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How to use dynamics?
A lot of organisational problems, regarded at face value, seem to point to a simple and direct solution. Problems are mostly described in a negative formulation: goals are too vague, expertise is lacking, no one keeps agreements. The solutions seem to be the inverts of the negatives: define goals more clear, start capacity building, agree on agreeing.
But simple solutions often fail, because other forces are at work. Underlying mechanisms often affect the potential capacities of the organisation. We call these forces the dynamics of the problem. The dynamics often explain why a specific problem was not solved by the self healing capacity of the organisation. The dynamics may invisibly nourish the problem. They prevent simple solutions to work. Growing individualism for instance explains why top down commands in hierarchical organisations have become less effective.
Knowing the dynamics of a problem may help to take the underlying factors into account when trying to solve the problem. Recognising the dynamics may help to prevent looking for simple solutions.
The dynamics themselves are always refractory and hardly ever manageable.
Although the socialistic society in former Yugoslavia was never as strictly non-capitalist as the state controlled communism in the countries of the former Sovjet bloc, the change from socialism as the dominant political system to liberal capitalism was not a process of slow growth. It was established rather quickly, compared to the centuries old genesis of liberal capitalism in western countries. Social security to compensate for the rough edges of capitalism could not properly develop. The lack of checks on the growth of capitalism made the impact of the change of the political system enormous. Not only because a lot of services got privatised, but especially because a lot of people lost their securities. In socialism almost everybody had a job (although even then some degree of unemployment could exist), in general people had an income, assurances were available. Life could be planned. One could be sure -after a certain period of waiting- of getting a house. Children could get an education. The state acted as the provider of basics.
Volunteer work existed and still exists, but for workers in the NGO the necessity to earn a living makes it difficult to do work without being paid. With that reality attitude can change as well. The economic situation dominates other avenues of life. To survive by working hard causes diminishing of social networks. Societal exclusion was not completely absent during the former regime, but elderly people and other economically not productive people are now more at risk of being isolated. Loneliness is increasing.
The atmosphere in society in former Yugoslavia could be characterised by a "we-culture", though exceptions to this rule of course existed. Solidarity, often genuine, sometimes imposed by the political system, was the basic attitude.
The ideological freedom that succeeded socialism has the individual as a focal point. The individual should be able to spread his wings. Only the law shall set limits to the aspirations of the individual. Everybody is expected to take care of his or her own interests. The keyword of interaction in the capitalist society is competition. This individualistic angle is gradually gaining ground.
This ideology together with the economical situation does not constitute a favourable atmosphere for NGO's. They have in general basic assumptions of an other kind. Solidarity is the focal point. A lot of NGO’s are still populated by people who from conviction work for a low salary or even volunteering. But economic reality brings this attitude under pressure. Economics and ideology make an unbeatable combination. Economics make it difficult to invest time for nil. Today the undeniable domination of the topic of money and funding is underlying a lot of other organisational problems in former Yugoslavia.