Campaign finance: a quick world tour

With $6 billion likely to be spent in the US this year on the race for the White House, the issue of campaign finance will remain in the headlines for much of 2012 in the United States. Though the sums tend to be smaller in other countries, funding elections raises many concerns around the world. […]

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Corruption and the true cost of hosting the Games

Big sporting events bring excitement, pride and trepidation in almost equal measure to the winning country. The fireworks go off, but so do the alarm bells. Will the event have a legacy and help develop the (sporting) infrastructure and the society of the host country in a sustainable way? Will all the money be well-spent? […]

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Wishing you a year filled with integrity

A New Year greeting sent by a friend reads “a wonderful 2012 filled with integrity”. A sensible wish for the year I felt, in the circumstances we live. Conventionally I could get what he meant. Yet deep inside it unravels a challenge associated with it: defining the parameters of what integrity means. The ultimate meaning […]

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German nurse shows need for G20 check-up

The Group of 20 major world economies made an ambitious commitment: In their Anti-Corruption Action Plan they promised to enact and implement whistleblower protection rules by the end of 2012, based on existing best practice. Doubts remain whether these commitments will indeed be implemented while the need for effective protection of those who dare to […]

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Two years after the earthquake, corruption dogs reconstruction efforts

When a massive earthquake struck Haiti on 12 January 2010, there were 22 aftershocks in the days that followed. There has been a 23rd aftershock that has not yet stopped, and is just as damaging to peoples’ lives: corruption. It should be no surprise that corruption has been a barrier to Haiti’s reconstruction. Haiti public […]

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Video grab from Guatemala video

Blowing the whistle in Central America: not as easy as it sounds

In Latin America, whistleblowing has become a crucial issue in the fight against corruption. The term refers to those who report to the authorities or other responsible parties when they witness wrongdoing. Whistleblowing is often a valuable means of shedding light on instances of corruption and malpractice that may otherwise slip beneath the radar. But […]

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Health Czech! Any surprising results from the Czech Integrity System assessment?

Recently TI Czech Republic launched a National Integrity System (NIS) assessment providing a ‘health check’ of the key governance institutions in the country, with special emphasis on how well resourced they are, how they fare on integrity, accountability and transparency, and whether they perform their role in the anti-corruption effort. It is part of a […]

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Russian civil society: profiles of activists

This past December, Russians took to the streets to protest parliamentary elections widely seen as tilted in favour of the ruling United Russia party. As we reported on our blog, Transparency International’s Russian chapter was active in monitoring electoral improprieties and continues to work with other civil society organisations to support Russian citizens trying to […]

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Has Dilma Rousseff found the anti-corruption formula for Latin America?

I was quite impressed when I heard that Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff concluded her first year in government a few days ago with an approval rating higher than that of her predecessor, the charismatic Lula da Silva. Her popularity is currently close to 75 percent. Her government’s approval is at 56 percent, which is even […]

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Anti-Corruption Day in Bangladesh

On 9 December 2011, people travelling through Savar were greeted with an unexpected sight. In the midst of buses and cars, a stream of cyclists burst through the traffic, each wearing a matching green t-shirts and matching white baseball caps. At the University of Dhaka, a similar-looking group made a human chain in front of […]

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