Comparative Analysis of Community Empowerment Approaches in NGOs: Case Studies of Lentera Desa in Indonesia and Saemaul Undong in South Korea
Abstract
Community empowerment through Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) has emerged as a growing trend in many developing countries. A prominent example is South Korea, which successfully transitioned from a developing to a developed nation, in part due to effective empowerment strategies implemented by NGOs. In practice, NGOs adopt a variety of implementation models that have been proven effective across different national contexts. This study aims to compare community empowerment models implemented by NGOs in Indonesia and South Korea and to explore their implications for future adoption of NGO models in Indonesia. A qualitative research method with a case study approach was employed. Data were collected using snowball sampling and triangulated through interviews, observations, document analysis, and literature review. The findings of this study reveal three key insights: (1) Both Indonesia and South Korea have adopted bottom-up empowerment models; (2) Indonesia has yet to consistently and clearly implement sustainable community empowerment through NGOs; and (3) Infrastructure has not been adequately prioritized in the planning and implementation phases of community empowerment programs by NGOs in Indonesia.
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