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Does fighting corruption really make business sense?

No doubt, business plays a crucial role in countering corruption. So as attempts have increased to motivate companies to engage in the fight against corruption more, so have references to the so-called “business case against corruption”. It argues that corruption is not only morally wrong and damaging to societies, but also detrimental to the companies […]

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Anti-Corruption Day 2013: as it happened

It’s morning in Rome, and commuters are heading to the tube station on their way to work. Today, there’s some special entertainment in store for them – a short video with a catchy tune and a clear message: it’s time to wake up to corruption. Meanwhile, thousands of miles away in the Dominican Republic, crowds […]

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Saying No to Impunity in Zimbabwe

Transparency International Zimbabwe joined the world to commemorate International Anti-Corruption Day, which falls on 9 December every year. The festivities involved four flash mobs in four different locations around Harare. (A flash mob is a group of people who assemble suddenly in a public place, perform an unusual act for a brief time and then quickly […]

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CPI 2013: Crackdown on Middle Eastern civil society must stop

In the Middle East and North Africa, tear gas, bullets, office raids and imprisonment have been the hallmarks of state and non-state actions against civil society activists fighting corruption. The Bahraini government proposes a draconian NGO law; while Egyptian, Jordanian and other countries’ NGO laws continue to restrict NGO registration, freedom to operate, and international […]

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CPI 2013: Poor scores in Asia Pacific show economic growth under threat

The annual gathering of a majority of Asia Pacific countries at the tail end of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2013 casts doubt on the prediction that the 21st century will be the Asian century. Over the past decade many countries in the Asia Pacific region have achieved commendable economic and social growth. But have […]

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CPI 2013: Rule of law vital for Africa’s development

This year the results of the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) are not fundamentally different from those of the previous years: all but five Sub-Saharan African countries scored in the lower half of the survey. While these results may give the impression of little progress, it is important to highlight that over the years, some governments have […]

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CPI 2013: A glimmer of hope in Greece?

As the European political and economic crisis enters its fifth year, there are few signs of optimism. The results of the 2013 Corruption Perception Index (CPI) for the region are no exception. The story in general is one of stagnation: there are more than 27 million unemployed in the EU – a figure that continues […]

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El Estor’s women becoming gatekeepers of transparency

In the late 1800s a British settler set up a general trading store on the banks of the pristine Lake Izabal in the remote eastern part of Guatemala. The shop, being the only supplier of goods for kilometres around, drew a throng of support from the surrounding villages and soon the area around it developed […]

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Are UK organisations merely paying lip service to whistleblowing?

This year whistleblowing has been the media’s darling, dominating headlines around the world. Secretive governments, irresponsible banks, crooked businesses and unsafe healthcare have come under the spotlight thanks to workers finding the courage to speak up about wrongdoing. Public inquiries into scandals have recommended better whistleblowing arrangements as a means to combat corruption and abuse. In […]

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Youth photo winner: corruption, toxic waste and the power of photography

Just one image can tell a story, says Sony Ramany, winner of our 20th anniversary youth photo competition – and these stories have the power to spark real change. “We need to show images of suffering and hardships,” he says, “so that people can see the truth”. A photographer from one of Bangladesh’s leading English-language newspapers, […]

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