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Corruption and the fate of the people who make your clothes

Let the buyer beware: cheap clothing sometimes comes at a high price. Since the fire that killed 112 clothing workers in a Bangladesh factory last month,  the big global retailers supplied by the factory are being asked what they do to make sure the products we buy come from safe factories? How much is corruption […]

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Bulgaria closes door on election monitors

Last week hundreds of Bulgarians protested in front of the Parliament, with some of them throwing tomatoes at the building of the legislature and calling for the end of corruption and “political hypocrisy”.  Reuters and the Financial Times quickly asked if this was a “tomato revolution against corruption”: “Nikolay Kolev, better known as ‘Bosiya’ (Barefoot), […]

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América: Crecimiento económico, estancamiento democrático ¿Tiene la corrupción algo que ver con esto?

Read this post in English here Para América, 2012 fue un año positivo en muchos aspectos. Importantes indicadores económicos y sociales muestran que ha habido mejoras y existe una sensación de optimismo en general en gran parte de la región, especialmente en América Latina. Mientras que la reciente campaña presidencial de Estados Unidos se centró […]

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The Americas: Economies grow, democracies shrink. What does corruption have to do with it?

Lea el texto en Español aquí For the Americas, 2012 was largely a positive year in many ways. As important economic and social indicators show an improvement, there is a sense of optimism throughout the region, especially in Latin America. While the United States’ presidential campaign, which polarised ideas and citizens earlier this year, focused […]

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Finland’s hidden corruption

Recently, there have been three cases of alleged corruption in Finland that have challenged the consensus on our country’s low corruption rates. This has shaken citizens’ understanding on what is acceptable and what is not, and contributed to our understanding of what might be called “structural corruption,” the non-transparent ways of doing business in Finland […]

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Corruption Perceptions Index 2012 demands a new tack in Afghanistan

The recent independent report on Kabul Bank scandal points out to the urgency to transform the country’s laws and institutions, from the financial sector to the justice system. The team that published the report are to be congratulated for shedding light on a “ponzi scheme” scandal that involves the theft of US$900 million. It is […]

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Corruption Perceptions Index 2012: Life at the top

Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index 2012, coming out on Wednesday, once again ranks the Nordic countries among the “most clean” when it comes to public sector corruption. As discussed in a previous post, such good results stem from political will, open government and robust legislation and mechanisms for holding politicians and civil servants to account. […]

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Police corruption: Would you confront your local law enforcer?

Corruption in the police force is the top corruption issue for citizens in many countries across the world. In 31 of the 100 countries covered by our global survey, people told us the police are the most corrupt institution in their country. Read the personal experience of TI staff who have faced the dilemmas of […]

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Los argentinos piden cambios con sus cacerolas

Este año millones de personas en Argentina marcharon en las calles con cacerolas en mano  para mostrar su descontento con el gobierno. Pablo Secchi, Director Ejecutivo de Poder Ciudadano, capítulo nacional de Transparency International en Argentina, explica porqué la población está frustrada y en qué medida la corrupción tiene algo que ver. Read this blog […]

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Argentinians bang their pots for change

Thousands of people in Argentina have taken to the streets this year to protest, showing their discontent with the government by banging on kitchen pots and pans. Pablo Secchi, Executive Director of Poder Ciudadano, the Transparency International Chapter in Argentina, explains why they are frustrated and what corruption has to do with it. Lea este […]

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