Global Integrity Day, 9 June 2023
Faith-Based Champions Fighting Corruption
Sharing Stories and Strategies
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We are in the one-week countdown now!
Moral Lives Matter
Be the people we need--Build the world we need
Make every day an integrity day!
Wellbeing for all People and the Planet
We are pro-integrity and anti-corruption
We are pro-integrity and anti-corruption
Global Integrity Day (GID) is a positive day, launched on 9 June 2020, to reflect, teach, and collaborate on ways to integrate integrity in all we do throughout the entire year.
GID is a strategic day to promote a) cultivating lifestyles, cultures, and systems of integrity from the individual through the international levels; b) joining together to understand and address the causes and consequences of corruption in its many forms; and c) working towards just and equitable societies marked with wellbeing for all people and for the planet.
GID is a solemn day to consider our ways: if we are lying and/or stealing in any way big or small, then we need to stop it. If we need to right a wrong we have done, then do so. If we need to prudently confront wrongdoing, preferably in solidarity with colleagues for mutual support and greater impact, then do so.
GID is a companion day to complement UN International Anti-Corruption Day, 9 December (and vice versa). Both Days are practical rallying points, six months apart, for fostering common ground, organizing events, sharing initiatives, and involving the public.
Be the people we need--Build the world we need
Mainstream integrity into our lives, work, and world
"Make every day an integrity day!"
Faith-Based Champions Fighting Corrruption
GID-9 June 2023 initiative from Cameroon
GID-9 June webinar with Tear Fund and FPIN (Latin America focus)
Ways for You to Participate
Participate in GID to support integrity in your work and in our world
1. Review the GID Overview above and the overall website. Share your suggestions and ideas with us about further developing GID.
2. Send us core resources to add to the GID website in general or specifically related to the annual theme.
3. Include a short description and logo/link for GID on your website.
4. Spread the word about GID in advance of 9 June via social media and with your colleagues and networks.
5. Organise an event or webinar related to your organisation's purpose as it connects to GID's emphases around the time of GID on 9 June and/or UN Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December. We will then "spotlight" these events/webinars on the GID site to support your work and GID.
6. Probe further into a few resources on the GID site that are relevant for you personally and for your spheres of influence.
7. Affirm and encourage someone you know (or know of) who is acting with integrity .
Spotlight Activities:
Share Your Plans and Ideas for GID 2023
Connect and Contribute for Mutual Benefit
Spotlight 1: Pastor Taba Ebenezar Tata in Cameroon: (picture, above left)
'Thanks very much for letting me know about Global Integrity Day. These are the activities I will be doing to create awareness.
1. I will be producing a few T-Shirts with the theme of the year on them [Make every day and integrity day] and wear it with others on that day. [18 May update--There are also hats now available with the GID theme--see the one-minute video greetings about the new hats HERE]
2. I will buy time on two radio stations, where I will be on the air live in the morning and evening to talk about the objectives of GID."
3. Read Pastor Ebenezar's short, inspiring story about one of his first experiences confronting corruption in a church. HERE
Spotlight 2: Perceptions on Corruption from Faith Leaders in Latin America (flyer, above right) Joint webinar on 9 June 2023 (one-hour) by Tear fund and the Faith and Public integrity Network to commemorate GID-9 June. The focus is on a recent study about corruption perceptions among Christian leaders in Latin America. 14:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) RSVP here to receive the join link. This is a public webinar and please feel free to share about it with your colleagues and networks.
Spotlight 3: Member Care Associates, Inc. Member Care Update (June 2023) (image, above center)
This monthly Update featured four materals focusing on integrity--maintaining and shining our moral light witout hypocrisy. There are two articles by Kelly and Michele O'Donnell, forged in large part from their experiences in the Christian church-mission sector, and two resources for speaking truth to ourselves and others: Tim Keller's podcast on integrity and Phillip Parham's book of daily meditations for recovery.
Spotlight 4--You!: Affirm someone you know (or know of) who is acting with integrity. Use GID as a special occasion to encourage them!
GID Background
Corruption is criminal, immoral and the ultimate betrayal of public trust.….We must hold leaders to account….A vibrant civic space and open access to information are essential. And we must protect the rights and recognize the courage of whistle-blowers who expose wrongdoing….As an age-old plague takes on new forms, let us combat it with new heights of resolve.”
UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, Statement on corruption in the context of COVID-19
(15 October 2020)
The first Global Integrity Day was launched on 9 June 2020 and continues to be commemorated on 9 June 2021, 2022, and 2023. This special, annual day has been envisioned since December 2016, to shine the global spotlight on moral health for a more-whole world. It is a practical impetus as we endeavor a) to live in integrity always and in every area of our lives and b) to learn about and support a variety of strategic efforts for pro-integrity and anti-corruption ranging from developing public policy to developing personal probity.
