Charity to advocacy: Changing agendas of Australian NGOs

Abstract

Before the Second World War, Australian voluntary development assistance was minimal. The emergence of the voluntary aid movement in Australia, from its genesis in pre-Second World War missionary and charity agencies to the formation of development assistance organisations, is traced here. The growth in NGO activity, shifting fads in NGO priorities, the reasons for these and, in particular, the increasing priority given to advocacy activities are also documented, providing a comprehensive illustration of the historical changes which have resulted in increased prioritisation of advocacy activities by Australian NGOs.