Civil society and nongovernment organizations represent a wide range of interests and support a diverse set of causes, making it difficult for these groups to organize into a community and coalesce around specific policies and issues. Despite this challenge, civil society and NGO leaders have recognized the power and potential of joining together to learn from one another, improve policies and programs and move the international development sector forward.
For the past eight years, Sam Worthington has served as CEO and president of InterAction, the largest network of civil society organizations in international development and humanitarian assistance. In that role, Worthington, a former CEO of Plan International USA, has sought to unite diverse civil society organizations — from small NGOs to household names like CARE, Save the Children, and Habitat for Humanity. This work has afforded him a unique vantage point at the forefront of U.S. civil society’s engagement within an evolving global development ecosystem.
Devex sat down with Worthington to discuss InterAction’s strategy and work, the evolution of civil society’s role in international development, and the “globalization and localization of U.S. NGOs.”