Fight Against Corruption

The Reservation Business

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:33:00 +0000

Getting straight to the point, does India still need minority and religion based reservation? True that we are a developing country still reeling under the realm of poverty, but how can reservation tackle this situation. If reservation was anyway effective, poverty would have been wiped out by now; our country would have become a developed nation by now; child labour which is still rampant in India would be eliminated; we would have most children studying in school and not dropping out to earn bread for their families. Sadly, reservation hasn't worked for us and will never work even in future. All it does is it makes people receiving benefits from these reservations languid and laid back. It also increases hatred amongst people from different faiths.

Furthermore, is it right when women demand their right to equality and in the same breath demand special 'being woman' privileges. Aren't women who claim for such special privileges asking for too much. They seem to want to have their cake and eat it too. The controversial Women's Reservation Bill which ensures 33% reservation to women in Parliament and state legislative bodies is all high drama stuff with no substance. This bill is passed in the Rajya Sabha but is pending for approval in the Lok Sabha. If the Women Reservation bill gets rolling, women will continue to be looked down upon as someone who can make it big only under the guise of reservation.

If an individual man or woman is abled and has the merit to secure a job, give it to him/her. Let's stop all this reservation business of appeasing the masses for the sake of vote-bank politics.

When I thrashed the very need of reservation for women in politics, many beg to differ saying that women indeed need reservation because there are many a Pushpa's, Ramkali's, Anandi's living in interior villages who lead miserable lives oblivious of their basic rights. But then, why should we have incompetent women on-board to handle tough jobs that she is not capable of... just because she is a woman. She would eventually not only lose her job because of underperformance, but would undermine the ability of other capable women in society and in the neighbourhood.

Furthermore, religion based reservation only increases divide among people. When a general category student strives hard burning the midnight lamp and fighting all odds to secure admission in medical college, a privileged category student effortlessly gets a similar seat on reservation. Is this really fair? The same medical student when she goes out to secure a job in the medical fraternity, there again she finds herself competing not only with the general category applicants like her, but also with the privileged minority groups.

Rather we need to increase entitlements and allocations for underprivileged children who don't have the money to pay mere school fees. The very same children don't even receive their daily meals because of poverty. Nobody would have any reservation if the differently abled children and adults are given special preferences. These unfortunate few need our special attention and have full right to live their basic needs.

In a country where the central government reserves 22.5% available seats for Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students and 27% for Other Backward Class (OBC) students - a total reservation of 49.5% - where will the general category students go. And to top it all, in order to increase its chances to be re-elected in the 2014 general elections, the government further has recently proposed to establish a sub-quota of 4.5% for minorities within the existing 27% reservation meant for OBC. Absurd! Just one piece of advice to our leaders... get creative, look farther and you'll find better ways than reservations to fight social evils!

Right to education (RTE) is a milestone legislative that is passed by the Indian Parliament and nobody has any reservations with this bill which caters to guaranteeing free education to children belonging to the backward class. Detractors from the elite class of society although argue saying that 25% reservations in private schools will eat up their share of seats. They may be absolutely correct when they say that 'Reservation' is taboo and that it shouldn't be used to violate the rights of other students. However, you cannot pigeonhole the RTE act on the same parity as reservations based on religion and gender. It is different! Nevertheless inspite of being gung-ho about the RTE act, the act which came into force on 1st April 2010 has yet not been implemented even two years down the line. Wonder what's taking us so long to implement the RTE act which is good for our children's future.

In the recent Rio+20 Summit on Sustainable Development, India's Prime Minister spoke like a thorough Statesman reinforcing on India's over-riding priority to eradicate poverty. But will inflated food prices, child-malnutrition, hunger, rotting food grains due to lack of storage facilities, increasing corruption in denomination of thousand crores, stalled economic reforms, make it possible for India to be poverty-free? Reservation based on caste, gender, and religion is clearly no solution to eradicate poverty. Instead of making promises to give reservation, the government should focus on basic issues of improving administration and governance.

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Is Anna Hazare Ji Right?

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:32:00 +0000

I am a great admirer of Anna Hazare and appreciate his passion to make India free from corruption. He is a selfless human being who has single-handedly tried to change the social scenario in India. He is fighting against corruption and wants everyone to join him. His most powerful weapon is fasting.

India has become a haven for corruption and we need to discuss this issue firmly. Corruption has seeped into our blood and it would take much more than Anna Hazare to purify this blood. In my viewpoint fasting is not the proper way to fight for our demands. It seems childish to 'fast' for such a great cause. People took Anna Hazare very seriously when he started to fast. There were controversial opinions the next time and now people have become sceptical.

Nowadays we cannot deny the brutal fact that power lies in the hands of corrupt people. Every religion preaches that truth is powerful and truthfulness pays in the long run. Today, the hardcore fact is that truth has taken a backseat while power and money have captured the limelight.

Anna Hazare wants a corruption free India along with many of us. The fact remains that the people who are totally free of corruption amount to a meagre 10%. The brutal reality is that corruption has become a part of the society and it has spread through the strata of people.

So the question remains that will Anna Hazare get support for his mission? His mission is of course to free India from corruption but the means to do it are not right. Is it right to fast? Well, Gandhi showed us the way of Ahimsa. At that time we were fighting against a set of known enemies and there was a definite target. We had two strong weapons with us to meet our demands. At that time along with fasting we had another great weapon and that was of Unity. Now here we are talking about a bill about which 50% of the supporters are either not fully convinced or are unaware of.

Hence the fight against corruption is what we all want but the means to meet it is not defined. Moreover the way towards a corruption free India would need a lot of efforts and a unified India not just a 72-year-old man fasting until death. It's true that we need a corruption free India but before that we should have more people supporting us and then we should decide a definite path. All leading people in the society like cricketers, actors and other leading people should address this issue. In this way it is possible to have a greater impact. Then we can begin our first step towards a better India. Till then let's hope for the best!

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Corruption Destroying India's Progress

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:30:00 +0000

Whenever an index for most corrupt countries in the world is made, India is right there among the top five. It is a chronically corrupt nation. When the British ruled India, bribery was given the name bakshish, which is difficult to transliterate in English, but the general meaning is tipping, or giving a person something which he is not legally entitled to, but which the giver gives after being happily satisfied for services rendered. In that period, petty government officials got work done in anticipation of receiving bakshish.

While bakshish was given after one got the work done, bribery is often given before hand, to entice the receiver in doing the giver's work. It has now become a matter of right in most government departments, with even fixed rates in some places, where no work is done without greasing palms. It can be for anything like getting illegal work done; or getting work done out of turn; or getting work done by bending the rules; or for information from which the receiver will benefit but the giver is not officially entitled to give him. This list is only indicative and not exhaustive. Bribery in India takes bizarre forms.

While India is now in the grip of disclosures of huge scams where people have been alleged to have received unimaginable sums of money that has caused the national exchequer unheard of losses, bribery is a cancer spreading from grassroots level that is eating away at the vitals of the nation. A lowly peon will not move your file from one officer's table to the other if he is not bribed. Your pension will not be sanctioned if you do not bribe the officer authorized to do so. The list is endless. It is also not limited to government departments. Private business also has its share of corrupt officers and practices.

It is very easy to point fingers at the bureaucrats, but it is the common man, people like you and me, who bribe them that are equally responsible. When faced with an official who demands a bribe to get work done, we always seek the easy way out. We bribe him or her and get the work done. We do not lodge a complaint against him. We not trap him by informing the concerned vigilance department. Then, our thinking is like; let me first get my work done. But when Anna Hazare starts a movement against corruption, we are the first to join it. If we have heard the story of who would cast the first stone, we choose to be ignorant of it when we egg on Anna.

Like every other transaction, bribery is also between two persons. One is the taker and the other is the giver. One cannot exist without the other. Hence, both are equally guilty. Why should we pay the government officer to get our work done? Doesn't he receive salary, which any way comes from the taxes we pay? How many of us think like that? Going by the statistics of complaints lodged, not even one in one hundred thousand do so. That is why our nation gets scams like 2G spectrum.

There are enough laws to punish the guilty. There are enough laws, also, to punish the corrupt from committing the crime. In the rare case when an offended citizen reports to vigilance, officers are known to have been caught red-handed with bribe money. But many citizens do not report due to fear of reprisal. Hence, the government should seriously look into enacting a strong whistle blowers protection law, as Team Anna is demanding.

A Lok Pal may be effective in curbing corruption in high places. But it would be disastrous to burden him with everything like the lower bureaucracy and the lower judiciary. We do not need a Super Cop. We already have bodies in place that can effectively redress citizen grievance. Admitted they are rusted due to non-use. It is required that the public be made aware of them and they are staffed with good people.That, coupled with a strong whistle blower's protection law, would perhaps reduce corruption at lower level. I say perhaps because, in the end, the common man would need to have the spine to stand up to the corrupt.

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Organized Fight Against Corruption and Poverty in India

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:24:00 +0000

Another thing that worries me a great deal is that after completing his/her education, the student faces the momentous task of getting a job that will support him and his family. When he gets one and starts working, he realizes that the education he received through the books does not actually apply in reality. So are we teaching them one thing and asking them to face reality later on, so to speak? By reality I am referring to corruption at all levels. What is worse is that despite knowing this to be a terrible trap, this youngster with dreams in his/her eyes has to accept this reality and join the band wagon, so to speak, in order to succeed. Otherwise he is left alone in this world. Soon, this youngster learns to kill his/her desire to change the world and goes about making money perhaps by immoral or illegal means. There is no escaping the terrible world of corruption. Even the government anti-corruption bureau is corrupt.
The problem, in my opinion, lies in the lack of relevant education and widespread poverty. All youngsters should be required to take some IQ tests at an early age to check their capabilities and decide what would be a suitable education for them. If we are asking a person of lower intelligence to become an expert in algorithms it isn't going to happen, right? This person could then be guided to do physical work that involves less intellectual capabilities or maybe asked to join sports. However for this method to work, these other alternatives have to be economically viable ones. I was extremely happy to see the success of IPL as it allowed many domestic youngsters to showcase their talent and earn an income as well. Why can't other popular sports, such as Kabaddi, wrestling, martial arts and athletics be encouraged to get professional? Now one must carefully understand the meaning of being professional. A good professional in India is meant to be a person who manages to make more money than the quality of services that were rendered. This person, in my opinion, is a crook not a pro. A good pro on other hand gives you more than you hoped for. This enhances his reputation and ensures that he gets work during tough times. So, professional sports doesn't mean only the sports that require lavish infrastructure but those that are popular with the people and require little or no infrastructure. I am referring to sports such as Wrestling and Kabaddi that are still loved and enjoyed in the rural areas of India. People are willing to pay a small fee that they can afford in order to watch their favorite wrestlers and other sportsmen. Now here you can see a link developing for some talented sportsmen to make a living. This can all be arranged domestically and does not need the support of huge multinational corporations. This way, you are basically redistributing the local money without causing anyone any distress. People are enjoying their sports and sportsmen are earning their living. There are several other areas that can be developed similarly, like arts and cultural events. Ask people that love a domestic folk dance to pay a little bit to see the dance. My judgment is that a true fan won't mind paying a small price to watch his favorite dance.
Another problem area in India is cleanliness. This is a major worry as we badly need to clean our house if we really want to go global and expect the Western world businessmen to come and live here and do business. However there are several clean structures in India especially in cities for this, like five star hotels, thankfully. When I was young I used to watch the terrible trash lying on the roads and wonder why doesn't anyone clean it up? But after doing some cleaning myself I realized how difficult a task it is to perform every day. The person doing this job should be paid well for the service. I mean really well. You need to realize that he is doing something that you and I can't. I was quite surprised during my stay in Australia to find the cleaners getting more money than engineers. It is a fact and is based on this principle. Similarly you need to tackle every situation independently and then have people who are talented enough to recognize the connections between these communities to supervise these activities. That is doing it professionally; knowing what is required and executing the required task efficiently. Government and other institutions should provide economic help for such ventures.
The social workers willing to work in these areas should be taken to the places in world where these things are being done well and learn the reasons for their success. What is required is a well coordinated effort from all sections of the community, including the high tech experts who might know about some instruments that could help. Get the politicians involved as well. Remember that only the well coordinated efforts succeed. This basically will also result in creation of job opportunities that governments should finance.
Every student wants a job in IT but those that are unsuccessful in this and in other fields might want to consider a career in cleaning area. Government has to realize that they are doing something most people cannot do and therefore, pay them well. Let the people around see that these individuals are actually settling well and are supporting themselves and their families. I am not saying that an IT engineer has to start sweeping the roads. No, but he can process the data faster than anyone else right? Maybe develop software that will be useful in any some other ways. The people concerned need to think of the possibilities and rethink them while the original ideas are being executed. It is a constant work in progress like performing a high level research.
Summary
For this article I have made a deliberate attempt to stay away from discussing the scams, Swiss bank money and things like that. Everyone knows about that. I have tried to be constructive and show some solutions as a way for the youngsters in India to proceed so that they will not just join the brigade saying this is how it happens. All the good work done for economic progress will quickly be undone if we don't succeed in killing corruption and take solid measures to fight poverty. Here I have presented some measures I could think of. Maybe you have more!

