebanon and the consequences of limited legal status on their housing,
land and property rights. (s/f). Euromed Women.foundation. Retrieved on May 1, 2023, from
https://docs.euromedwomen.foundation/files/ermwf-documents/6587_3.21.women-refugees-
in-lebanon.pdf

(S/f). Flyktninghjelpen.no. Retrieved on May 1, 2023, from

https://www.flyktninghjelpen.no/globalassets/pdf/policy-documents/nrc-gender-policy.pdf

Willetts, P. (1982). Pressure Groups in the Global System: The Transnational Relations of
Issue-oriented Non-governmental Organizations. Pinter Pub Limited. Retrieved on April 22,
2023, from Non-Governmental Organizations in World Politics - Google Books

Shah, R. (2014). Evaluation of the Norwegian Refugee Council’s Palestine education

programme 2010-2014. Auckland.ac.nz. Retrieved on May 1, 2023, from
https://researchspace.auckland.ac.nz/bitstream/handle/2292/23231/9182688.pdf?
sequence=5&isAllowed=y

Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) - EvalCommunity. (2023, February 23).

Evalcommunity.com; EvalCommunity.
https://www.evalcommunity.com/career-center-old/norwegian-refugee-council-nrc/

Norwegian Refugee Council. (s/f). NRC. Retrieved on april 24, 2023 from
https://www.nrc.no/

Kam, P. M. (mannie), Ponserre, S., & André, C. (s/f). IDMC. IDMC. Retrieved on April 24,
2023, from https://www.internal-displacement.org/

Refugee Integration in Turkey: NGO-R as a New Typology. Journal of Refugee Studies,

32(4), 683-703. Retrieved on April 25, 2023, from https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fey047