| One of the most imposing decisions policymakers face in the 21st century is how to preserve the diversity of species that exists on earth. This is true for a host of reasons, including a basic conflict over whose power and self-interest are at stake regarding biodiversity, debate over the meaning of the ambiguous concept of sustainable development, and the lack of a genuine global ecological consciousness to transcend the national political boundaries of today. This dissertation explores these hurdles within the existing scholarship in transnational relations, particularly the competing tensions between environmental protection regimes and traditional state sovereignty, a diverse literature on domestic-international linkages, and a burgeoning body of work on nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). NGOs provide valuable state assistance by fostering a series of fundamental linkages between domestic-international, ecological-economic, and short-long term considerations required for effective transnational biodiversity protection. Yet, while scholars have made notable contributions in terms of outlining the essential functions that NGOs provide towards these three linkages, we still know very little about how the day-to-day operations of NGOs translate into their ultimate objectives. The dominant question as to how NGOs most effectively enhance biodiversity protection remains. How do NGOs help build the next ark?; The following analysis builds upon existing research, offering a more systemic treatment of the strategies NGOs employ in their attempts to influence transnational biodiversity protection. The central research question asks what makes a NGO more effective in protecting transnational biodiversity. With particular attention to mainstream and participatory strategies as well as an analysis of numerous key organizational characteristics of the NGOs themselves, this analysis examines eleven environmental NGOs that emphasize transnational biodiversity protection in their strategic vision and specific policy initiatives. The findings improve the understanding of seven specific strategies that NGOs utilize and shed new light on how organizational characteristics both support and constrain these strategies. This work also contributes to the field by further buttressing the belief that the three aforementioned fundamental conditions (the linkages of domestic-international, ecological-economic, and short-long term considerations) are necessary if a NGO is to be effective in this issue area. |