By,
Chirag Naiknavare

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Anna Hazare's Movement: India Against Corruption

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:23:00 +0000

When people exhaust their capacity for tolerance, then you should take it that it is a beginning of a revolution
Corruption is eating us away from inside out. The phenomenon of corruption has evoked robust emotional responses among the general public. There are large numbers of people up in arms against the cancerous spread of corruption. Corruption exists in both the public and public sectors of our society. However the corruption that involves the public sectors attracts greater attention for obvious reasons. The proper functioning of the state is essential for the welfare of its citizens. Citizens pay to the govt, and feel involved concerning the abuse of their trust and resources. Corruption here refers not only to bribery, but also to other forms of misconduct that go beyond financial fulfilment. A new milestone in the history of independent India, a new path paved by the anti - corruption campaigner Anna Hazare. He has shown the world what Gandhism means in today's world. The power of Gandhiji's non violence will never cease to exist in the ages to come.
Anna Hazare is engaged in a peaceful, composed war against corruption. His urge to free India of the utmost evil, corruption, is appreciated by people from every part of the country and got historic public support. He awakened the nation. From North to South and East to West, educated or uneducated people came out on streets to back Anna against his fast unto death. Anna Hazare and his supporters are not influenced by any political party. It is just the Indian National Flag is waving high in the sky and in our minds.
Internationally acclaimed filmmaker Shekhar Kapur feels that 'Anna Movement' is the most secular movement in the history of independent India.
Corruption in India has now become a major issue. People of India have accepted corruption as part of life. The nation and the people who are engaged in so many things in India and in abroad are now understanding that it is the time to fight against Corruption. At the time when India is growing and reverse brain drain has initiated, citizen now are no more ignorant on these issues. Finally Anna is changing that so we live freely.
The Jan Lokpal Bill have many loopholes like the Right to Information Act, which was passed due to the driving force again laid by Anna Hazare. According to the right to information act, the citizens of India have the right to get information on any matter concerning the country, but recently an incident occurred which clearly reflects the loopholes in it. A citizen of India lodged a complaint about the illegal wealth possessed by the former chief justice of India, K.G Balakrishnan. Even today complete information about the wealth of this most corrupted chief justice of India is not known to the public. Why? Is it beyond the Right to Information Act? Similar loopholes are likely to be there in the Lokpal bill also. It is sure that as time passes some illegal and illogical rule will come whereby the citizens cannot use this bill against the Prime Minister, Chief justice and so on thus restricting its use. The new committee formed to frame the bill must take in the interest of all sections of the population. It should be taken care that the bill will be unbiased and does not favour any person, be it the President or Prime Minister.
It is so distressing that several activists and eminent citizens are actually disparaging Anna Hazare's movement and feat, and contents of the bill drafted by the civil society, by citing it "unconstitutional" in nature or through frivolous criticism against Anna. Personalities from our movie world, Politicians, Businessmen, CEOs of companies are part of the movement now trying to share the limelight, though many are favouring it.
You can jail a revolutionary, but you cannot jail the revolution said Amitabh Bachchan.
The paradox of situation is that a corrupt person and a person fighting for the anti-corruption were locked in a same place. There are two ways to lead a life, one do nothing and suffer the consequences and another is to take the responsibility to change it.
Let us use the Jan Lokpal bill wisely, sealing its loopholes and see the final result. Let us hope for the best. We should stand united.
If Corruption is Virus... then ANNA is Anti-Virus.

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Ways To Fight Corruption

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Aug 2012 11:21:00 +0000

Corruption in America has weakened the faith of the American public as more and more people do not trust the integrity of the legislative and the executive branches of the government. Lack of ethics, human greed, and misuse of power are the main causes of corruption. From a government official, who takes bribe by handing down a contract, to a policeman taking money for letting a driver off on a traffic violation, corruption has become rampant in most of the American States today.
Raising your voice against corrupt individuals, especially government officials, sometimes led to abuse, torture, false allegations, and even jail. This is because corrupt government officials have enough power to stop anyone from raising their voice against it. But this should not deter you. Even as a government servant you can fight corruption. There have been many instances where government whistleblowers have succeeded in making a complaint against any malpractices. In 2002, Time magazine named three American women as "Person of the Year" for their role as whistleblowers.
Here are some ways to fight corruption and raise your voice against it:
1. You can report the situation without revealing any personal or classified information to someone who can investigate, and can get clearance to hear the details.
2. Go to the Corruption Prevention Commission to report about any corrupt individuals in your organization or department. This will lead to immediate action and help in generating anti-corruption efforts in the state.
3. If you are a federal employee and you find some corrupt practices going on in your office, reporting to the supervisor is the first step as you are expected to work according to the prevalent protocol. You can also go to OIG offices (Office of the Inspector General). This is a highest authority where you can report your problems.
4. Visit organizations that help whistleblowers. These organizations make anonymous reports of corrupt activities and take quick actions.
5. You can also contact the House of Representatives. You should be quite specific about what your complaints are, what you want your elected official to do. You may get a late but positive response.

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As Anna Hazare Sits at Ramlila Ground, The Nation Joins March

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:44:00 +0000

On the fourth day of Anna Hazare’s fast for the Jan Lokpal bill, he appeared stronger encouraged by people’s overwhelming support.

Anna left Tihar jail but the room where Anna stayed has turned into a veritable shrine with prisoners and police personnel of the prison coming there to offer respect.

Anna Hazare left Tihar jail as over two and a half lakh people accompanied his vehicle late this morning. The immense support for Jan Lokpal Bill was reflected as people joined his convoy. Many had traveled from far away to be part of it.

Anna made his way to Rajghat as he paid tribute to Bapu Gandhi. From there he proceeded to Ramlila ground where again several thousand people greeted him. By evening the crowd was over one lakh strong. The number swells by the hour.

The rain did not dampen the spirits of the people gathered and as if on cue there was a heavy downpour as Anna reached Ramlila ground. Anna was accompanied by his associates Arvind Kejriwal and Manish Sisodia even as Kiran Bedi welcomed him on stage. Kiran Bedi had been speaking to the over eager people gathered at Ramlila Maidan since the morning assuring them that Anna was on his way to speak to them.

Also greeting Anna were RTI activists Akhil Gogoi and Magsaysay award winner Sandeep Pandey.

The people gathered there were ecstatic as Anna addressed them and thanked them for their concern and good wishes. Anna said he was full of energy as the energy of the hundreds of thousands of supporters the nation over was giving him more power than he needed.

Dr. Naresh Trehan examined Anna Hazare and said that Anna is in good health. His vitals are strong and he is well.
Anna Hazare, Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan took questions from reporters in the evening.

Talking about their detention at Tihar, Arvind Kejriwal revealed that they were taken to Tihar prison and not allowed use of their phones or given access to television even though the police claimed Anna Hazare and his associates were not under arrest.

Arvind Kejriwal and Prashant Bhushan in response to questions about the points of negotiation in the Jan Lokpal bill said that they are not approaching the issue as negotiable points and non negotiable points. The bill must be strong and tackle corruption effectively and that is a non negotiable. On speculation about cracks within the team demanding a Jan Lokpal bill made it clear that this is all speculation and canards spread with little or no effect. Justice Hegde and the rest of the drafting committee of team Anna has been in touch and are taking each others viewpoints in order to make sure the bill is effective and acceptable to all.
Support continues to pour in from organizations and individuals from Delhi and the nation over.

The All Assam Students Union extended their support as they joined the campaign for the Jan Lokpal Bill. Contact Gautam – 9435548496
The students of IIT Guwahati joined the demand for a Jan Lokpal Bill extending their support to Anna. Contact Sayak Bhattacharya 9864840081
Mumbai fasted with Anna as for the first time in history the legendary Mumbai dubbawalas did not deliver lunch. This is the first time in 120 years that these tireless tiffin carriers did not carry tiffins. 5000 of them gathered at Azad Maidaan demanding the Jan Lokpal Bill.There was also a rally in support of Anna Hazare in Thane West.
People in Jamshedpur are on an indefinite fast demanding the introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill. There is also a signature campaign in Jamshedpur for the cause Contact Arti Bajpeyi Dubey 9993503232, Harish Khutiar (Jaishpur) – 94241 82442
The Indian Ex servicemen Movement (IESM) joined the demand for a Jan Lokpal Bill as they joined the call given by a former soldier of the Indian army – Anna Hazare. Contact Bill Maj Gen Satbir Vice Chairman 9312404269, Cmdr. Vibhuti – 986810277
In Babarpur, Auraiya(UP) over 350 people are sitting on dharna demanding the introduction of the Jan Lokpal Bill. Contact 9045498201
There was a flower rally from Rajghat to Ramlila ground in support of Anna Hazare’s demand for a Jan Lokpal Bill. Contact – Abhimanyu 9873917110 and Arunima 9560786279
A candle march asking for a Jan Lokpal Bill and supporting Anna Hazare was held in Dimapur, Nagaland.
A candle march asking for a Jan Lokpal Bill and supporting Anna Hazare was held in in Dharmanagar in the state of Tripura as well. Support continues to swell in the North Eastern states.
There were rallies for a Jan Lokpal Bill and in support of Anna in Jammu. The rally was from Central Park to Gol market. Contact Amer 9796876680
There was a gathering of over a thousand non resident Indians at the Indian Consulate at Angelo Rosse Park in San Fransisco – USA.
There will be a march in support of Anna and his demand for a Jan Lokpal bill in Connaught Place on the 20th of August 2011. Assembly point – K Block near Nirulas outer circle at 3pm. The March will proceed to Ramlila ground at 1pm.
There will be a rally in Kolkata in support of Anna and the Jan Lokpal Bill. The rally will proceed from The Metro Channel near Metro cinema at 5pm on 20 Aug 2011.
There will be a candle march at the Indian High Commission in London between 6pm and 8pm London Time, 20 August 2011.
There will be a march in Los Angeles State Bank Of India pioneer boulevard on the 20th of August 2011.