The initial theme for this Day (2020) was Confronting the Corruption of Racism. How can we positively impact racism by loving truth, peace, and people? The 2021 theme was Corruption and Poverty. How can multi-dimensional probity (integrity at a levels, individual--institutional--international) help to curtail corruption's devastating role in multi-dimensional poverty? The 2022 theme was Integrity and Corruption in the Health Sector. How can integrity and anti-corruption efforts improve health and wellbeing for all people and the planet? We also included material on corruption and mental health. The theme for Global lntegrity Day 2023 is Faith-Based Champions Fighting Corruption. What are some of the stories and strategies from the faith-based sector's efforts to live in integrity and confront corruption in its own midst and in the world?
It would be strategic to see Global Integrity Day designated as a new United Nations International Day as well as a companion day to complement the already designated International Anti-Corruption Day, 9 December (and vice versa). In the meantime, we invite friends and colleagues around the world, and organizations and networks large and small, to join together in solidarity, finding common ground for the common good, to commemorate both special days on 9 June and 9 December and throughout this year. Suggestions are very welcome for developing GID further! MCAresources@gmail.com
Tracking with GID:
GID News and Updates for 2020
Confronting the Corruption of Racism
Love truth, peace, and people
Corruption and Poverty
Multi-dimensional probity to end multi-dimensional poverty
GID News and Updates for 2022
Integrity and Corruption in the Health Sector
Moral health for a more whole world
See also these foundational resources:
--Examples of several UN efforts HERE (December 2021)
--Moral Health for a More Whole World. Global Integration Update (January 2019)
--Everyday Global Heroes: Moral Lives Matter. Global Integration Update (January 2017)
Global Integrity Day 2023
Faith-Based Champions Fighting Corruption
Reflections and Resources
See the GID Reflections and Resources Section
for materials from 2020, 2021, and 2022
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
Note the SDG Indicators, Metadata Repository and information on SDG 16,
especially these indicators related to corruption: SDG 16.5.1. and SDG 16.5.2
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Seven Reflections
1. “It seems to me that most of the people that we would consider to be ‘champions’ of integrity and anti-corruption--be they faith-based or of no particular faith--are either not aware that they themselves are champions or would never consider themselves to be ‘champions.’And furthermore, very likely they would not want others to refer to them by this term. Rather, they see themselves as common people who are merely doing their duty and the right thing, ordinary citizens who are just trying to do good, even if there are some risks.
What is true of our affirmation of colleagues in Global Mental Health (GMH) is also true for colleagues in integrity and anti-corruption: 'We acknowledge, with much appreciation, that many of the developments and directions in GMH are being shaped and implemented by colleagues out of the spotlight, on the ground, in the trenches—often unrecognized and under-funded. Thank you for your commitment and perseverance!' ‘All that is gold does not glitter.’ Tolkien"" O'Donnell, Eaton, Lewis O'Donnell (2021) Kelly O’Donnell, 31 March 2023
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2. Being Interfaith-Based: Doing Better Together. Global Integration Update (April 2023). “An estimated 7.1 billion of the world’s 8 billion people have a religious affiliation—7 out of 8 people. It's the majority world. Hence it makes sense that people of faith are and should be ubiquitously present at the global community tables and in the local community trenches—including collectively—on behalf of sustainable development and wellbeing for all people and the planet... Note that faith is not simply a component of a person’s identity which can be strategically leveraged on behalf of an important issue or agenda. Rather, for many it is the core of their human identity from which compassionate actions flow. Further, faith-based identity is often foundational for people's commitment to living as global citizens—embracing a deep, shared sense of belonging, identity, and responsibility that impels us towards doing better together.”
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3. Faith and Protection--United Nations High Commisioner for Refugees Dialogue on Protection Challenges (12-13 December 2012). Taking place at the UN Geneva, this event highlighted the important role that faith-based organizations and local religious communities play in protecting asylum-seekers, refugees, the internally displaced and stateless people. Some 400 people attended the event, including representatives of UN member states and inter-governmental and non-governmental organizations as well as faith leaders, representatives of faith-based organizations, inter-faith experts and academics.” Note for example the materials and perspectives available online still from Islamic, Christian, Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, and Catholic leaders.
“But of course UNHCR is not a faith-based organisation. Yet when I came here, I soon discovered in its work exactly the same principles that are enshrined in my own beliefs. And I also realized that the values of caring for those in need were equally shared by all major religions. This is of fundamental importance for refugee protection.” Opening remarks by Mr. António Guterres, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (12 December 2012) Note for GID 2023 application--many of the principles that enshrine confronting corruption and living in integrity are shared by all major religions.
