Briefing Paper 15. International NGOs and indigenous social movements

This paper gives an overview of an 18-month research study carried out by INTRAC during 2005–06 on the relationships between an indigenous movement in the Peruvian Amazon and international NGOs. This study was financed by the British Government’s Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of a broader programme of investigation into non-governmental public action. It aimed to investigate the engagement between two different types of non-governmental actor: international conservation NGOs and indigenous social movements. In particular the research project sought to understand how financial and technical support from an international organisation might impact upon the way a localised, radical group functions, both in terms of its relationships to members and the way it presents itself to external actors.