As Anna fasts, people demand Jan Lokpal Bill faster

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:44:00 +0000

After yesterday’s declaration by Team Anna that Jan Lokpal Bill must be passed as expeditiously as possible, many questions were raised on the feasibility of the entire process. Shanti Bhushan, former law minister and the co-chair of Joint Drafting Committee on Lokpal Bill, responded to these doubts early this morning.

Overwhelmed by people’s support who refuse to tolerate corruption lying down, Team Anna vowed that we shall not leave Ramlila ground until Jan Lokpal Bill is passed in this session.

Shanti Bhushan explained, in rather fine details, that the current government’s Lokpal Bill can be withdrawn and the Jan Lokpal Bill can be introduced on Tuesday in the Lower House of Parliament (as Monday is a holiday). On Wednesday and Thursday, Jan Lokpal Bill and each of its provisions can be discussed at length by the Parliamentarians of the Lower house. And then the Bill may be sent to Rajya Sabha. And by the 29^th – 30^th August the discussions can be concluded and the Bill may be passed. He shared the experience that during Emergency, the 39^th Amendment was passed not just in both the houses but also in legislative assemblies of the states very quickly as then there was not just political will, but also political urgency to do so. It may be underlined that adequate time is being granted for discussion. Otherwise Indian parliaments have displayed dismal apathy to many Bills which were passed within minutes of tabling, without any debate or discussion.

Santosh Koli, RTI activist and working with Parviartan from long, addressed the stage saying that she, as a dalit herself, was compelled to come out and respond to those who say that this campaign is anti-dalit. (Santosh – 8527218191)

Arvind Kejriwal has appealed to all the people to sit on dharna outside houses of MP as well as write letters to them. He also requested media organisations to publish contact details of all the MPs for the public. Kumar Vishwas, eminent poet and core member of the campaign expressed gratitude to the mediapersons, ‘warriors of pen and camera’ who have been braving the odds at ground zero and disseminating Anna’s message to the world.

Bhartiya Kisaan Union extended its support to the Jan Lokpal Bill and said that corruption at the level of Panchayats, in irrigation department, in forest department should be essentially checked. A Lokpal which cannot do this probably is defunct and no use at all. (Ransingh Arya and Dr. S.S. Bhora – 9891839922)

India joins in bigger numbers, fight against corruption goes global

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Tue, 23 Aug 2011 09:43:00 +0000

It was the seventh day of Anna Hazare’s fast and as support from
across the country kept growing, global support grew as NRI’s from all
over the world demanded the Jan Lokpal bill in strong numbers.

The call for peaceful protests outside the houses of MPs by Team Anna
got responses in all parts of the country. Supporters of India Against
Corruption sat on dharna outside PM Manmohan Singh’s house with
flowers, to insist for a strong Lokpal Bill. All the protesters were
detained by the police.

Supporters of the Jan Lokpal bill also protested outside the houses of
Sheila Dikshit, Pranab Mukherjee and Kapil Sibal but were detained by
police and taken away immediately. A throng of people also protested
outside LK Advani’s house.

Moreover, supporters also protested outside their MPs’ houses all
across the nation. After day long protests outside their MPs’ house in
Nagpur and Ujjain, protestors in Indore convinced MP Sumitra Mahajan
to come out in support of the Jan Lokpal Bill.

After the PM reiterated on record that they are ready to talk and
reach a compromise on the Lokpal bill, nobody has come forward from
the government’s side to talk. On the same issue, Arvind Kejrival
expressed from the stage at the Ramlila grounds that Team Anna is
ready for talks and that whatever discussion has to happen should be
done on stage at the Ramlila grounds for the whole nation to see and
witness.

With Day 8 of Anna’s fast approaching he has already lost 5 kgs weight.

Support for the Jan Lok Pal Bill was expressed by celebrities who came
to the Ramlila grounds.

Kailash Kher encouraged the crowds at Ramlila by singing and gave his
voice in the fight against corruption.

Kabir and Pooja Bedi also came out in support of Anna and the Jan Lokpal Bill.

Medha Patkar who had been relentlessly addressing the crowds at Azad
Maidan, Mumbai, addressed the crowds at Ramlila.

Jaspal Bhatti, also made his presence felt at the Ramlila grounds to
give support to the movement.

Shailesh Gandhi, Information Commissioner, Raja Bundela, Sagguru Jaggi
Vasudev, and Asif Mohammad Khan (MLA of Okhla Constituency ) also
supported the movement and were present on stage at the Ramlila
Grounds.

India Independence Day - Revive the Fighting Spirit

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:31:00 +0000

By Jayashankar V S

Every Indian out there knows that the country achieved independence from the British rule on August 15, 1947 and this year marks the 62nd year of independence! Many of us also know from the history books in our schools the recorded sacrifices that were made to regain the sovereignty of our motherland! Equally familiar is the fact that on this day the country celebrates this landmark achievement in its usual customary and colourful ways! The National flag is hoisted in the national capital of New Delhi, and at the various state capitals and union territories. The Prime Minister lists the achievements of the country since the last Independence Day, raises the current and important domestic and sometimes international issues, and urges fellowmen to come together to solve it! Various cultural events are held, and special shows to honour the martyrs and the surviving freedom fighters are staged. And so another Independence Day quietly comes to an end, the very day our forefathers and great leaders of pre-independent India dreamt of. But for us it is just another national holiday, a mere show of pomp, special shows on television, everything but an occasion to celebrate the spirit of independence, and relive and revive the spirit of fighting!
Why should we fight today? And against whom? Or what is there to fight for? Well, in my opinion we should ask ourselves why we have stopped the fight! After all, we have so many nagging problems, big and small, around us! Isn't? Unfortunately, today we have 'learnt to live' with these problems and as long as they don't 'severely' make a dent on our personal lives, we just don't care! But have we ever wondered where we went wrong! I know this will kick start the blame game! There is corruption, redtapism that slows down development, and there are no good politicians, no leaders, no vision, no resources, and so on! But do we also realise that we too are responsible for this dismal state of affairs? Everyone knows that there cannot be a change overnight but I hope we will agree that there has to be some beginning somewhere!
Independence vs freedom
What is independence and what is freedom? For most of us political independence is freedom enough! The term 'independence' and the sense of 'being independent' has outshined the freedom struggle fought by our leaders and countrymen. What they sought was an independent India and more than that the 'freedom' to govern ourselves and to be dictated by some foreign force! Sadly, we have achieved the political independence but only some degree of real freedom. Real freedom is what will turn our country into a strong and united India! And every one of us should be fighting for it now!
Take for instance the personal freedom, a freedom that can be exercised by one individual without violating the other person's freedom. In a nutshell, the freedom to express my views, do my own things without hurting others' sentiments, and feelings and sentiments. It is a part of the civil liberties that protect an individual from the government of the residing nation setting limits for it so that it cannot abuse its power and interfere unduly with the lives of its citizens. Now how many of us can proudly say that we enjoy complete personal freedom in our 'independent' country?! I am not questioning here the rights of the government in upholding the law of the land or punishing the guilty and extending protection to its citizens. Every government has the right to do that! But this is more about the apathy, of the government and a few individuals and groups, in the name of caste, religion, tradition, and gender that directly or indirectly violates my personal freedom to express my views or do my own things! It is an irony that only a select few have personal freedom which is only misused in restricting the freedom of others. There are more unwritten and unspoken laws being followed here than the customary written ones on bound books, which are almost never followed! Many of our laws are only 'said' in the right spirit but not 'done' in the right way.
Rights are not allowed to be fully exercised
Similarly we do not fully enjoy the civil rights, social rights, cultural rights and the rights to quality health, quality education, and defense to name a few. Even the right to vote has often been not allowed to exercise in the way we want it to, and needless to say the right to education is dictated by castes and money! Quality health services are denied to many. Everything comes with a heavy price tag! There can be several reasons for this but unfortunately our 'muted mumbles' is only making things get worse!
How many of us can proudly say that we enjoy all these rights to the fullest! Right from getting a birth certificate for our babies, to admissions in schools and colleges, and to get the jobs that we deserve, we compromise on everything. This compromise is not 'ahimsa' that Mahatma Gandhi stood for; this is typical 'meek' surrendering to the apathy of the few bad elements in the society! Of course, there will be a very few out there who would have not experienced the apathy of the officials at some point in time! But that's only a handful of the population! A majority of us are still in the dark about our rights even on everyday issues! Even after 62 years of self-governing independent India we cannot get to exercise our rights and get things done in the way it ought to be done! Superficially, India has improved leaps and bounds in many fields. The quality of life has improved but sadly the quality of 'living' has not! Many of us do not even realise that in some parts of the country, far from our busy cities and our so-called social consciousness, some people are still fighting for some basic things, not with the British Empire but with the Indian government.
Wake up, India!
It is startling that we have failed to realise the gravity of the situation we are in. Or is it like we have meekly surrendered to the official apathy and gone numb to issues around us? Or is it simply because we have lost the spirit of fighting that our leaders and millions of citizens in pre-independent India displayed against the British? May be, it is a bit of all of them. The freedom struggle for independent India was not scripted by Gandhi and Nehru and other leaders alone, there were millions of people who stood up at that time to fight. The only reason was they wanted to be the masters of their own destiny, to help themselves and the country, the single most important persona that each one of us is missing today! What we need today is freedom, freedom across all spectrums and at all levels and the political independence is only just a beginning. If this happens, India will be a real force to reckon with!

