Press release

Launch of Integrity Icon Ukraine 2020

28 February, Washington DC – Accountability Lab is pleased to announce the launch of Integrity Icon Ukraine, a campaign which aims to inspire a national movement – led by civil society, on the ground, online and through the media – to celebrate, encourage and connect honest public servants. The campaign is being run in partnership with the Centre for Cultural Management, an organization which initiates, engages in and supports activities that catalyze positive cultural change in Ukraine on the individual, organizational and societal levels and in the public, private and civic sectors.

Integrity Icon is a global campaign by Accountability Lab that is powered by citizens in search of honest government officials. It aims to generate debate around the idea of integrity and demonstrate the importance of honesty and personal responsibility. We hope to inspire a new generation to be more effective public servants.

“It is an honour and pleasure to have Accountability Lab as a partner! The organization has a very good and tested methodology for promoting integrity nationwide. It is absolutely relevant and can be effective in the Ukrainian context,” says Ihor Savchak, founder and Head of the Board of the Centre for Cultural Management.

The campaign will begin with an announcement at the “Culture of Lawfulness” roundtable on 28th February 2020 in Lviv. This will be followed by a number of other public events, including a roundtable in Kharkiv on 2nd April, at which we will promote nominations for honest government officials. Anyone living in Ukraine can nominate an Icon through an online form. We expect hundreds of nominations. Our team will narrow down the field to the top 10 based on a set of agreed criteria; and a panel of independent judges will help us select the top 5 Icons.

After in-depth background checks we will film these 5 winners and put their films out on social media, TV and audio versions on radio; and set up a voting system online and through social media for Ukrainian citizens to vote for their favourites. For several weeks we will conduct outreach throughout the country. At the end of the voting period we will host an Integrity Award Ceremony at the “Culture of Lawfulness” roundtable (October 2020, Kyiv) to discuss the importance of the issue and celebrate the Integrity Icons in front of local officials, VIPs, the media and the public. Subsequently, we will work to connect the Icons, supporting them to share ideas, collaborate and continue to push for integrity within their institutions.

Integrity Icon has grown dramatically since it began almost 6 years ago in Nepal. The show is now seen by millions of people across nine countries on three continents (read more about Integrity Icon in The Citizen, The Economist, and the BBC). The winning Icons have now gone on to lead important reform processes in their countries based on the trust and credibility generated through the campaign; and the Accountability Lab is now working with them to expand their integrity networks, build their skills and develop coalitions for change.

The trust and credibility the campaign creates has led to promotions for many of the Icons, including to Ministerial positions, from which they can work to build integrity from the top-down. Additionally, the recognition that comes with the campaign has not only heightened the Icons’ motivation to advocate for change in their agencies, but in some cases has also given them the respect and leverage to convince power holders to institute new policies and processes that foster greater accountability.

For further information, visit https://www.integrityicon.org/ukraine-ukrainian/ Nominate a public servant today! Nomination forms available in Ukrainian.

Contacts:

All questions related to the campaign in Ukraine are welcome at the Centre for Cultural Management: [email protected], +380673644072

About The Centre for Cultural Management

Centre for Cultural Management initiates, engages in and supports activities that catalyze positive cultural change in Ukraine on the individual, organizational and societal levels and in the public, private and civic sectors. The Integrity Icon Ukraine 2020 is implemented within the «Culture of Lawfulness» project, co-financed by the MATRA Programme of the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and is part of the global Integrity Icon campaign realised by the Accountability Lab.

Sheena Adams