NGOs as a tool for global change

In Globdev class, we once talked about the different Non Government Organizations (NGOs). As defined in this website, a non-governmental organization (NGO) is any non-profit, voluntary citizens' group which is organized on a local, national or international level. Although in class, we focused on the international organizations because obviously the class is about Global Development. I would like to emphasize the importance of NGOs in my personal life. I would like to say that NGOs have been part in my personal development because of my involvement in some of them. Our group reported on the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). I have known this group since I was around 11 years old and this international organization actually help me make a significant decision in my life which until now I don't regret. I would like to say that working on the powerpoint that we would be reporting gave me more strong feelings about my involvement in PETA's vision. 

Once upon a time, I was a freshman in highschool and I was just starting on my high school journey. Youtube was then starting to get popular and I myself, as an internet geek and all, got to watch a lot of cool videos. I happened to stumble upon this video that really disturbed me. It was a video about animal cruelty. It showed how meat is being processed and more importantly how animals were brutally and inhumanely killed for their meat. The video, "Meet Your Meat", changed my life. All thanks to PETA, I'm a pescitarian for 7 years already (and running!). International NGOs like PETA can do incredible stuff and they have a power to make a change. 

I once learned in EUROCIR (European Contemporary Issues), a major subject I took last term under Ms. Misalucha, that NGOs exist for a reason. NGOs are there to do things that the states can't do. For example with PETA. This organization was created to address the issue of animal cruelty because perhaps some states and their government don't give much importance as PETA do. Animal cruelty is an important global issue and it affect everybody. These NGOs are created because states fail to establish and implement effective laws against issues. Other NGOs like Greenpeace are created to address the issues of the environment because the government agencies exert little effort to act upon the issue immediately. I believe that NGOs will one day overcome the power of some states and will run it itself. We shouldn't underestimate the power of the NGOs since it is still an actor in International Relations and it can do some things that states can't do. I personally would like to work in a NGO someday. That is actually my career goal because I actually can see their importance and I think that working in an NGO is an effective tool for change as supposed to working in the government. Think global...