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Justice For Manjunath and Future of India

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:31:00 +0000

By Varughese Rajan

In a landmark judgment, the Lakhimpur Kheri Sessions Court on Monday awarded death sentence to Pawan Kumar, alias Monu Mittal, in the Manjunath Shanmugham murder case. The seven others have been sentenced to life imprisonment for conspiracy to murder.On Friday, District and Sessions Judge S M A Abidi had pronounced the eight accused as guilty under different sections of the IPC. Manjunath was working as a sales officer with the Indian Oil Corporation when he was shot dead in November 19, 2005. The Indian oil corporation's sales manager had challenged Mittal about the fuel adulteration at his pump and was about to fine him. That was when Mittal and his colleagues shot Manjunath and then hid his body."Justice has been delivered. This is what we had hoped for," said I B Singh, Lawyer, Manjunath Shanmugam Trust.
Manjunath was murdered on 19 of November, 2005 for sticking to his principles. His shock death send cripples across the country. The entire IIML alumni stood up to fight for him. If it was not for the dedication of these Gentlemen, Manjunath's case would have been another example for the inability of our justice department. Today morning one of his friend and the main person behind the Manjunath Shanmugam Trust, Mr. Akhil Krishna was online in radio City. I was surprised to hear that they made it sure either one of them will be present in the court on every hearing. Lakhimpur Kheri , is about 135 km from Lucknow and to make sure that one of them were present in the court does take some inspiration. When Mr. Krishna was asked about what inspired him and his friend to take up such a fight - the oblivious answer came "The Man Called Macha - Manjunath Shanmugam". When I heard about it for the first time, my initial reaction was " Ok, they did for their friend, even i would have done it". But thinking, saying and dreaming is one thing and doing it is different. If it was not for them and their efforts, Manjunath's death would have remained one of this country's most shameful events.
The response to his death and the fight for justice from all over the country, reminds us of the fact that we all crave for heroes like him. It was the unanimous solidarity by his Friends, Media and the People of this country, which made sure that his sacrifice will not be gone unnoticed. His friends set up a Trust in his memory - "The Manjunath Shanmugam Trust". They are planning to fight for justice for all the citizen of this country who are fighting against corruption or similar causes. They have set up a "Right To Information Act Helpline" for assistance for general public about the RTI act. The helpline number is 9250400100. They have also instated "The Manjunath Shanmugam Integrity Award" and the first recipient was Prof. R.P Singh, Vice-Chancellor, Lucknow University, for his courageous work in implementing Lyngdoh Committee recommendations and cleaning up Lucknow University , taking on the might of the entire state assembly.
The most aspiring fact of this trial is that the entire process was completed in 9 months time, which might be a Indian justice department record on its own. But there are some fallouts if we look carefully into the matter. The entire trial was done properly because of the media and public pressure on this case. If you look at the two landmark judgments in recent time - "The Jessica Lal Murder Case" and "The Manjunath Shanmugam Case", both these case were pursued by the public and the media - more importantly the electronic media intervention made it a success. But is this a good trend. The electronic media tends to serve a very selected class of audience, because of that almost all the issues that are raised are concerned with that class of people. This has the fallout of that the "The Justice will only be served to the Privileged" or the poor of this country will not benefit from the new age activism that is sweeping the country. Now come the million dollar question "What is the solution for this problem?", the answer again is oblivious - "The system needs to change", but how? In my humble opinion , we have to make the Law and Justice department accountable for what they are doing. Accountability will bring great change in the way official of these two departments work. Think about this if there is a provision to prosecute a Police officer for neglecting his duty(thereby helping the culprit) the corruption in these two departments will come down. For example - In the Jessica Lal murder trial, in the recent judgment the court observe its surprise that the lower court actually acquitted the culprit even though there was ample evidence to prosecute him. If the Judge was accountable for the Judgments he make, this would have never happen. Now the biggest question "How ill we bring this accountability to these departments?" The answer is I have no idea, in this I am as clueless as those who are reading this article. here is where we can have a discussion about. You are free to suggest your ideas in the comment box.
Always remember treating a disease is expensive, but preventing the disease is Wisdom. Let Manjunath's soul give us the will to fight to make this country a better place to live. Signing of with the this song.....

Visit News Ahead for the rest of article....

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War Against Poverty - The Philippine Case

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:30:00 +0000

By Ernesto Del Castillo

The "War-on-Poverty" had always been a Campaign Issue in every Election - National & Local. All Philippine Presidents vowed to fight poverty in their respective Term-of-Office. Despite that, Public Debt was always higher than before when each left the Presidency. With Cost-of-Living increasing yearly, "Hunger Incidence" is perceived experienced by more and more Filipinos.
The Suicide of Mariannet Amper is a very sad story. Mariannet was a 12-yr old who had been skipping school classes because she had to occasionally help her Mother do laundry - to feed a Family-of-9. Her Father was oftentimes out-of-work as a Carpenter. Marianeth, as the 6th Child-of-7, left a Diary-of-Hardships - concluding, that a "Better Life" was hopeless. To add bitterness to Marianeth's sad story, Philippine Media reports that a Catholic Burial might be denied her - consistent with Catholic Teaching & Tradition which abhor Suicide. Ironically, the "Feeding Program" for Public School Children and the "Livelihood Programs" for the Filipino Poor failed to reach Marianeth's Family - somehow.
The never-ending National Debates (on GMA's Presidency & Impeachment; on controversial Electoral Results & suggested Reforms; on Corruption Charges against Public Officials suspected of Influence Peddling. On Bribery Incidents happening in Congress and in Malacanang. On Charter Change suspected to favor self-interest groups instead of the Common Good; etc.) divert the Nation's Attention and Resources farther away from attending to urgent needs of the Filipino Poor.
In this "War-on-Poverty", Overseas Filipinos are our heroes. Their non-stop Inbound Dollar Remittances benefiting their relatives in the Philippines is acknowledged as the single factor increasing the value of the Philippine Peso. Without their monetary help, the ran-away Cost-of-Oil (about U$100/barrel) could have made life in the Philippines even worst. God bless our Overseas Filipinos!

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Fighting For What Counts - Earth's Final Days

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:30:00 +0000

By Nevada York

What is to become of the world? The United States has elected a new leader for our country, Israel is poised to hold elections, health questions are arising about the dictator of North Korea, Russia is still being governed by Vladimir Putin-but no one wants to say anything due to Putin's police state tactics. Everyone is looking for answers to a unraveling situation in the global world's history. No matter who is elected certain things must take place as mentioned in the Bible. Sure, many are looking to leaders for hope in what seems to be a dark, questionable path. The nations and citizens find it convenient to ignore the fact that the Lord is the judge of mankind. Different countries have opted to elect leaders who they believe can bring structure and peace to their country. Are their efforts all for nothing? The only sure thing in life is ones ability to determine the fate of their souls. How unfortunate it is that people do not have their priories in order, feeling as though they need to save intangible objects, things that will pass away, more so than the need to save their immortal souls. A regrettable practice today is that countless people dedicate their time and energy to causes that interfere with their personal relationship with the true God concerning their salvation.
"Save the Planet!" is the mantra of Al Gore and celebrity environmentalists. They are convinced that mankind will destroy the earth. Do any of their own beliefs agree with what the Bible says? The Bible does not state that mankind has the capability to utterly destroy his creation, the Earth.However, it does mention how the Lord has reserved a judgment of fire for the Earth as we know it. Psalm 96:13 reads, "For He is coming, for He is coming to judge the Earth. He shall judge the world with righteousness and the peoples with His truth." God has already destroyed the earth with water during the flood and according to 2nd Peter, the Lord will destroy the earth again but with fire. "... He used the water to destroy the ancient world with a mighty flood. And by the same word, the present heavens and earth have been stored up for fire. They are being kept for the day of judgment, when ungodly people will be destroyed. (2nd Peter 3:6-7)" Why will the Lord annihilate the earth in the future? Genesis clearly explains why the Lord destroyed earth in the past, "Now the earth was corrupt in God's sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. And God said to Noah," I have determined to make an end of all flesh, for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth. (Genesis 6:11-13)." It was because of man's wickedness and corruption that the Lord destroyed the earth.
Only Noah and his family were found righteous enough to escape the Lord's coming judgments against the world. Instead of an ark, many Christians will be sparred the judgments of the world because of the rapture. What are the judgments coming to the world? The book of Revelation reveals seven opening judgments on the earth at the beginning of the tribulation:
1) A false leader comes to bring "peace" on Earth, but ushers in chaos.
2) Peace is taken away from the Earth.
3) Famine is spread across the earth.
4) A fourth of mankind is killed by the sword, hunger, and beasts.
5) The souls of the martyrs cry for the avengement of those who dwell on the earth.
6) Severe calamities of nature and heavenly astronomical events cause great fear on the earth.
7) Silence-before the remaining judgments are poured out onto the earth.
These are just a fragment of the future judgments that will be facing mankind and earth. (Revelation 6:1-8:6)
The event of the rapture is an occasion that many Christians are looking forward to. For just as Noah did, Christians will escape the coming judgments described during the period of the Great tribulation. It is a blessing that the period that mankind currently lives in is the church age-an age that began when Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Humanity will shift in a different direction that will ultimately cause a deep longing for the present days that we are living in. It doesn't matter who may or may not be elected, the end of an era is quickly approaching. "God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can't take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. (Ephesians 2:8-9)." Make sure you don't lose focus and live your life for objects that are perishable, but base your future decisions on believing in the Son of God-a choice that will ultimately determine your salvation. Are you prepared to meet your maker?

Nevada York, Author of Caught Up and Mahogany's Revelation, released her latest book Journey to Salvation in 2006 to rave reviews from readers. Nevada's published novels are an accomplishment that has been well worth the wait. Not willing to be deterred, her determination has bought about the publication of two memorable novels. http://nevadayork.com

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Civil Society and Anti-Corruption Advocacy

