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Getting students debating solutions to gender-based violence

By Samina Anwary It’s not often we get to explore “out there” solutions to entrenched socio-cultural problems to the extent that it becomes a formal debate with well researched arguments and rebuttals. But this is exactly what happens when young people are given the platform to find creative solutions to seemingly intractable challenges. "The government is required to provide protection and safety under our constitutional framework. Therefore, they are complicit in perpetuating GBV. This is why a class action law-suit is needed." This was the strong statement made by Rhodes University debater Khanyisa Mqotyana during a debate on whether the [...]

2020-10-22T19:12:40+00:0022nd October 2020|

Can social entrepreneurs achieve community immunity against corruption? 

By Michael Seo  In the United States, we tend to think of corruption as the exception rather than the norm. However, in some of the most impoverished settings in frontier markets, the reality is different but so are the market dynamics as social entrepreneurship flourishes. So we ask, how can social entrepreneurs nudge markets toward transparency and integrity in contexts where ethical behaviour, transparency and governance are anomalies? The consequences of corruption are immense and indisputable. Inversely, so are the benefits of trustworthy systems. Research from the IMF, “The Cost of Corruption”, suggests that countries perceived to be less corrupt [...]

2020-10-02T07:47:12+00:001st October 2020|

Road to Riyadh – Can the G20 Fight Corruption?

The G20 places an important emphasis on anti-corruption - but has a long way to go to understand the progress it is making on these issues; · Information is outdated, commitments can be vague, measurement is confused and tracking progress is difficult; · It is difficult to even understand what commitments have been made - check out Accountability Lab’s analysis here; · Going forwards the G20 should commit to very specific, simple commitments, proactive monitoring and greater transparency of its own processes. By Blair Glencorse & Sanjeeta Pant Background During the Toronto Summit in 2010, the G20 agreed to set up [...]

2023-02-16T14:36:09+00:0029th July 2020|

NGOs call for continued support for transparency and accountability

We’ve signed a letter in collaboration with the Infrastructure Transparency Initiative (CoST) and Hivos calling for providers of development assistance to maintain support for transparency, accountability and open government initiatives. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis, we believe this needs to remain a priority in the sector, supported by dozens of development organizations from across the globe. We, the undersigned national and international NGOs, call on providers of development assistance to maintain support for transparency, accountability and open government initiatives in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing economic crisis. Multilateral and bilateral agencies, [...]

2020-07-10T13:04:15+00:0010th July 2020|

#BlackLivesMatter and our accountability

The horrific murder of George Floyd - and too many other victims - brought crowds of activists onto the streets this week as demands to end white supremacy and systemic violence gains momentum. Basic human rights remain elusive in so many parts of the world today and this tragedy has brought to the fore the inequity, insecurity and oppression that marginalized communities face everywhere, including in the countries where Accountability Lab is trying to make a difference. Ongoing racial and political injustices drive much of our work to improve governance systems around the globe. But we’ve also reflected on other [...]

2020-07-07T18:24:43+00:004th June 2020|

Don’t let Covid-19 camouflage endemic corruption

As nations and health systems begin to reopen in the aftermath of COVID-19, we should not forget opportunistic corruption exists because the system allows it. But for the poor, they may not even know they are trapped. Being a victim of corruption does not mean you are aware you are a victim, and this is where the defenseless are most vulnerable. Written by Michael Seo and Khadija Rheto.  In April, official creditors including the IMF and the World Bank discussed mobilizing up to $57 billion for Africa in 2020 to provide front-line health services to the vulnerable and prevent economies [...]

2020-06-01T00:00:00+00:001st June 2020|

Countering corruption and closing civic space during the coronavirus

Accountability Lab hosted a session on countering corruption and closing civic space during the coronavirus in partnership with the B-team. AL Director Blair Glencorse moderated the discussions and three of our Country Directors - Odeh Friday (Nigeria), Eva Sander (Mexico) and Fayyaz Yaseen (Pakistan) participated as panelists, along with Annabel Lee Hogg of the B-Team. The session was part of a week-long series of online learning & networking exploring the theme of "Collective Strength" organized by The Skoll Foundation. Corruption costs $500 billion a year in the health sector and countless billions more in sectors related to the coronavirus crisis like water and [...]

2020-03-31T00:00:00+00:0031st March 2020|

Countering coronavirus – here’s what we’re up to at the Lab

Like every other organization globally, we’re working hard to adapt in the face of the unprecedented public health and economic crisis we now face. Of course, our plans for the next 2-3 months, and possibly longer, have now been transformed dramatically- and we are working with our teams to find the right ways forward. Here’s what we’ve done operationally: Guidance- provided detailed guidance to all staff on ways forward during the pandemic including advice on adapting policies, regulating behaviors, providing emotional support and re-thinking approaches and programs. We have also shared this guidance in a variety of fora online, and [...]

2020-03-25T00:00:00+00:0025th March 2020|

Beyond Protest: Harnessing People Power for the New Decade

Shaazka Beyerle is a Senior Research Advisor in the Program on Nonviolent Action at the United States Institute of Peace and a Senior Advisor with ICNC. Here, she writes about what research conducted by her and her colleagues has revealed about the power of non-violent protest in social movements that have recognised the systemic nature of corruption and began demanding greater accountability from the system as a whole. 2019 is being called the year of protest. Citizens across the globe are galvanizing, in large part over the nexus of corruption, inequality, and a sense that governments and political elites are [...]

2019-12-10T00:00:00+00:0010th December 2019|

Driving positive narratives about change and accountability

The world over, a lack of accountability is undermining fair, equal societies; the most marginalised voices are not heard in critical conversations and leaders are not held responsible for their decisions. This in turn means people in power are not held to account or answerable for the use of that power. Accountability is critical as it ensures that governments and other service providers deliver on their responsibilities by responding to citizens’ demands in an evidence-informed way. This should ultimately lead to effective governance and the development of trust between people and power-holders. Stan Getui of Luminate explains why the group [...]

2019-11-26T00:00:00+00:0026th November 2019|
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