Indonesian students sing a song during a trauma healing exercise organized by World Vision at their school which was damaged in an earthquake at Kampung Timbalun in Padang, West Sumatra province, Oct. 6, 2009. For decades, World Vision has fought poverty and famine. Critics fault the organization for refusing to hire non-Christians to staff its $250 million in annual programs funded by U.S. taxpayers. (Dadang Tri/Reuters)

Non-Christians need not apply

World Vision hires only Christians under its $250 million in US government foreign aid grants. Obama promised to change that. So why hasn't he?

BAMAKO, Mali — For a year and a half, Bara Kassambara kept his mouth shut.

Every day, all of his coworkers paused for prayer time. There were frequent Bible studies, and constant talk about Jesus. Kassambara attended the required events, but otherwise quietly focused on his work: bringing clean water to rural Mali.

“I think many people at World Vision just believed...

Recent on NGOs:

• Latest

Opinion: Relief requires flexibility

Mort Rosenblum - The Americas - January 18, 2010 17:32 ET

The US military can and should move quickly, but should listen to advice from seasoned pros on the ground.

Non-Christians need not apply

Krista J. Kapralos - NGOs - January 15, 2010 15:15 ET

World Vision hires only Christians under its $250 million in US government foreign aid grants. Obama promised to change that. So why hasn't he?

Haiti: Help with money, not stuff

David Case - The Americas - January 14, 2010 18:42 ET

After every major disaster, misguided donations actually worsen the suffering.

Unesco, China and a Uighur mystery

Kathleen E. McLaughlin - China and its neighbors - January 13, 2010 06:39 ET

What are the Chinese up to in the Old City of Kashgar, the Uighur "Jerusalem"?

Will a robot be the next great humanitarian?

William Dowell - NGOs - January 7, 2010 12:02 ET

Experts see humanitarian applications for the next generation of robots.

Copenhagen: Inside the circus

Paul Ames - Global Green - December 15, 2009 18:18 ET

Despite distractions from Bloomberg to Schwarzenegger, and panthers to polar bears, negotiators rushed to solidify an agreement.

Helping Americans escape domestic violence abroad

Mildrade Cherfils - France - December 8, 2009 09:32 ET

The prominent backers of a growing non-profit recognize the legal and practical complexity of escaping domestic violence while abroad.

Greener than Oz

Daniel Grushkin - NGOs - December 1, 2009 13:10 ET

The design firm HOK and a major car parts manufacturer attempt to build an industrial city of 2 million from scratch, in India, based entirely on "nature’s principles."

Japan’s downward spiral

Gavin Blair - Japan - November 23, 2009 12:30 ET

One in six Japanese are now poor. The new government has vowed to tackle the problem, but how?

Special report: Silicon Sweatshops

Jonathan Adams and Kathleen E. McLaughlin - China and its neighbors - November 23, 2009 10:51 ET

Despite strict "codes of conduct," labor rights violations are the norm at factories making the world's favorite high-tech gadgets.

Some of Sri Lanka's disabled children find a home

Stephanie Rice - Asia - November 22, 2009 13:44 ET

But the founder of Mencafep worries about those stuck in camps for internally displaced persons.

Silicon Sweatshops: A promising model

Jonathan Adams and Kathleen E. McLaughlin - China and its neighbors - November 18, 2009 06:54 ET

There's no easy way to police supply chains in Asia. But one US high-tech firm and its Taiwan supplier are taking a creative approach that might just work.

Silicon Sweatshops: Shattered dreams

Jonathan Adams - China and its neighbors - November 17, 2009 07:24 ET

Migrant workers making gadgets at Taiwan's high-tech parks sign deals that make them modern-day indentured servants.

Silicon Sweatshops: The China connection

Kathleen E. McLaughlin and Jonathan Adams - China and its neighbors - November 17, 2009 07:22 ET

For migrant workers, an electronics factory job can be a ticket into China's booming middle class. But for many, it turns into a nightmare of poor working conditions and indifferent bosses.

Silicon Sweatshops: Disposable workforce

Jonathan Adams - China and its neighbors - November 17, 2009 07:22 ET

Laid-off Taiwanese workers accuse their firm of violating industry codes even when times were good.

Russia's whistleblower cop is a YouTube sensation

Miriam Elder - Russia and its neighbors - November 11, 2009 09:15 ET

Russian police officer Alexei Dymovsky has released a series of videos calling out corruption and asking Prime Minister Putin to act.

Design within reach

Daniel Grushkin - NGOs - November 5, 2009 17:36 ET

Cameron Sinclair founded Architecture for Humanity to bring thoughtful design to the world’s neediest.

Child sex boom fueled by poverty

Deena Guzder - Thailand - October 29, 2009 11:24 ET

It's just another dark day in Thailand.

Whose line is it, anyway?

Laura Fitch - China and its neighbors - October 26, 2009 05:46 ET

What's the best way to cope with the migrant life in China? Improv theater, of course.

Flanked by foreign dignitaries, Karzai announces a runoff

Jean MacKenzie - Afghanistan - October 20, 2009 10:43 ET

Two months to the day after Afghanistan’s badly flawed presidential elections, the stalemate is over.

Global Blogs:

• Latest

Haiti Support: Songs, Supplies, and SMS Fundraising Update

Beth Kanter, Beth's Blog - NGOs - January 18, 2010 20:16 ET

helping Haiti -- from the charity: water offices, Monday from charity: water on Vimeo.The natural human urge is to do something to help.   And, we're seeing this all over the world, all over the...

More Than $150 Million Given For Haiti Aid

Charity Navigator Team - NGOs - January 18, 2010 18:01 ET

The Chronicle of Philanthropy has updated the figures that they reported last week and says that to date more than $150 million has been donated to support Haiti earthquake relief efforts.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2010-01-17

The ThinkChange India team - NGOs - January 17, 2010 14:30 ET

[TC-I Call to Action]: 2010 Summer Grassroutes Fellowship Program /ThinkChange India/ – We first found out … http://tinyurl.com/ykg7zgo # Global Health & Innovation Conference to be...

Western Corruption within the corrupt Afghanistan War

Grant Montgomery, International Aid blog author - NGOs - January 17, 2010 14:16 ET

The Afghanistan war is a breeding ground for corruption, and McClatchy Newspapers reports that it’s not just the corrupt Afghan government that’s feeding at the trough. The Office of the Special...

Philanthropy Daily Digest

Sean Stannard-Stockton, Author/Tactical Philanthropy Blog - NGOs - January 18, 2010 12:31 ET

Haiti Earthquake Provokes Wave of Text Donations – BusinessWeek Is BusinessWeek's Amy Feldman going to emerge as a regular mainstream media voice on philanthropy? Following up on her...

Nobody Expects the Iranian Inquisition!

Humanitarian Relief - NGOs - January 14, 2010 11:43 ET

Their weapons are three: tyranny, fear, and surprise. No, tyranny, flatbread, and a fanatical obsession with the Ayatollah. No, I'll start again... Nobody expects the Iranian inquisition! Their weapons are three: tyranny, voter fraud, and Iranian Chief Prosecutor Hossein...

Haiti - Some Thoughts and Some Links

Alanna Shaikh, MPH - NGOs - January 14, 2010 15:00 ET

Right now, the immediate emergency stage is already over, barring severe earthquake aftershocks. Tales From the Hood has some great posts up on Haiti and disaster relief. One excellent point: The...