GID 2021
Corruption and Poverty

Global Integrity Day 2021
Corruption and Poverty

Multi-Dimensional Probity to end Multi-Dimensional Poverty

Reflections and Resources

--"End poverty in all its forms everywhere."
Sustainable Development Goal 1
--"Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages."
Sustainable Development Goal 3
--"Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels."  
Sustainable Development Goal 16
--"Substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms ."
Sustainable Development Goal 16.5
--"Develop effective, accountable and transparent institutions at all levels ."
Sustainable Development Goal 16.6

Probity for poverty? Absolutely! That is, probity to confront corruption and its impact on poverty.
Probity: “The quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency” (Oxford Lexico)

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Reflections
One of the main hindrances blocking the fuller realisation of the Millennium Development Goals was the devastating human and environmental impact of corruption in all its forms. The same is true for the Sustainable Development Goals now, 2015-2030. So what do you think:

To resolutely  "end poverty in all its forms everywhere" (SDG 1) how can we "substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all their forms" (SDG 16.5)? How can multi-dimensional probity (integrity at all levels: individual, institutional, international) help to end corruption's devastating role in multi-dimensional poverty?

Think of this in terms of the 2.6T for the 1.3B. That is, the estimated $2.6 trillion dollars stolen annually via corruption (2018, WEF) and its impact on the estimated 1.3 billion humans living in multi-dimensional poverty (2018, UNDP).  Note: add an additional $1 trillion/year for the estimated bribes.

Is it appropriate (and empirically supported) to incentivize integrity? Or do we "integritize" incentives? (that is, integrity, like love/altruism, is its own reward?)

For example:
"El dinero alcanza, cuando nadie roba--There's enough money when no one steals." President of El Salvador Nayib Bukele's election platform. To which we add:
--"Y nadie roba cuando...And no one steals when...?
--la integridad alcanza...there is enough integrity--living consistently in moral wholeness."
(including widespread social and personal norms that reinforce integrity)
--"Y cuando...And when...etc."

Resources
The Costs of Corruption (UN Secretary-General Guterres' message for Anti-Corruption Day 2018). "Every year, trillions of dollars - equivalent to more than five percent of global GDP - are paid in bribes or stolen through corruption.”

Corruption Perceptions Index 2020 (2021). Transparency International.  (Arabic, English, French, Russian, Spanish). Highlights HERE. "The index, which ranks 180 countries and territories by their perceived levels of public sector corruption according to experts and businesspeople, uses a scale of zero to 100, where zero is highly corrupt and 100 is very clean. Like previous years, more than two-thirds of countries score below 50 on this year’s CPI, with an average score of just 43. The data shows that despite some progress, most countries still fail to tackle corruption effectively. The top countries on the CPI are Denmark and New Zealand, with scores of 88, followed by Finland, Singapore, Sweden and Switzerland, with scores of 85 each.The bottom countries are South Sudan and Somalia, with scores of 12 each, followed by Syria (14), Yemen (15) and Venezuela (15).”

Seeking Justice throughout Honduras--Interactive Map.  Click the previous link to watch: Turning on the Lights for Justice (3 minutes). "...an investigation into Honduras' national electric company...the poor are the ones fronting most of that cost."  Beyond the Badge--Police Purge in Honduras (mini-documentary, 16 minutes).  See also Transforming Education in Honduras (3 minutes). Association for a More Just Society (ASJ): Honduras and USA.

Our Anti-Corruption Pretense "How poor countries indulge in rituals of fighting corruption even when it is the glue that holds things together." Andrew Wenda. The Magazine (Uganda) 13 December 2021.

Social determinants of mental disorders and sustainable development goals: A systematic review of reviews. Lund et al., (2018).  The Lancet: Psychiatry (5)4, 357-369. "The aim of this study was to develop a conceptual framework for the social determinants of mental disorders that is aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals, to use this framework to systematically review evidence regarding these social determinants...comprising demographic, economic, neighbourhood, environmental events, and social and culture domains." Note: This key review is relevant for confronting corruption because poverty influences mental health and corruption influences poverty.

 The True Cost of Global Corruption. "Graft results in lost tax revenue, but it also takes a social toll." (September 2019). Finance and Development, International Monetary Fund.  "Curbing corruption can be a daunting task, but it is necessary to restore public trust in government. The fight against corruption can also bring significant economic and social gains over time. It starts with domestic political will, continuous strengthening of institutions to promote integrity and accountability, and global cooperation." (concluding paragraph)

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity (2012) Katherine Boo
"The effect of corruption I find most underacknowledged is a contraction not of economic possibility but of our moral universe....It is easy, from a safe distance, to overlook the fact that in undercities governed by corruption, where exhausted people vie on scant terrain for very little, it is blistering hard to be good. The astonishment is that some people are good, and that many people try to be - all those invisible people who every day find themselves faced with dilemmas [of survival and of injustice]" (pages 253-254).

ONE “is a global movement campaigning to end extreme poverty and preventable disease by 2030, so that everyone, everywhere can lead a life of dignity and opportunity. We believe the fight against poverty isn’t about charity, but about justice and equality.”….“Every year developing countries lose $1,000,000,000,000 — a TRILLION dollars — through a web of shady and corrupt activities that involve phantom firms, money laundering, and illegal tax evasion. That’s money that, if recovered and taxed, could be invested in healthcare or education in the poorest counties. Instead, it fuels inequality and instability, keeping millions of people in developing countries trapped in the cycle of poverty.” (website)

United Nations Convention Against Corruption, Civil Society Coalition.  “The UNCAC Coalition is a global network of over 350 civil society organisations (CSOs) in over 100 countries, committed to promoting the ratification, implementation and monitoring of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC). Established in August 2006, it mobilises civil society action for UNCAC at international, regional and national levels. The Coalition’s office is registered and based in Vienna, Austria.” (quote from website)

Why Can't Grace Go to School?  EXPOSED Campaign (advocacy video, 2014)
Corruption is closer to home than you might think - or admit.

