fbpx

Building a new accountability narrative in Liberia

From helping shape national conversations to using technology to bolster election integrity, AL Liberia's programs are focused on building accountability in diverse ways. We sat down with AL Liberia's Country Director, Lawrence Yealue, to better understand their deep civic engagement work. Voter education wins In 2023, AL Liberia had a clear mission: to equip Liberians with the knowledge and tools needed for a peaceful electoral process. Projects focused on civic and voter education across six strategic counties. Over 800,000 people were reached via community radio and we engaged a further 363,545 people via social media, amplifying messages of non-violence and [...]

2024-07-26T14:45:20+00:0017th July 2024|

Launching the HackCorruption Alumni Network: A Journey of Growth and Adaptation

By Alawi Masud & Khadijah Chang Over the past six months, we have established the HackCorruption Alumni Network to connect people who leverage and create civic tech. Although we are beginning our network-building journey, reaching the six-month mark allows us to reflect on our progress and share our lessons. Why an Alumni Network? HackCorruption is a project dedicated to creating and supporting tools and ecosystems that counter corruption and make governance more accessible. Our experience implementing HackCorruption across Southern and East Africa, South Asia, Latin America, and most recently, Southeast Asia has shown us the passion and dedication of participants [...]

2024-06-27T09:51:37+00:0010th June 2024|

Substance abuse in Zimbabwe – a Civic Action Teams report

Despite the classification of drug and substance abuse in Zimbabwe as a matter of national disaster, instances of drug and substance abuse are on the rise in Zimbabwe and set to stay on this trajectory till 20230. The Zimbabwe Government’s resolve in addressing Drugs and Substance Abuse, as seen through laws, regulations, and a National Drug Master Plan, is commendable. Accountability Lab through its Civic Action Teams (CivActs) identified community concerns and recommendations on alleviating the challenges around Drugs and Substance Abuse. It also conducted hearings with different government officials and parliament. These conversations and research processes showed that there [...]

2024-04-19T16:36:54+00:0019th December 2023|

Transforming Transparency: How HackCorruption Winners Could Revolutionize Government Procurement in Namibia

One of our first winning HackCorruption teams has local municipalities interested in their winning idea - an online procurement tool that fights corruption. Looking at government institutions in Namibia, Amon Peter, Baptista Joao, Farida Junior Kyababa, Linda McLeod, and Saudai Sapi created a product that enables a transparent view of the procurement process—allowing both government officials and the public to have a complete overview of the awarding of contracts. It's just over a year since their victory, and we caught up with Farida and Saudi to learn the secrets behind their team's success and how they have used the experience [...]

2023-10-09T12:52:49+00:001st October 2023|

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|

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|

Introducing the anti-corruption coalition readiness scorecard – Part 1

This is the first in a series of three blogs produced by a team of four delegates who participated in the World Bank’s International Corruption Hunters Alliance 2023 in the Ivory Coast. The team consists of Viva Pizzaro Seidu (Ghana), Sabrina Nassih (Morocco), Eze Edith Oluchi (Nigeria) and Martha Asire (Uganda).  They have developed the Anti-Corruption Coalition Readiness Scorecard (ACCRS), an integrative scorecard that seeks to enhance anti-corruption coalitions’ impact by assessing readiness and challenges, at the various stages of coalition development. Setting the Stage The chosen theme for ICHA 2023 couldn't be more pertinent and timely. It acknowledges the [...]

2023-08-14T12:11:20+00:0024th July 2023|
Go to Top