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:28:00 +0000

By Mohammed Bougei Attah

Introduction
More often, civil society organizations, CSOs have been identified as non-state actors that have the moral power to engaged both state and business by compelling them to meet their obligations and respond to society common or basic needs.
The term Civil Society, CS with its broad groupings remain an active part of the society that we cannot ignore. Because state and charitable recourses no longer get to the citizens adequately, Civil Society Organization, CSOs have emerged, responding to this challenge as advocates and agents of a more just and caring society. Implicitly, they help to develop and nurture conscientious concern in the emerging global culture.
CSOs and Advocacy
As advocates and agent of change, the term advocacy has become synonymous with CSOs, involving wide range of activities, carried out by non-governmental organizations, NGOs. In a broad sense, advocacy can be defined as activism, campaigning or movement around a particular issue.
As a result of there actions over time, NGOs now impact policies as well as advance initiative which at a time was nearly an exclusive "rights" of government and coporations. NGOs humanitarian services have become vital role to the well-being of individuals and societies throughout the globe. In some identified areas, NGOs have proven record than government in service delivery and/or responding to particular needs.
Position of NGOs in Society
NGOs occupy a certain position in the society that makes them unique and special in their approach to issues and demand for accountability. If the first sector, which is public, fails in her service delivery, there is always a quick reference to support from the second sector, which is private. And where private fails in meeting her obligations, the third sector, which is the non-profit, where the NGOs operate readily, comes to support. However, the only sector that cannot afford to fail is the third - NGOs.
Anti-Corruption and Civil Society Organizations
In a very simple term, corruption can be defined as the misuse of public funds, office or entrusted power for private gains. Beyond this definition, there exist a whole lot of corruption activities. And the variation in scale results in a diversity of impacts. Chudi Okafor, a Senior Social Development Specialist with the World Bank once said in a 2003 interview with NGO Network magazine that corruption, poverty and leadership as related.
Anti-corruption effort by CSOs takes place on many fronts. But central in this is the need for good governance, which according to Jerry Pope of Advocacy Alert, "is the key to the fight against corruption". Further he exposed that this role consist of eleven "pillars of integrity" made up of the following:
a. Legislative
b. Executive
c. Judiciary
d. Ombudsman
e. Watchdog Agencies
f. Public Services
g. Private Sector
h. International Actors
i. Civil Society
j. Media
Ironically, it was due to the lack of interest in the links between corruption and development among senior World Bank Staff in early "90" that propelled Peter Eigen and others to set up Transparency International, a CS movement that have transformed many advanced societies.
Though many CSOs, including media, faith based and community associations are daily engage in anti-corruption drive, NGOs have taken the lead in this fight, bringing about unprecedented vitality and ability to bear on critical issues on human rights and accountability which are often linked to good governance.
And because corruption in government circles is clearly at odd with many fundamental premises of civil, political and economic rights, NGOs flexibility and connections to grassroots communities aid them in mobilizing resources quickly in responding to the challenge. Quite often, their single-minded commitment, independence and strong motivation afford them a civic power that other institutions may lack. Today civil society advocacy on the fight against corruption are in many areas of human endeavors such as:
a. Human Rights
b. Conflict and Peace building
c. Democracy and,
d. Development
Procurement, Accountability and NGOs
Though the term procurement in supply chain management is relatively a new concept in our anti-corruption efforts, particular in Africa, NGOs' unique opportunities and exposure have availed them the needed skills to participate at quick notice, and advocate for a corruption-free procurement regime. However with more concentration on issues of budget tracking and electoral matters in the past, many NGOs may have missed out the real issue around Public Procurement Corruption (PPC). While the efforts of the World Bank is highly commendable for taking the initial proactive step in identifying the need for exposition in the direction, and for taking steps to educate the "ever-ready" NGOs on the new challenge facing the society, it is noteworthy to warn that it is only a sustained fight and continous collaboration with CSOs that will help.
Recognizing the fact that procurement corruption is a hidden phenomenon in our quest for a transparent and corruption-free society, NGO unique opportunity, must be taken into consideration for the engagement process. Some of these opportunities include access to diversified funds, watchdog roles, understanding of the issues, advocacy skills, closeness to the people and as friends of the media.
Role of NGOs in Procurement Monitoring
As stated above, though procurement process is relatively a new concept in Africa, particularly in Nigeria, the role of NGOs in ensuring transparency, fairness, integrity and accountability in the practices cannot be overlooked. Essentially, NGOs have a responsibility to learn from the professionals or experts to equip them in address the issue creditably and to assist in transmuting same to the grassroots.
The central role of NGOs, which involves procurement monitoring through a watchdog process is an academic exercise involving technical issues that only specialists can effectively venture. Considering that other speakers at this workshop will be addressing key issues, around "Procurement and Anti-Corruption Control Mechanism in Community-Driven Development", which is the theme of this workshop, it will just suffice to highlight some key areas that NGOs and practitioners in procurements may be involved for monitoring.
a. Comparison of the achievements of projects under Procurement Plan.
b. Assessment of the achievement of projects.
c. Evaluation of Procurement Operations
d. Provision of timely information to ensure international best practices.
e. And other such areas that ensures transparency
Conclusion
In our daily quest for good governance and a corrupt free society, CSOs remain an unbending force that must be carried along if we must reach "Zero Corruption" destination. With impactful instances such as "Kick Poverty out of Africa (KPOA)" Global Campaign against Poverty (GCAP), Publish What You Pay (PWYP) campaigns and others before them, NGOs have proven that indeed, sustained anti-corruption advocacy is the key to service delivery and a corruption-free society.
Thank you.

Civil Society and Anti-Corruption Advocacy
By Mohammed Bougei Attah
Africa Regional Coordinator, World Association of Non-Governmental Organizations (WANGO) and Managing Editor, NGO Network Magazine
A paper presented at the World Bank workshop on "Procurement and Anti-Corruption Control Mechanism in Community-Driven Development" held on Thursday 2nd and Friday 3rd April 2009 at Ritz Continental Hotel, Abuja.

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Corruption And Developing Nations

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:28:00 +0000

By Oluwanisola Seun

Developing nations are known for immense rate of corruption. The alarming rate is a major concern to any government and good citizen of such nation. Unimaginable amount of money is being spent to curb or fight against corruption, something that shouldn't be if only the people or citizens of the nation could be conscious of their integrity and value it above any other thing. Likewise, the system should no longer pave way for corruption. A weak system and poor standard of living are major driving forces for incessant corruption in developing nations of the world.
In the developing countries, corruption takes different forms or phases. Some of such forms are overpricing, illegally expediting payments, facilitating contracts, rigging public bidding for contracts via manipulating regulations and selling information, illegal fund raising, diverting funds meant for special projects, money laundering, and the likes.
The causes of corruption in the developing nation are immense. Some of them are briefly discussed below:
1. POVERTY: This is a major cause of corruption in the developing nations, mostly in the African continent. An average Nigerian live below a $1 per day and what do one expects from such. Thus, people tend to exploit every chance or loop hole to steal or embezzle fund meant for national development.
2. LOW OR POOR SALARY: The salary or wages as the case may be in the developing nations are far below what a family man should earn to keep life going. This is a serious challenge as many look for ways of cushioning the effect and get the going easy.
3. LEADERSHIP PROBLEM: Poor leadership in most of these developing nations is also a major challenge. Developing nations are characterized with poor or bad leadership; leaders who want to be directors and commanders rather than servant leader. They still, loot the treasury and want to be leader for life. This is pathetic!
4. LOW RISK OF DETECTION AND PUNISHMENT: The rate of detecting corruption in the developing nations is generally nothing to write home about. Corrupt officers could go scot-free, could hide or walk around without being challenge and are celebrated at its peak. When one is eventually caught and charged to the court, he/she may come back justified or asked to pay nothing but a penny.
Other causes of corruption in the developing nations are:
5. Low level of technology advancement
6. High level of insecurity
7. Agrarian nature of the economy
8. Narrowness of seeing ethics
9. Public bureaucracy
10. Ample opportunities for corruption
11. Total dependence on oil (as in the case with Nigeria)
12. Operation of crude capitalism
There are numbers of solutions to these malaises. In fact, everyone has a role to play in curbing corruption - the government of the nation, institutions, the citizens and the international communities. These are suggested solutions:
1. The Nigerian Institute of Management (Chartered) believes in the introduction of strong but flexible codes of conduct as a vital tool to curbing corruption in Nigeria. Thus, it has since developed some means of inculcating in Nigerian youths indispensable standard moral codes of conduct for a better society.
2. Another way is by addressing wider cultural competitive and personal factors capable of enhancing corruption.
3. Corruption could also be curbed by an ethical orientation
4. Agencies fighting against corruption should be re-empowered and repositioned to keep on with the good fight until sanity is brought to the system of such nation. These agencies should have good and time-tested leaders, have independent status, staffed with honest and competent personnel and sufficiently funded.
5. Good leaders should be elected into government
6. There should be good punitive measures and disciplinary procedures for those that are guilty of the act of corruption.
In conclusion, corruption is a very bad act and it eats deep into the progress and growth of any nation. It must be disallowed from raising its ugly head. It is the duty of all and sundry to fight against corruption in all its forms. We will all have a better people, better society and better world if we all rise to stop corruption and be watchdogs in whatsoever society we find ourselves and ensure that corruption is displaced in the society and given its rightful place, hell!

