fbpx

Learning To Push Beyond the Boundaries of Comfort

By Leah Persons When I first started my summer internship with Accountability Lab, I was very excited about the work I would be doing, the skills I would develop, and the people I would meet. As an International Studies major from a small college in Georgia, I was very intrigued by AL’s important global efforts of citizen engagement, accountability, and anti-corruption. I was able to learn about and help with these efforts alongside the Lab’s amazing Global team. However, my internship at AL did something more: it taught me to push myself out of my comfort zone.  Firstly, I had [...]

2023-10-26T07:57:32+00:0028th September 2023|

Ram Bahadur’s Remarkable Journey: From Aspiring to Inspiring

By Dridhata Silwal  Ram Bahadur Kurumbang’s journey began during his school days when he absorbed the invaluable lessons of moral education taught by his dedicated school teachers. These teachings stayed with him for a lifetime, ultimately shaping his core principles and placing integrity at the center of everything he does.  This strong foundation later propelled him to take a stand against corruption and work tirelessly towards building a stronger, more transparent system. His remarkable transformation from a schoolboy learning about moral values to becoming an Integrity Icon award winner is a truly inspiring story. It highlights the importance of having [...]

2023-09-26T13:37:14+00:0026th September 2023|

Accountability Lab and Accountable Now Announce Strategic Partnership

Press Release Accountability Lab and Accountable Now Announce Strategic Partnership Washington D.C., 25 September 2023 - Accountability Lab (AL) and Accountable Now (AN) today announce a strategic partnership that positions Accountable Now as a venture of AL. The partnership will enable both organizations to contribute more sustainably to the global accountability ecosystem, deepening their advocacy, research, and stakeholder engagement. AN is a global membership-based organization that supports civil society to be more accountable, transparent, and responsive to stakeholders. This process includes Member Reporting, Accountability Dialogues, Peer Advice Groups, and an Independent Review Panel. AL is a global translocal network of [...]

2023-09-26T09:11:25+00:0025th September 2023|

How can the youth contribute to the fight against corruption and its negative impact on society?

For those who have not been to Liberia, their first encounter with an act of corruption is likely to be at the international airport when a service personnel starts asking for a 'small thing' or a police officer asks for 'cold water' (both phrases refer to a bribe). As dangerous as it is, corruption has almost become the norm for public servants, entrenched in and gradually destroying Liberian society. This article discusses the state of corruption in Liberia and its ripple effects on various sectors of society. Moreover, it emphasizes the crucial role of youth in combating corruption and fostering [...]

2023-09-19T13:02:16+00:0019th September 2023|

HackCorruption Colombia – our most feasible ideas to fight corruption

HackCorruption Colombia has a dynamic list of winners after our first regional hackathon in Latin America. The winning ideas range from digital procurement dashboards to whistleblowing platforms and open data portals. The event wrapped in Bogotá, Colombia, with 20 teams taking to the pitch stage and nine winning teams announced. Accountability Lab hosted the third HackCorruption event in Colombia, following the first event in South Africa and the second in Nepal. The program supports talented individuals from the civic tech, CSO, and activist arenas to build innovative solutions to combat corruption. The hackathon is supported by the Bureau of International [...]

2024-02-09T11:40:21+00:0014th September 2023|

Raising Voices, Exposing Lies: Investigative Journalism’s Role in Anti-Corruption

By Leah Persons For years, Nepal has grappled with the dire issue of human trafficking, particularly affecting women and girls as young as twelve. A significant incident in 2018 involved a Nepali politician who orchestrated the trafficking of over 200 women; this individual was apprehended and convicted. However, the corrupt Supreme Court of Nepal controversially released the politician, citing mistaken identity by the accusers. The continued prevalence of human trafficking in Nepal is attributed to the deeply rooted corruption within the country. This underscores the urgent need to escalate anti-corruption initiatives to effectively address these grave concerns. A crucial advocate [...]

2023-08-31T12:53:33+00:0028th August 2023|

Battleground constituencies in Zimbabwe’s 2023 elections

Elections are an exciting and well-studied subject across the world. They attract a tremendous amount of  this excitement stemming from their competitive nature and “peoples” enduring a belief in them as the best way to provide governors with legitimate province over governance, or the absence of alternatives. For some, elections are the essence of democracy and legitimacy, and a close approximation of the rule of the people by the people through evidence of their express consent to authority, itself a fundamental tenant of political legitimacy. Resultantly, elections invariably whip up a frenzy, as the public, commentariat, and scholars engage in [...]

2023-08-22T19:32:42+00:0022nd August 2023|

“Supporting Zimbabwe to get free and fair elections is not an event but a process”: The Role of the EU Election Observation Mission

The European Union deploys one of the largest observer missions to monitor the 2023 Zimbabwe elections. We spoke to Dr McDonald Lewanika, politics and development professional, about the importance of the verdict by EU election observers and what contributions European actors can make to assist Zimbabweans in getting the elections they want. By McDonald Lewanika and Katrin Seidel Earlier in the year, the European Union had sent 46 long-term observers and 11 political analysts to Zimbabwe. On Election Day over 150 observers from EU member states as well as Canada, Norway and Switzerland will be monitoring the elections. This is [...]

2023-08-18T12:32:05+00:0018th August 2023|

Mobilizing Civic Voter Education in Liberia

According to the National Elections Commission (NEC), Liberia’s current number of first-time voters is just over 20 percent. This figure demonstrates the need to prioritize civic voter education, especially for first-time voters in rural communities. On 21-22 June, Accountability Lab Liberia hosted a training session to build the civic and voter education capacity of 30 journalists and leaders of youth-led organizations from Counties including Bong, Grand Bassa, Lofa, Margibi Montserrado, and Nimba. The training session aimed to equip the participants with skills to lead creative civic engagement campaigns and build working relationships for cross-collaboration, learning, and advocacy. The training focused [...]

2023-10-02T19:03:44+00:0017th August 2023|

Shaping the narrative: strategic communication as a catalyst for effective governance

By Enene Ejembi  People in positions of power need to improve how they communicate, and be more open, collaborative with their communities. Transparent and inclusive communication between the government and the public is essential for building trust, promoting accountability, and fostering a thriving democracy. Thus, strategic communication is a fundamental aspect of effective governance and leadership. When citizens have access to accurate and timely information, it helps build public trust. It's not just about disseminating information; it's about empowering citizens and enabling active participation in the democratic process. It provides material evidence for holding government officials accountable for their actions [...]

2023-08-24T16:50:09+00:0015th August 2023|
Go to Top