By Firoz Osman
It is unfortunate that a phenomenon where activists who gain positions of prestige and power start compromising with the systems they once fought against.
Institutions such as the Ahmed Kathrada Foundation (AKF), Bishop Tutu Foundation and former anti-Apartheid stalwarts have sparked intense debates amongst comrades within NGOs on the World Movement for Democracy (WMD).
The AKF is convening a conference headed by the WMD under the banner Revitalizing Democracy. The funder for the WMD is the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) , a USA-based organization with a history of destabilizing countries in South America.
The NED, formed in 1983 during the Regan administration ostensibly to promote “democracy” around the world enhanced America’s imperialist agenda under the guise of peace, freedom and democracy. It destabilized governments opposed to America’s imperialist goals.
The founder of NED Alan Weinstein stated in an interview with the Washington Post that a lot of what they are doing was what the CIA had done 25 years ago. Globally, NED is known as the “second CIA”.
A member of the steering committee of the World Movement for Democracy, Nobel laureate Maria Ressa said: “Chants like ‘From the River to the Sea, Palestine will be free’ are commonly perceived as calls for the annihilation of Israel.”
This is a propagandistic misrepresentation of the right of the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and an end to the colonial occupation of their land rather than the extension of basic human rights, freedom and justice for all who live between the river and the sea.
Of further concern is the appointment of Victoria Nuland to the NED Board of Directors. Nuland’s involvement in promoting U.S. allies and agendas in Middle Eastern conflicts has drawn criticism for perpetuating a cycle of intervention and instability.
Nuland previously worked as a Senior Counsellor at the Albright Stonebridge Group global strategy firm, co-founded by former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright who is notorious for justifying the killing of 500,000 Iraqi children stating “it was worth it”.
Nuland’s perceived bias toward Israel overlooks Palestinian rights and self-determination marginalizing their cause and undermining peace efforts.
The inclusion of Omar Shaban, a Palestinian economist and the director of Pal Think for Strategic Studies in Gaza, is viewed with suspicion by some Palestinians because Pal Think often collaborates with Western NGOs and international institutions.
Gaza is not an open-air prison or concentration camp. It is an extermination camp. This is the most documented genocide in our history, no one can claim ignorance, no one can say they didn’t know.
And the United States of America, with other Western countries and Institutions, are not just complicit in the slaughter, but active partners providing billions of dollars in military hardware.
In Gaza and broader Palestinian society, associations with Western-funded organizations often leads to mistrust, as foreign funding is seen as a means to promote agendas that may not align with the resistance or broader Palestinian goals.
And this, foreign interests and influence, is what puzzles many struggle activists that hold anti-Apartheid veterans and the NGOs in high esteem.
Once in positions of power, activists often face immense institutional pressures. NGOs tend to have norms, structures, and incentives that prioritize stability over radical change.
Even well-meaning individuals may find themselves limited by financial restrictions or by their dependence on those in more entrenched positions of power.
Powerful institutions may reward those who compromise while marginalizing or even punishing those who do not accede to their demands. However, this approach can lead to compromises that dilute their original goals, especially if they fear that too much resistance will cause them to lose influence altogether.
With power often comes access to resources, privileges, and a different lifestyle, which can change someone’s perspective. The comforts and incentives that come with status may unintentionally shift an activist’s focus from the struggle to maintaining their position, often softening their stance or distancing them from the people they once represented.
Some institutions have well-established strategies to neutralize opposition by bringing activists into their ranks, creating an illusion of change. Activists might be invited into influential positions to lend credibility to the organization without necessarily shifting its fundamental goals. This process of “co-optation” helps the institution appear progressive while maintaining its core structure and power.
Ultimately, these compromises can create a disconnect between activists in power and the communities they represent.
Many people view these compromises as betrayals, but for others, it reflects the difficult realities of working within systems that are designed to resist substantial change.
However, in the case of the WMD conference, the mere fact that its operational machinery is in the hands of NED, known and discredited for subversive regime-change agendas, raises alarm bells – justifiably so.
FIROZ OSMAN: Dr Osman is the co-author of Why Israel? The Anatomy of Zionist Apartheid: An SA Perspective, Shattering Zionist Myths 100 Distortions Identified and an executive member of the Media Review Network, an advocacy group based in Gauteng.