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Corrupted Life

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:27:00 +0000

By Munir Moosa

There is not a single appropriate definition of corruption, because every one has their own interpretation, and we all have intellectual openness to think of it according to our own intellect level. I guess the word corruption itself is corrupted due to which; we can't find the appropriate definition of it.
In my view,
"Corruption is the devastation of someone's faithfulness through improper mean, like by giving up bribery or using an influential power to attain goals. Corruption means to ditch a grave of our values, integration and dignity."
The fact is that, all the countries are/were its prey for sure, and we all have to come across this word, now or then in our lives. In the recent years, this word has brought the whole new scenario in our lives. As the time is passing, corruption is increasing, even though the political leaders and the countries are trying to reduce it, but the fact cannot be changed, that it's a hard nut to crack
Corruption.
Governments, just for the private put on misuse nation's property without thinking that they have been given some responsibilities to take care of their country like a mother. We are like a child of our country, but unfortunately, corrupted peoples are behaving like our step mother, depolarizing us from the rights, which we should get. Moreover, not only governments, but the powerful peoples are also using their influence to get the things done which they want, on the basis of their supremacy power.
It's obvious, that if a government is corrupted, the whole nation will be corrupted.
Corruption is not only present in governments, but it's the root cause of every wrong action in private sectors also.
Corruption has ruined my life and many like me have also been affected by corruption in their lives for sure. Bitterly speaking, corruption is going on every where, and the whole world is corrupted. It's not just the part and parcel of the superior class societies only, but it belongs to all the societies, nations and countries.
If any one asserts, that the corruption is no more in their country, then I would have a uncertainty, because corruption is an ongoing and an endless process. If it ends on one side, it begins its cycle from the other side.
All individuals are corrupted in today modern world, and I m so ill-fated to be the part of it. My whole life, my wishes, my goals and determination in the past and still in the present have been affected totally due to corruption in our country.
People are loosing their dignity for this shameful act and I was puzzled to face many of the corrupted people in my life.
I sometimes think that Why me the part of facing corruption? Why us the part of corruption? Who will listen to our pleadings, when the whole world is corrupted?
Why the corrupted people are ruining our lives?
The autonomy to live in the recent years has been snatched from us, and now the life, which we want to spend, is also guided by corrupted people.
Who will end this?
From the specialized doctors to the policemen, from the great politicians to the ordinary civil servant, every one is corrupted in our country.
Corruption started in my life when I was born. Yes, I was an infant and could not judge that what is going on around me. But my father told me, that when I was about to come in this world, the hospital head asked my dad to give extra money in order to admit my mother in a stern condition as there was not a single other hospital nearby, which could offer an urgent delivery. My mom was dying of labor pain, but the head of hospital insisted my father to give extra money as a bribe, and thus my family was forced to be the part of corruption.
Lately, when I was 3 years old, my father decided that I should be admitted to a good English medium school. My admission was not granted in a good school. The school asked my father to give a donation (which was a new form of taking bribe) of about 25,000 rupees. My father admitted me in that school by fulfilling their demand; else I guess that I would have studied in a local school.
I still remember that one of my 6th standard teachers always asked us to give her lunch, and often asked us to tell our mothers to send gifts for her. I was a bit shy student and what corruption is, was little bit known to me so far. But I was very much sure that the teacher was trying to black mailing us. I was fed up from her day-to-day threats.
Once, I visited my Principal and without thinking of my future outcomes, I told him the whole scenario. The Principal called my parents and he told my parent that your child was suspecting and pointing out the flaws in our reputable teacher. But I commented in between, which made my Principal angry. I raised my voice because though I was shy, but not an insane to keep my voice down in front of those reputable people, who call themselves reputed person in society, but in real, are corrupted. My father handled that situation and he warned me not to speak any single word against any teacher from the next time. It was the first time I was motivated to elucidate the real scenario to my Principal, but Alas! My Principal I guess was also corrupted.
The very next day, I was severely beaten by that teacher. She also passed me with the lowest marks in her subject.
This is how the threats are given, when someone wants to raise their voice in any organization, because no body is ready to accept their mistakes and no body is willing to bring changes in this world.
Later on after two years, our Principal was hurled out by the ABC board, because he was caught red handed taking a bribe from someone, who wanted admission of their child in that school.
It's truly said,
"To reach the highest always start with the lowest."
And my lowest starting was raising my voice at that crucial time.
My first action against a wrong deed was not appreciated, but still it gives me immense contentment that at least, I raised my voice and God did justice with me.
Next, when I was in my ninth standard, I worked day and night to pass my examination with flying colors. I got only 81% marks in all the subjects, even though I was expecting the highest of all. I went to our board office and filled a form to scrutinize my papers. The man on the counter asked me, that if I would offer him at least 10,000 rupees, then he would help me to increase my marks through the process of scrutiny. He told me that scrutinize would not help me at all. It's just a formal form to fill, but the result will not be changed. He also showed me few of his customers, who were about my age and had increased their marks by giving bribe. I was stunned. I was rightly called that man corrupted, because at that level I knew that what corruption was? I went out from there and lost my dedication for studies for the next year.
Corruption is like WHITE ANT, which is surely emptying the dignity of our country.
Any ways, I boosted my self, and again worked hard in my 10th standard and this year, I was expecting to get good marks. Alas! I got the same 81% result. But the news was not appalling for me, because I came to know that in the past too, many of the students, who had work hard, got the lowest marks in their exams. This is the fact of our education system and corruption is the only reason that our country education level is not up to mark as yet.
I always dreamt to be a doctor and it was my wish to get into that field after completing my Intermediate. When the time came to get into the best college, I filled out the form, but I was not selected. The reason was given that the final closure of the %age was 81.5% and I had 81.4%. I waited for a year to apply for the admission in the same college. Next year I applied and I was also selected, but the officials during the last process of fees submission told me, that I have to pay 25,000 rupees, if I want to get admission in that college as I had completed my matriculation one year back and according to the rules, I cannot get admission in that college. I asked them that where such rule is written? If that was the rule, then why I was selected? I also claimed that most of the students in your college are mature and I know few of them as well who had been admitted in this college by offering bribe. I was right and that is the only reason, which made their mouth shut. The rangers, who despite of helping me hurled me out, hurled me out. Raising voice and insolent is two different aspects, and I just raised my voice against wrong people and I did what I felt was right.
Why no one wants to raise his or her voice? Why every one fears to face the realities? Who will change the lives of those who are ruining their future just because of corruption?
These questions are still unanswered.
My dreams started ruining and thus, I was totally shocked. My aunt agreed to gave bribe, which they had asked for. Even though she was the government professor, she agreed to get into corruption for the sake of my admission. But my ethics, did not allow me to do such wrong act, and thus, I finally took admission as an external student.
I decided to give all the papers in English medium standard, but I was informed by my aunt that if I will give paper in English medium, then I might face difficulties, as the checkers were mostly Urdu (Mother Tongue of Pakistan) medium. I gave all the papers in English, but her prediction was right. I secured lowest marks in two subjects in my first year. I decided to visit controller of examination. At that time, I was quiet assured to do something to catch such corrupted people. I took my handy voice recorder and talked to the controller that I want to see my papers to know the mistakes I have done.
It's the rule in most of the countries that the papers are not given back to any student after checking. Board only issues Marks Statement. The controller of examination yelled on me and also used abusive language and told his guard to hurl me out.
The whole verbal
abuse was recorded, and thus, I directly visited the top rated news paper agency and gave them that recorded voice cassette, so that they could publish the recorded material in black and white.
I was quiet pleased this time that at least I had raised my voice nationally against such corrupted people. The next day, I saw the newspaper having no such news. I called them and they didn't recognize and blocked my phone number.
This is what reality is! When some one tries to face the corrupted people and want to raise voice against them to expose such corrupted people, the other so called slaves of corrupted people tries to halt truths; but anyhow, I contacted the local newspapers, and the article was published against their ill-behavior after few weeks. I got overwhelming hold from many people, and was quiet assured that might be our government will take some action against high officials.
After few weeks, that controller was hurled out of his duty and I took sigh of relieve that at least my efforts were not useless.
I completed my Intermediate with flying colors and secured fifth position all over my city. At that time, I was given the golden opportunity in our city press club, to tell my views and opinions concerning Intermediate Board. That was the golden chance for me and
I exposed all the realities and problems, which I had faced. On the very next day, my name with interview was published in most of the newspapers of our country. Some newspapers edited my words shrewdly, but any how, I got the support and appreciation from most of the people of our country.
I was awarded 500 rupees a month by intermediate board for 2 years as a scholarship for enduring further studies. That scholarship money was not given to me for a year. I visited them hundreds of time, but sometimes, they were unavailable or sometimes, they refused my application making lame excuses.
But, after a year had passed, I wrote a letter to the Minister of our city about the wrong attitude of the board office officials and thanks to the Minister that my scholarship money was given to me in just a week.
It's truly said that when the things are not given to us properly, we should use an alternate path to get it.
I decided to do Bachelors in Information Technology. Though it was a new field for me but I was interested in that. So I applied in ABC university and bitterly enlightening the truth as a true human, that I saw the head teachers of that university, involved in taking bribe. I missed the scene as I didn't have any shooting camera.
I was selected in that university, but I hate corruption and wanted them to be caught red handed. I visited the Principal of that university, seeking help. I told him all the matter which I had seen. He bitterly denied my sayings and told me that that I should forget whatever I had seen; else I would not be granted permission to start my course. That man was also corrupted. I knew that if I will raise voice against them, I might not get admission in other universities as well. I did nothing, but even then, my admission was rejected.
I did nothing against that corrupted university, but started writing articles in one daily newspaper against such burning issues, which no one had raised. Many times, my articles were rejected, but sometimes, I manage to find a column to speak truths. I was also paid remuneration by them, which helped me to complete my graduation level studies. I decided to complete my graduation examination as an external candidate (DISTANCE LEARNING).
When I got admission in my graduation as an external candidate, I met a Navy officer. He was in army, but how he was admitted in such a patriotic job; still I suspect.
That person asked my name. I didn't reveal my true name in front of him. He told me that if I want, I can help him out in performing illegal acts and in return, he would help me to pass my graduation with flying colors. What he wanted is shocking for me to explain here. I ran off from there and didn't contact him ever. I met him few times and also told this scenario to our respected policeman's. They told me that they can't help me else they would be hurled out of their job, if they take any action against that senior official.
All the governments are yelling that if any citizen wants, they can file a case against corrupted people, but when any one takes action, governments become deaf and dumb, until and unless an influential leader case against them, on which government responds utmost.
When we seek help from government officials, we are never given a chance to speak. Is this what a democracy is? Is this what a civilized society is? Where should we go? From where should we seek help? I can't face and dealt with all kinds of corruption alone and thus I lost my will power. I decided not to raise my voice against corruption any more, because it would only affect me and no one will give me helping hand against them ever. But fight against corruption was in my blood. I was determined again and I started raising my voice at least to make a bit of difference.
While I was completing my graduation, my father got heart attack, and he was admitted to one hospital. I was quiet sure that without bribe or source, we will not be able to get loan or welfare. We applied for the concession, but it was not granted. The cost for Angioplasty was not in our budget. My father was every thing to me and this time I contacted my father's friend, who could help us out to get some welfare through his source. He helped us out and thus I was corrupted. Yes I was involved in the corruption to save my fathers life. We all are not angel. If the system is not running effectively in our country then, a normal being like me should not be blamed for using such influential power for getting welfare.
I was corrupted or not, that this whole world should decide, but I guess my decision at that time was right and enough to save my father's life.
It's not that only corruption has affected me, this is how corruption has affected the whole societies and the entire nations. Today corruption rules the world rather than democracy.
I decided to apply for an admission in a foreign university and for that purpose, one needs passport, which I had to apply for. The whole rush of fake people outside passport office and taking bribe in front of police officer was appalling. They told me that they will make my passport without standing in a queue within 3 days, but they asked me to pay 500 rupees extra, for availing this chance. I was loyal, so I applied by standing in a line.
Despite of getting passport in a month, I got my passport after 3 months from the passport office. I thought what to do against such corrupted people outside the passport office. I visited police station nearby and told them the whole scenario. Thank God that I found at least one loyal police officer there, who trusted me. On the next day when I came there, the numbers of illegal passport makers were about 80% reduced. I came to know that police man had beaten many people and took many under custody for doing such illegal act. Bravo! I fought against corruption.
While I applied for an admission in foreign university, I also thought to do some job. I went to give an interview. The interviewee asked me to show my profile and all the documents. He liked my confidence and skills and told me to wait outside until all the candidates give their interviews. The man sitting just beside me asked me about my interview. I told that my chances to get this job is 99%; but he laughed and told me that he has come here with a letter of his father, who is working in Government sector. Lately, he got a job, but I knew the bitter truth that why he was selected. I can't do any thing there, but I went inside an interviewee office and yelled,
"Is this the lesson you have learnt in your life?"
All the people gathered nearby, and I gave a lecture to that corrupted interviewee that how he has played with all the candidates, just because of one person, who showed him a dominant letter. I didn't gain anything, but while I was going out, few of the workers told me that, it's common and they knew this fact, but they were working, because they have to earn their living at any cost to support their family, which has tied their tongue.
I got a letter for a foreign university to show financial statement. We were unable to meet this requirement due to which, my admission was rejected.
Without wasting any time, I applied for my Masters in our city university. I was happy to get admission as a regular candidate. In our second semester, our respected Principal came to us and told us to give 5000 rupees each as a donation, so that the department could buy Air conditioners. Our Principal was our subject teacher too, so he told us that, those students, who will tender this donation, will pass their examination with good marks in his subject for sure. I lately visited The Vice Chancellor of University but he was not ready to trust me. Well, I didn't give that amount, but was succeeded to get at least 70% marks in that subject. Later on, I came across two universities officials, who offered me a huge sum of money, in order to give graduation paper of other student. They were experts in making fake admit cards too. I was very clever and I lied to give the paper. I saw my admit card with my photo, but the data filled was not mine. Shockingly, the stamp of The Controller of Examination was also embossed on that admit card. Finally, I got that prove, which I showed to our university chancellor on the day of fake paper. That day, he trusted me and finally, those two officials were taken out of that university.
My 2007 resolution was to join hands with my friends to fight against corruption on our own. Few of my friends along with me are very much against corruption going on in our country. So we decided to form Anti-corruption Team. We asked the people via e-mails and phones to submit us complains, which will be kept confidential and we have received many complains till date. We are preparing a report and in the end of June, we'll submit this report to the Minister of our country or else if I will get this International Platform, I would love to expose the real corruption cases of this world through media exposure.
I hope that many of the people like me are facing such corruption in their daily lives. At least my impact could prepare my students, to whom I am teaching as a private tutor and as a religion teacher, against corruption. My students, their family members and my friends and family always encourage my thinking and my initiatives.
At least, they can learn through my live examples of struggling and fighting against corruption and could prepare themselves to face such tackling situations properly.
My articles and my day to day examples of fight against corruption, is always imparted by me to others, which boosts their thinking and raise their intellectual too to work as a team to raise voice against corruption.
I have also helped many of my friends and the people who have co-operated with me to fight against corruption by confidentially writing letters to our Government officials.
I have also worked voluntary with one newspaper to focus and impart the cases against corruption through my writing.
I can improve my impact only if people, especially International institution would give me a chance to raise my voice by joining hands with me together to fight against corruption. I can also improve my impact by joining Government in the future, so that I could eradicate the roots of corruption under my supervision.
At last, I want to become their voice and hope that my efforts will not go in vain.

