Morten Andersen sketches two compelling scenes that point to the
paradoxical and chameleonic heterogeneity of NGO partners in
Liberia. In the first, he was invited to an “NGO wig party” under
portable UN shelters at a beachfront condo off a dusty road in Monrovia. It was not exclusively for NGO workers, but included a variety of expatriates and diplomats, all wearing wigs with no explanation. He
interprets the party as somehow emblematic of the paradoxes of UN and
NGO aid, perhaps a ritual or parody of “how NGOs are often associated
with exactly such informal relations and intermingling, something happening ‘below’ the level of formal organizations and bureaucracies under
a common umbrella (or party tent, as in this case).” The second scene
illustrates the Carter Center’s extensive partnering throughout Liberia:
As the CC in Liberia has developed relations with local actors and
other NGOs, its borders have become increasingly blurred …
When visiting the headquarters of the National Traditional Council (established with the help of the CC) an NGO worker hinted
that it might be time to go back to the CC. The supreme chief
responded “this is the Carter Center,” laughing heartily.