New CSIS Report on ‘Business Models’ for Human Rights NGOs

The Center for Strategic and International Studies recently published a new report by Edwin Rekosh exploring ways in which human rights NGOs might rethink how they approach their work internationally. Using a “business model” framework to restructure how they conceptualize non-governmental human rights work, Rekosh argues, is increasingly important in an international environment that sees multiple governments restricting foreign funding for domestic NGOs. As an example of innovation in building partnerships with other entities, Rekosh brings up the example of PILnet in China, which is “working with a large global brand to develop ongoing relationships between supply chain auditors and factory decisionmakers, on the one hand, and local labor lawyers connected to Chinese civil society organizations, on the other, in a training and consultation process supported by the global brand.”