Munir Moosa Sewani is one of the famous, prominent and creative names in the field of Education since 8 years. He is a Master Trainer In Special Education, Post Graduate, Teacher Educator and a Teacher. He is a Freelance Writer and Photographer too. He is an author of the famous self-published storybook for children named as "The MORAL STORIES FOR CHILDREN" and has also written Biology course book for Secondary Classes. He has written almost more than 30 articles on social, health, educational and cultural issues, which are internationally recognized and published on most of the famous world wide websites, magazines and newspapers.
He is also a Social worker, private tutor, career counselor, musician, lyrics writer and have multi- dimensional talents. His future plan is to write dozens of informative books and articles and to work for education and media too.

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Owners of Miami Beach Luxury Condos Unite In The Fight Against Robbery Among Them

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:27:00 +0000

By Joan Vonnegut

Crime really doesn't pay. A 46 year old man was arrested for attempting to break in at one of the houses in Indian Creek Village. The police reported that this is very usual at this time of the year because of the holidays, and the pressure of living life unemployed. Miami has really taken a slump when it comes to home security. In fact, people today are getting reckless and ill-informed when it comes to house security that as simple as getting surveillance equipment for maximum protection is not a priority for our fellow Americans nowadays.
It is better to save up for better home equipment rather than the rims on your car. Like what is stated earlier, it is not easy to earn money and a lot of our friends are trying to make quick bucks by transacting illegal businesses. An FBI report back in 2004, about killings along 5th street in Miami Beach, and is still under investigation, was rumored to be closed due to lack of physical evidence against the lead suspects. It's very obvious that the Miami Metro Police should step up instead of arguing if the Lakers can beat Miami.
Crime is crime, whether the act is unintentional or unplanned, it still needs to be reported and be taken into the law's hands. Every citizen can report a crime and a gesture like that can work wonders to you as a person, and a citizen of our beautiful city. Last week, a corrupt real estate broker was caught red-handed, when an undercover cop pretended to be interested in buying houses that can be hidden under the radar, when Mr. Alexander, aged 36, offered a house down in Normandy Island that can be purchased and settled in one business transaction, plus an additional charge that he called "finder's fee", which is 25% of the property price. The real estate broker was reported to be in a company called Miami Beach Luxury Condos, Incorporated. They cater to houses for sale or rent, as well as eco-friendly condominiums, and other services like moving, and laundromats.
Miami Beach Luxury Condos Incorporated stated that Mr. Alexander (not his real name), is no longer an employee or broker since 2006, after being terminated for the job due to sexual harassment cases filed by co-workers. The team of Miami Beach Luxury Condos also cleared its name from the house up for sale in Normandy Island, and didn't add further information about the said property.
It is time for us rather, the citizens of this beautiful city, to help each other and watch each others backs.

Joan Vonnegut
Miami Beach Luxury Condos

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A Fight Against Hidden Spyware

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:26:00 +0000

By Ashwin Sachdeva

A Spyware is a total nuisance and a privacy threat, which evokes pop-up windows not only when the user is online but also even when the user is not working on the Internet. Window Anti-spyware rapidly scans your computer files and memory and detects spyware. It sets regular times for full scans, and keeps a check when you are online and reports you whenever a spyware is detected. It alerts the user of the unwanted Internet destinations, which may try to link with their Internet connections to corrupt and hack their data. It is a tool, designed to protect computer against hidden software and also to detect keystroke loggers and other threats.
Anti-Spyware is yet another solution, which protects your computer and your privacy and promises you good system performance. It has the capability to detect, evacuate and prevent the corrupt pop-up windows, cookies, and virus and spyware threats. It offers you safe surfing, spyware-free computing experience and a complete protection from hackers. It ensures all possible entry point's spyware exploits to run or install without your permission. A Window Anti-spyware assures you with full guarantee to protect your computer and information from theft and virus to provide you with full security.
Why have you stopped playing games online?? Why you do not visit sites, which provide you with knowledge anymore? If the answer is pop-up windows and virus, then provide your computer with Block Spyware, which assures you to protect with virus and all forms of email-based malware, including trojan, spyware, and adware. It acts as a guard for pop-up windows, which annoys your enjoyment, and protects your privacy while you work online and stops every unwanted disturbance. Thus the software Window Anti-spyware provides a quality to your computer documents and gives a new look, which is pure without any virus.
Sometimes surfing the Internet, reading email, downloading music or other files without your knowledge, infects your computer. It can slow down your PC, cause it to crash, and record your credit card numbers. Spyware Remover is a guide to spyware, which detects spyware and cautiously removes spyware and other virus, which may corrupt your important document. It works as anti-virus and firewall software, extending your protection against virus prone software that can corrupt your existing security and maintain your personal privacy. Why are you waiting then, get a Window Anti-spyware, which has the capability to capture spyware and other threats.

Anti Spyware Hub [http://www.anti-spyware-hub.com] is an online resource, providing in-depth information about Anti Spyware software [http://www.anti-spyware-hub.com/Anti-Spyware-software.htm], which is an essential tool to keep your system free of dangerous spywares, protecting your privacy and your PC. Here you will get vast technical information about anti spyware software to block spyware [http://www.anti-spyware-hub.com/Block-Spyware.htm].

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Polices Against Corruption

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:26:00 +0000

By Artur Victoria

Development strategies are shifting from policy reform to institutional reform, including the control of corruption. As we learn that economic policy reforms are not enough for economic success, that democracy is not enough for political success, we focus on the institutions through which economic and political activity are carried out and mediated. Regarding institutions of the public sector, we do not yet have consensus on the labels. We encounter overlapping concepts such as governance, public administrative systems, institutional development, and administrative adjustment. Within five years there will be a more stable set of concepts and texts and a template to guide reforms in this domain.
Perhaps even more than in the case of policy reforms, institutional reforms take place in contexts that interact with advisable measures. Cultural, historical, and political variables probably matter a lot to the correct choice of mechanisms for fighting corruption. Every country will find its own solutions.
Moreover, in the emerging domain of institutional adjustment, data are scarce. We find few well-tested propositions about what happens when reforms are tried under such-and-such circumstances. We therefore proceed on the basis of success stories and analogies to the developed countries and to private business. Importantly, we also can build on new theoretical developments (agency theory, public choice, industrial organization, finance in economics; new bureaucratic theories in public and business administration). Is emphasized the agency theory (more broadly, the new theory of the firm) coupled with case studies of success. Substantively, is emphasized three generic reasons why public-sector institutions often fail: incentive myopia, corruption, and inappropriate administrative integration and centralization.
So, the problem of fighting corruption (and more generally of what might be called administrative adjustment) is difficult: unclear concepts, many interaction effects with local contexts, metaphors and models from many divergent areas of economics and elsewhere, few established estimates of "parameter values."
Despite these complexities, the argument for administrative adjustment is intuitively powerful and empirically plausible. Corruption is clearly one of the two or three major problems holding back economic and political advance in most developing countries.

http://sites.google.com/site/arturvictoriasite/
http://sites.google.com/site/cliptheschoolbeginning/

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War Launched Against Corruption

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:25:00 +0000

By Eduart Gjokutaj

A part of the public will say that it is impossible to eradicate corruption, as it is part of our society. Some others would say that corruption is a global phenomenon. Corruption is chronic diseases such as diabetes. It can be controlled, but not disappeared.
In my opinion such answers are a form of passive attitude not takes any responsibility on its own. But one has to believe and thought otherwise. Someone may have an opinion against, and says out loud:
- Yes! It is possible to combat corruption.
At least this belief applies to the war launched against him. If you start with the opposite of this belief, then we have no way out, but only to expose to live together with him.
Why do I need to fight corruption?
Really! Why do I need to fight? What kind of bad makes to us? People today say, that if a public servant takes the tip and solve your problem is honest. A public servant who takes the tip and doesn't solve your problem is unfair. And a person who does not take a tip, but still not finished your problem is stupid. Corruption, for these mentalities is currently a fundamental right for every public servant, as seen as a necessary evil for a government "good." But mentalities have occupied this country and in certain systems of governance that encourage tolerating corruption. All examples are in support of it. Thus, the countries of Southeast Balkan, called economic in developing area have had strong economic growth and yet at the level of corruption rankings are in countries with high corruption. I say that and corruption of these countries, but many others (corruption is global) have a "fair" corruption. Once in these countries, to solve a problem, if paying a tip, problem is solved. Or the amount of tips is turned back to you.
Example of a 1st rank, a model for fighting corruption
But to look at some data on corruption in the country of Albania is ranked 81st in total 102 seats, according to the data, taken from Transparency International, a German NGO.
This means that 80 countries are less corrupt than us (to be taken as an example here do) and 21 countries are more corrupted than us. It is natural to have the most corrupt countries than Albania, but for us it should serve as impetus to escape as far from last. By World Bank study said that today, if a country is considered to corruption, the effects of foreign investments fall 20% less. And that our country has felt so far, without getting into figures.
Fighting corruption has numerous examples, but I mentioned the case of the Mayor of New York, Giulliani Rudi. When his work began some years ago, he launched the concept that fighting crime should be zero tolerance. He has failed to reduce significantly the level of crime in his city.
We have seen in '90 in Italy, fighting against the Mafia and corruption led by the judge with the code "clean hands". Some of them, due to severe and that corruption combining wild world with traditional criminal mafia and lost their lives, but gave a very strong influence on Italian life and traditions even while the Italian Mafia was familiar with tradition.
So there is that the eradication of corruption does not exist as a possibility. The values of a society should be supported and strengthened the country's strong traditions.
But to us, in the Albania?
Nowadays the opening of markets, where foreign investment markets tend to generation, like us, investors wanting to be sure that not only where they have invested companies are managed effectively, but that they can function in a state - corporate governance management, positioned in a framework of action with his moral ethics. This means that there is more transparency in the actions that companies announce the state and an action framework to equip management with ethics and morality that considers all the decisions that are managed from its segments.
The reason why corruption lies in our system is mostly due to lack of transparency and courage. Transparency would be one that will pose major step towards the company with distinguished people for their value and fairness, regardless of this entire people screaming against corruption. This would lead to standardization of methods of Albanian governance, without breaking the law enforcement overlooked. This transparency should also help demand for a strong pressure from domestic interest groups, to isolate the corrupt people. Their specific assistance would be direct denunciation of corrupt people, who were able to identify. If this material will value it should consider introducing and bodies that are established to combat it. Fighting corruption is done in broad front, where the enemy is visible (members of the state's judicial system) and the invisible (that portion of the corrupt politicians, but who are in opposition).
One of the thorniest aspects of corruption is one that regards politics and the justice system. Fighting corruption should be seen as a struggle against the phenomenon at all levels of government. Trying to find the corrupt politicians and lawyers would be concrete evidence to submit names for these individuals as the worst of today's society.
Combating corruption, politics (the part that leads the state) should unite for real together to fight for a reduction of poverty in the country, the fight against tax evasion, to the informal economy, education and training as well public administration and citizens with the highest moral in whole population. Corruption today has turned into more profitable activities and lower risk and lives on the backs of our 365 days of the year.
Combating it must make an awakening of popular consciousness that is the first step in frontal combat against corruption, which is fighting the majority to minority. Every long journey begins with the first step, however small, to be.

