Fighting Corruption – Passionate but absolutely Clueless

This morning, I opened an email asking whether I would be prepared to join a “synchroblog” (a whole lot of people blogging about the same topic on the same day) on corruption, as part of the Exposed 2013 campaign to Shine a Light on Corruption. I am still experiencing a violent twisting of my gut because I find it absolutely stressful to realise that I am relatively clueless about this all. What makes it worse is that I work in development, I am passionate about all forms of injustice (or actually, passionate ABOUT all forms of Justice, passionately AGAINST all forms of injustice), try to live a life and lifestyle where I intentionally examine every bit to see how I can bring more justice and integrity in to it, I have been updating our works’ website to encourage everyone to participate in the Exposed Campaign AND I happen to work in the same office (not just building – OFFICE) as the team which runs Micah Challenge (the driving force behind the Exposed Campaign) in South Africa…but when it comes to having to write something of my personal engagement with, or even understanding of, corruption, I feel hamstrung, with a very twisty tummy.

So, why did I choose to write – when I am generally reluctant to write anything until I have really mulled over it for a long time ,and play with ideas and concepts until they can be captured “just right”? Basically because, after frantically looking up definitions, other people’s blogs, Micah Challenge’s website (again), I realised that I might not be alone in this…this absolute DRIVE to take on anything which can leave other people in poverty or slavery, or which decays our society, but absolute lack of anything I can hook onto other than signing petitions (a very good one to sign is on the http://www.micahchallengesa.org.za site – don’t let me put you off!). So – if this post turns out to be more just a means by which I can untangle my own thoughts around this, then that is how it will have to be.

What has helped me so far? It has helped me to have a clear example of what people are talking about. We were talking a few weeks ago about the “poo-wars” which have broken out in Cape Town. Off the top, I will say that they have been used horribly for political rhetoric and attack, but the fact remains that, somewhere between the City giving out tenders to companies to provide portable toilets, cleaning services etc to people as a first step to solving sanitation and hygiene problems in some areas, somewhere between that and people actually having toilets which are functional and clean – something has gone horribly wrong. Whether it was bad tender processes, bad accountability, bribery between people to get contracts, deliberate lying by companies about their capacity, or what they pay their staff, or what materials they will provide to their staff to do their work or whatever it is – on the ground, people are dealing daily with toilets which are overflowing, not being emptied and are creating dangerously unhygienic living circumstances for families who are already among the poorest of the poor. We may disagree with the way this issue has been politicised, but I don’t think any of us would disagree that it is disgusting that it is again the disempowered and the downtrodden who deal with the daily reality of this. If it doesn’t make you sick and angry enough that these are brothers and sisters of ours being treated in this way, if you are one of the tax-paying people who can afford their own ablution facilities, then get angry that your tax money is being wasted by corrupt practises…I think we are all happy to pay our taxes if we know they are doing some good, but to watch hard-earned money being siphoned off like this is sickening…and somewhere, somebody or somebodies are getting richer. Eugh!

What also helped me is knowing what the Exposed Campaign’s Global Call is about: there are passionate people who have focused all their energy, knowledge and skill to dig down to the roots of corruption: identifying global issues which lose $1000 000 000 000 per year into the black hole of corruption, keep millions of people in poverty, and cost the lives of 1000 children per day! Yes: corruption doesn’t just mean some people get rich in disgustingly twisted ways: it kills! It keeps people away from essential health care, from access to clean water, from jobs (which equal food, shelter, clothing), from education, etc, etc, etc.

These fantastic people have come up with at least 3 big policy changes – reams and reams of well-researched, well-grounded policy shifts which, if adopted, could mean a significant historical shift in wealth distribution globally. They have developed these to be included in the agenda of the G20 Summit which is taking place in Australia next year, focusing on corruption. As you can imagine, there are many, many international bodies, companies, governments etc who would like to have a say in what gets put on that agenda (or what doesn’t!). Don’t kid yourselves that all the change happens during the summit: what gets put on the agenda will shape everything that gets looked at (and gets overlooked), discussed and voted on during that time. And so, if we are passionate about people’s lives and seeing a change in our world, we need to make sure that the right people make it in to that room. One of the best ways to do this is to add our names to a growing list of people supporting the Global Call. If they get 100 000 signatures, I am sure they will be offered a muffin or some other consolatory prize, but will not be taken terribly seriously. One MILLION signatures, on the other hand, will get them in to that room – a voice of integrity, a voice which will speak up for the rights of those whose voices have been dampened or silenced, a voice which is not motivated by profits, other bottom-lines, trade agreements or self-gain: one which stands for deep justice.

Knowing these things helped me. I will carry on in the next post about what has paralysed me a little in knowing what to do beyond signing a petition…

This post is part of a synchroblog to shine a light on corruption. Please join me, Micah Challenge South Africa, and others in the Exposed2013 Campaign. We are making a difference together.

Read what others are writing with me:
Arthur Stewart – http://differentchurch.wordpress.com
Brett Anderson – http://brettfish.wordpress.com
Duncan Scott – http://duncanscottza.wordpress.com/
Sarah Dlamini – http://dlaminis10.wordpress.com/
Micah Challenge South Africa http://exposedsa.wordpress.com/