Patriot Act and The Independent Sector

Detroit Free Press via Council on Foundations Professional Advisor in Philanthropy Listserv:

When Congress takes up renewal of the USA Patriot Act, the review should include a hard look at what the law, and related actions by the federal government, have done to charitable giving.
Right now, foundations are scouring multiple terrorist watch lists in the United States and abroad before awarding grants to charities. Not only do they need to examine what the charities do, but also the individual records of each board member, to see if there is any suspicion of ties to terrorism, or activities that "undermine democracy." While no foundation should want its money to aid terror, these hurdles seem extreme and could be unjustifiably blocking funds for legitimate humanitarian programs.

I suppose the threshold question is: What is the due process for getting names on and off such lists? In the absence of due process, why would any freedom loving person support their use in making important decisions? What percentage of names are wrongly added? How often might a name be held in common by many people (Smith, Jones, Kennedy)? If such lists have a chilling effect on dissent, which is often rhetorically compared to terrorism, is this an unintended consequence or a lucky coincidence? When did Americans live so in fear that they traded their freedom for a false sense of security? Shouldn't non-profits be in the forefront of helping government live up to its responsibility to protect not just our soil, but our ideals? Where do we petition for redress? And what happens to the names on that peitition? You have to ask yourself, and many do, in this land of liberty.

Comments

[Katy Davis]

Can you please send me a list of organisations that are prepared to support African individuals gain access to training and employment in the field of development work in Burkina Faso, North West Africa. This is an extremely poor country with massive under development and very few opportunities for the majority of citizens to gain access to education and training.

[Phil]

I wish I had the expertise to help you. Perhaps you might try guidestar.org.