INTRODUCTION

In Hong Kong fei-zhengfu zuzhi, a direct Chinese translation of the English term “non-governmental organization” (NGO) is now used to denote NGOs, but this term did not establish itself firmly until the 1990s. Of course this does not mean that NGOs did not exist until then, because since before World War II many charities and social service organizations had engaged in helping the poor and in welfare programmes. But these organizations were customarily known not as NGOs, but as zhiyuan jigou (voluntary agencies).

It is important to note that not all voluntary agencies fall into the typical NGO category. At the mention of NGOs people in Japan generally think of development-oriented NGOs. When we unconsciously think in this term, Christian missionary organizations with long histories, like the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA) and the Salvation Army, are excluded because we tend to look upon them primarily as religious groups, not as development-oriented NGOs.

But in Hong Kong these organizations form a nucleus that serves as a portal for the community receiving new immigrants from Mainland China, many of whom have low incomes, and they lead campaigns in temporary housing for livelihood improvement. Buddhist temples as well as ethnic Chinese organizations based on geographical and kinship ties have also played a major role in helping the poor and in providing medical care and educational services. These services are not necessarily limited to adherents of Buddhism or members of regional or clansmen groups, but are often available to the society as a whole.

Why are these old non-development organizations so influential as NGOs in Hong Kong? On the other hand, what opportunities remain for the development-oriented NGOs to be active in Hong Kong, which has already attained the level of developed country in terms of per capita GDP? While the government uses the term “partnership” to describe the relationship with NGOs in certain fields, does this mean co-operation, or can it be dependency? Essential to answering these questions is an understanding of the historical background of political and economic changes, as well as the transformation of NGOs themselves.