Tag Archives | Technology

Does open data make development more accountable? The case of Colombia

13 December 2012 in Aid, Americas

Mapping different data sets from a country – with bright colours and click-through functions – may be a visual delight for developers and the tech-savvy, but what do these maps offer those crafting public policies? After all, the point of open data is to make more accountable and effective decision-making – whether it is about […]

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Image of checkmyschool.org website

New remedy for parents unhappy with children’s schools

8 November 2012 in Access to information, Anti-corruption movement, People power, Technology

Filipino parents unhappy with the way their children’s schools are being run now have a ready remedy: sending an email or text to the website checkmyschool.org. The site has a scrolling list of user complaints, ranging from a computer shortage in an elementary school to allegations – supported by a photo – that another institution […]

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Open Government Partnership: From Commitment to Action…?

23 October 2012 in Access to information, Politics and government, Technology

Under the Open Government Partnership  governments commit to transparency, and using technology to fight corruption. The Partnership creates a potentially unique opportunity for civil society to push for government accountability and empower citizens in the fight against corruption. Gathered at a scenic Adriatic coast in Dubrovnik, European civil society organisations were supposed to discuss their […]

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Hackers use technology to fight corruption

5 October 2012 in People power, Technology

Watch out! Internet connections worldwide might be slower this weekend! This weekend hundreds of hackers, programmers, designers and anti-corruption experts and activists in Bogotá, Budapest, Casablanca, Jakarta, Moscow and Vilnius will come together this weekend to develop new ICT tools that can help citizens monitor government and report corruption. Websites like ipaidabribe.com in India and […]

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Paying a high price for transparency – journalists under fire

21 February 2012 in Anti-corruption movement, People power

For two decades, Sri Lankan journalist Poddala was renowned for exposing corruption in health, education and transport. He uncovered one of his country’s biggest ever tax scams. That was until he was abducted and brutally beaten. His fingers on his right hand were crushed and burned severely, making him another tragic example of the brutal […]

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Non-cash payment solutions to avoid corruption

22 June 2010 in Technology, Water

Sometimes it’s the easy solutions that could turn out to be effective in reducing bribery and corruption. Take one of the most common forms of corruption: bribing the police (as found in the Transparency International’s 2009 Global Corruption Barometer, the police is the institution people are most likely to bribe. Almost a quarter of people […]

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