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2010 Automated Election - A Vision of the Philippines' Fight Against Corruption

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:25:00 +0000

By Alice Galer

Whether it is Noynoy who swore not to steal, or Manny who swam in the river of garbage, changes in our system must always comes to the understanding of every Filipino that everyone of us has the potential to choose to excel and to not suffer from poverty anymore.
Seeing the trend we have been silently keeping, it makes me feel devastated to know that in every average Filipino home, if the couple has 4 children, chances are only one of the four will continue in college, what kind of future will the other 3 will have? and to site another popular example, if the mother is a servant the greater the chances that her children will be in the same shoes too.
Now the purpose of this article is to somehow impart important reminders and precaution on how to vote wisely in this coming 2010 automated election.
I strongly believe that this automation is the first key to at least lessen the chances of manipulation involving our votes. We are assured that the system that will be used for this coming election is hacker proof, meaning computer hackers has no chance of invading the system hence sabotaging the election. Just to site few countries that have been using this system are USA, UK, Canada, Australia and a lot of highly industrialized countries.
Second, is up to the human responsibility. Knowing your candidates is the next step. Watch debates or forums and even go out and be part of the meeting de advance of the candidates. Use your ability to think and judge whether they are saying the truth or not.
Take note of what they are saying, don't be easily swayed by their sweet words and promises, remember that the future of your children and of your country depends on your ability to criticize and scrutinize each platform.
Thirdly, is be cautious of their campaign strategy, especially those who have been polluting the airwaves with their campaign ads every 4 to 5 minutes, it should be an interesting strategy of why spend millions or even billions of money for the ads in exchange what should be the price in return.
I have read an article from a famous author who has been observing politician's campaign behavior since Marcos' regimen; he said on one of his article that the Eagerness to win may not be the same as the Eagerness to serve. That might be true, genuine service to others can be done in our simplest act everyday, now the psychology of politicians is a different story.
We have been tackling this corruption issue since the day I was born, this might sound a little bit overuse now, but the liberation and fate of this country depend solely in the ability of every Filipino to think and observe. You don't need a degree to do that, you just need a receptive ear and a just mind.

Did you like reading this article? Have you learned from this? If you liked this article then you can learn more of Capsiplex USA.
Alice is an article writer for CapsiplexUSA

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Fight Against Corruption - After Deterrence Comes the Structural Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:25:00 +0000

By Artur Victoria

A campaign against corruption must be credible. The public has grown cynical. Citizens and bureaucrats have heard all the words before. They have even seen a few minor prosecutions. But the culture of corruption remains, especially the feeling of high-level impunity. As a result, people feel that awful sense of structural shame that characterizes underdevelopment. Its awful, but there is nothing one can do about it. Its part of the system, part of the culture. As one Italian said before the remarkable recent events, In some parts of the world corruption is a fact of life. Here, its a way of life.
Experience indicates that frying big fish can help break that culture of corruption. Big corrupt actors must be publicly named and punished so that a cynical public believes that an anti-corruption drive is more than words, more than a campaign against a political opponents. Importantly, therefore, the first big fish must come from the party in power.
Having said this, the fishing of big offenders can be overdone. At some point it is a mistake to focus on the past if it takes energy away from a focus on the future. An analogy with health policy is germane. If illness is rampant, it must be treated. But in the long run, prevention deserves priority. In the case of reducing corruption, prevention means reducing monopoly power, limiting official discretion, and enhancing transparency in institutions of the public and private sectors.
Therefore, after frying a few big fish, we must turn to the reform of institutions. In the case of government corruption, experience shows that public officials should be involved in the solutions. We should begin with the positive. In particular, work with line officials to define ways to measure public sector success, and then link part of the officials' compensation to the achievement of results.
Private citizens should also be involved in the campaign to reduce corruption. The greatest enemy of corruption is the people. People can be sources of information about where corruption occurs. Popular participation may substitute, in some cases, for bureaucracy, thus reducing the scope of corrupt allocations. I have described in Controlling Corruption the many ways that popular participation was used in Hong Kong successful battle against corruption: hot lines, call-in shows, educational programs, barrio councils, oversight bodies for public agencies, involvement of professional organizations, and so forth.
How should we think about prevention? Corruption occurs when individuals find their economic calculation favors corruption. If the probability of being caught is small and the penalty is mild and the payoff is large relative to the positive incentives facing the government official, then we will tend to find corruption. Fortunately, it is possible to locate areas within an organization where corruption is most likely. Some people call it vulnerability assessment.
Here structural changes are worthy of systematic analysis: reduce monopoly, clarify discretion, enhance accountability, increase penalties, raise the probability of being caught, and link pay to performance. Also, a government may wish to create a special anti-corruption agency, as in Hong Kong and Singapore, whose role is not just investigating corruption but working with departments to reform policies and procedures in order to reduce the vulnerability to corruption.
Successful change requires a strategy against corruption. This may sound obvious, but in fact so-called anti-corruption campaigns often lack just this. Having a strategy means recognizing that we cannot attack all forms of corruption at once, even if we do not declare this publicly. We must distinguish various types of corruption and recognize that they are not all equally harmful, even if we do not say so in public. For example, corruption in the courts or in the police is usually more pernicious than corruption in the Customs Bureau or the Drivers License Department. In general, inspectors of all varieties must be cleaner than service-providers must be.

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Organized Fight Against Corruption and Poverty in India

noreply@blogger.com (Kishan) — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 05:24:00 +0000

By Chirag Naiknavare

There are many discussions happening in all parts of India about getting rid of the rampant corruption in the country. However, nobody is quite sure how to go about doing it. India, as well as China, are two of the fastest developing economies in the world, and are also featured on the list of the most corrupt ones. A common tendency is to blame the politicians for this, not only in India, but the world over. Although this might be partially true, the main problem lies with the mentality of the common man. The basic concept of what constitutes an ideal person to follow in the country has to be changed. Today only the successful persons are imitated. There is no harm in that as long as the person has the great qualities that led to his success. But the fact is, most successful people make several compromises in their lives to achieve their goals. So are they the right examples to follow? Although the answer is no, why on earth are we teaching only good things about them to children in schools? Wouldn't it be a better idea to compare the good and the bad things that an idol has done and teach the children to differentiate between them?
Another thing that worries me a great deal is that after completing his/her education, the student faces the momentous task of getting a job that will support him and his family. When he gets one and starts working, he realizes that the education he received through the books does not actually apply in reality. So are we teaching them one thing and asking them to face reality later on, so to speak? By reality I am referring to corruption at all levels. What is worse is that despite knowing this to be a terrible trap, this youngster with dreams in his/her eyes has to accept this reality and join the band wagon, so to speak, in order to succeed. Otherwise he is left alone in this world. Soon, this youngster learns to kill his/her desire to change the world and goes about making money perhaps by immoral or illegal means. There is no escaping the terrible world of corruption. Even the government anti-corruption bureau is corrupt.
The problem, in my opinion, lies in the lack of relevant education and widespread poverty. All youngsters should be required to take some IQ tests at an early age to check their capabilities and decide what would be a suitable education for them. If we are asking a person of lower intelligence to become an expert in algorithms it isn't going to happen, right? This person could then be guided to do physical work that involves less intellectual capabilities or maybe asked to join sports. However for this method to work, these other alternatives have to be economically viable ones. I was extremely happy to see the success of IPL as it allowed many domestic youngsters to showcase their talent and earn an income as well. Why can't other popular sports, such as Kabaddi, wrestling, martial arts and athletics be encouraged to get professional? Now one must carefully understand the meaning of being professional. A good professional in India is meant to be a person who manages to make more money than the quality of services that were rendered. This person, in my opinion, is a crook not a pro. A good pro on other hand gives you more than you hoped for. This enhances his reputation and ensures that he gets work during tough times. So, professional sports doesn't mean only the sports that require lavish infrastructure but those that are popular with the people and require little or no infrastructure. I am referring to sports such as Wrestling and Kabaddi that are still loved and enjoyed in the rural areas of India. People are willing to pay a small fee that they can afford in order to watch their favorite wrestlers and other sportsmen. Now here you can see a link developing for some talented sportsmen to make a living. This can all be arranged domestically and does not need the support of huge multinational corporations. This way, you are basically redistributing the local money without causing anyone any distress. People are enjoying their sports and sportsmen are earning their living. There are several other areas that can be developed similarly, like arts and cultural events. Ask people that love a domestic folk dance to pay a little bit to see the dance. My judgment is that a true fan won't mind paying a small price to watch his favorite dance.
Another problem area in India is cleanliness. This is a major worry as we badly need to clean our house if we really want to go global and expect the Western world businessmen to come and live here and do business. However there are several clean structures in India especially in cities for this, like five star hotels, thankfully. When I was young I used to watch the terrible trash lying on the roads and wonder why doesn't anyone clean it up? But after doing some cleaning myself I realized how difficult a task it is to perform every day. The person doing this job should be paid well for the service. I mean really well. You need to realize that he is doing something that you and I can't. I was quite surprised during my stay in Australia to find the cleaners getting more money than engineers. It is a fact and is based on this principle. Similarly you need to tackle every situation independently and then have people who are talented enough to recognize the connections between these communities to supervise these activities. That is doing it professionally; knowing what is required and executing the required task efficiently. Government and other institutions should provide economic help for such ventures.
The social workers willing to work in these areas should be taken to the places in world where these things are being done well and learn the reasons for their success. What is required is a well coordinated effort from all sections of the community, including the high tech experts who might know about some instruments that could help. Get the politicians involved as well. Remember that only the well coordinated efforts succeed. This basically will also result in creation of job opportunities that governments should finance.
Every student wants a job in IT but those that are unsuccessful in this and in other fields might want to consider a career in cleaning area. Government has to realize that they are doing something most people cannot do and therefore, pay them well. Let the people around see that these individuals are actually settling well and are supporting themselves and their families. I am not saying that an IT engineer has to start sweeping the roads. No, but he can process the data faster than anyone else right? Maybe develop software that will be useful in any some other ways. The people concerned need to think of the possibilities and rethink them while the original ideas are being executed. It is a constant work in progress like performing a high level research.
Summary
For this article I have made a deliberate attempt to stay away from discussing the scams, Swiss bank money and things like that. Everyone knows about that. I have tried to be constructive and show some solutions as a way for the youngsters in India to proceed so that they will not just join the brigade saying this is how it happens. All the good work done for economic progress will quickly be undone if we don't succeed in killing corruption and take solid measures to fight poverty. Here I have presented some measures I could think of. Maybe you have more!

By,
Chirag Naiknavare

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