Special News 2021

13-17 December 2021: Ninth Session of the Conference of the States Parties to the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC/COSP9), Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. More information is on the website of UN Office of Drugs and Crime.  Recordings of some of the Special Events are available HERE

13 December 13:00 (UTC): Corruption and Anti-Corruption in Health Care: Why do we speak so little about them?  Organised by the Faith and Public Integrity Network.  Link to watch the one hour recording of the webinar HERE.

9 December 2021, 9am--11am (New York Time): Integrity: Fighting the  Evil of Corruption. Organized by the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Network (GIN), Lausanne Movement-World Evangelical Association--Update--Presentations available on the GIN website HERE. 

21 August 2021: Anti-Corruption: Perspectives and Practices (9am–11am, New York Time)
Integrity and Anti-Corruption Network, Lausanne-WEA. 

2-4 June 2021: United Nations General Assembly Special Session Against Corruption: "Challenges and measures to prevent and combat corruption and strengthen international cooperation" (10:00-13:00 and 15:18:00 EST, everyday; livestreamed and archived on UN Web TV).  Also: watch the 80 minute High-Level Supporting Event with Civil Society and UN presenters, 3 June 13:30-15:00: Addressing Corruption in the Context of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Livestreamed on UN Web TV and video archived HERE. Also note the Political Declaration was unanimously adopted on day one (18 pages; note "integrity" is included 19 times): "Our common commitment to effectively addressing challenges and implementing measures to prevent and combat corruption and strengthen international cooperation."

“The special session will provide an opportunity to galvanize the political will of governments and the international community as a whole in advancing the fight against corruption. Governments will be able to take stock of global efforts and commitments and identify solutions to common challenges in preventing and combating corruption. The special session will also contribute to driving forward the efforts of countries to fully and effectively implement the Convention, including by, inter alia, sharing best practices and lessons learned." (excerpt from website) 

"Corruption threatens the stability and security of societies, undermines public trust and institutions, and jeopardizes sustainable development. It distorts markets, stifles economic growth and diverts funds from public services. While corruption is a global phenomenon, evidence shows that it has a disproportionate impact on certain demographics, in particular poorer communities and the most vulnerable persons. Corrupt practices have a particularly adverse impact on the lives of women, socially, politically and economically, contributing to gender disparity gap.” (excerpt from website) 

1 May 2021: When the Best Is Corrupt--Strategies for Living in Integrity.  A special two hour conference online, organized by the Lausanne-WEA Integrity and Anti-Corruption Network. The three main presentations: Living a Life of Integrity,  Practicing Integrity in the Church, and  Promoting Integrity in Society.  Video presentations, power points and conference materials  HERE.

30 March 2021: Anti-Corruption Collective Actions, What Have We Learned? Lessons from the Ground (scroll down in the link to access the video of the 90 minute session/panelists). Civil Society Policy Forum, World Bank Group and International Monetary Fund, Spring Meetings 2021. "Session abstract: Since the launch of the World Bank guidelines in 2008, a myriad of CSOs has engaged in facilitating anticorruption collective actions. This session brings specialists from 4 countries who have hands-on experience to discuss the challenges of putting these guidelines into practice."

February 2021: Covid Care: Reflections and Resources for Wellbeing. Global Integration Update. "Like it or not, pandemics, like most crises, bring out people's best selves or their worse selves--our selfless and our selfish qualities. The reality of the uncertainties and anxieties of life, and indeed survival--existential risk--is heavy upon the world. Positively, the current COVID-19 pandemic certainly provides plenty of opportunities for us all--individually and collectively--to reflect on the types of people we want to be, the types of societies we need to build, and the types of changes we have to make. Courage and choice can not be conquered by corona...We also note that the many overlapping problems in our world continue unabated--pandemics themselves--even as this covid pandemic dominates the center stage globally: multi-dimensional poverty, protracted violence, conflicts, forced migration, human rights violations, gross inequalities, racism, mental ill health, environmental degradation, corruption, etc. (for example, review 10 Humanitarian Crises and Trends to Watch in 2021, New Humanitarian). This is the ongoing, cascading context which challenges us daily as we seek to practically support the wellbeing of all persons, all peoples, and the planet." (excerpt)

9 December 2020: This day is designated by the United Nations as both International Anti-Corruption Day and International Day of Commemoration and Dignity of Victims of the Crime of Genocide and the Prevention of this Crime.

19th international Anti-Corruption Conference, 30 November-5 December 2020. Two suggestions:

--Opening Plenary (minute 4 through minute 16) including the 10 minute address from former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. He concludes: “With a transformative global vision, you can help realize justice and integrity for all…Let us work together to make this world better for all where nobody is left behind. I count on your leadership and strong commitment.”

--Plenary 4: Breaking Vicious Cycles of Dirty Money and Impunity. Watching the entire plenary, including the Q and A, is well worth it. 90 minutes.

December 2020:  Genocide: Bearing Witness…"We can’t just Pontius Pilate 800,000 people.”
Global Integration Update, Member Care Associates.