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4. "Faith, multilateralism, and public policy are the crucial ingredients for effective engagements to save us from ourselves because most of the crises we see today are self-inflicted wounds and we must find ways to heal them." Opening presentation by Mr. Nikhil Seth, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR at the 8th Interfaith Dialogue at the UN Geneva (10 February 2023)
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5. Morality Undergirds Civilized Living Together--Why ethics trumps technology in the quest for peaceful co-existence. Thomas Lee, PhD, 18 February 2023. "Unfortunately, few would acknowledge that humans have become slaves to Technology. Fewer still would care that appropriate use of technology requires a commitment to Morality that undergirds civilized living together, helping one another in sustaining peaceful living on earth. No surprises that people, especially politicians and corporate honchos, resort to lying and deception to achieve their personal ambitions. No surprises that corruption through greed rots rampantly through the core of character that once had cherished pristine integrity. If we wished to restore dignity to our governance (in whatever ideological garb we may wear) and secure trust as the only ground of serving our mutual self-interests, we must go beyond the know-how of methods and skills to the know-whys and wherefores of the underlying reasons and ethics of our endeavors."
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6. Fratelli Tutti--On Fraternity and Social Friendship (2020). Pope Francis. “FRATELLI TUTTI”. With these words, Saint Francis of Assisi addressed his brothers and sisters and proposed to them a way of life marked by the flavour of the Gospel. Of the counsels Francis offered, I would like to select the one in which he calls for a love that transcends the barriers of geography and distance, and declares blessed all those who love their brother “as much when he is far away from him as when he is with him”. In his simple and direct way, Saint Francis expressed the essence of a fraternal openness that allows us to acknowledge, appreciate and love each person, regardless of physical proximity, regardless of where he or she was born or lives.” (opening paragraph—and with links to translations into 12 languages)
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7. The Global Charter of Conscience: A Global Covenant Concerning Faiths and Freedom of Conscience (2012). “The Charter has been drafted by people of many faiths and none, politicians of many persuasions, academics and NGOs, all committed to “freedom of thought, conscience and religion” for people of all faiths and none. The Charter calls for the cultivation of civility and the construction of a civil public square that maximises freedom for everyone. It provides a vision and framework to help us discuss and resolve our present problems in a constructive, rights-honouring manner. This long-term endeavour is now even more important than it was at its 2012 launch. As human interconnectedness increases with globalisation and online interaction, differences of belief can collide. The Global Charter of Conscience explains principles which will make it possible for human beings to live together with their deep differences.” Summary HERE.
“Keenly aware of the titanic promise and peril of our time, as forms of global interconnectedness reach an unprecedented speed, scale, and scope across the earth, we issue and subscribe to this Charter to address a major world challenge whose resolution will be decisive for the cause of civilization and human flourishing. That is, we address the urgent problems raised by the challenge of “living with our deepest differences” when those differences involve core beliefs, worldviews, and ways of life, and when they are increasingly found within single communities, nations, and civilizations. Our purpose is to set out a vision of the rights, responsibilities, and respect that will be the foundation of a civil and cosmopolitan “global public square,” and the habits of the heart for those who would be “citizens of the world” as well as patriots in their own countries, and so to advance the cause of a “good world” and thus of global civilization over against the forces of global.” Introduction to the Charter
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Featured Resources and Organizations
Featured Items--June 2023:
Exploring Integrity and Stupidity
Integrity Podcast (2012). Pastor Tim Keller, Redeemer Presbyterian Church New York.
“We’re going through the Sermon on the Mount and we have Jesus Christ telling us how he wants us to live. He has dealt with the commandment on murder and adultery, and now he’s dealing with the commandment on lying. He’s going to talk to us about integrity, truth, and honesty. We have as big a problem in our culture with this. Therefore, let’s take a look and see what Jesus says about integrity. He gives us the principle behind integrity and tells us something about the practice of integrity. And finally, he hints at a problem we all have with integrity, and how to solve it.” Note: Tim died on 19 May 2023.
On Stupidity (Von der Dummheit) (1943). Dietrich Bonhoeffer. This short reflection by Bonhoeffer (English translation) is introduced by a short note on the Courageous Discourse website. "In 1943, the Lutheran pastor and member of the German resistance, Dietrich Bonhoeffer, was arrested and incarcerated in Tegel Prison. There he meditated on the question of why the German people—in spite of their vast education, culture, and intellectual achievements—had fallen so far from reason and morality. He concluded that they, as a people, had been afflicted with collective stupidity."
Bonhoeffer's comments, in our estimaton, continue to be very relevant and are not simply applicable to "bad or dumb people" or to "totalitarian states and despots" in some previous and unelightened era of human history. We are also reminded of G. K. Chesterton's suggestion that despotisms could be the next developmental step for "tired democracies." "As fatigue falls on a community, the citizens are less inclined for that eternal vigilance which has truly been called the price of liberty; and they prefer to arm only one single sentinel to watch the city while they sleep.” (The Evelasting Man, 1925).
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Featured Items--May 2023:
Huan Rights Defenders-and Martyrs-from Central America
El Salvador--“Óscar Arnulfo Romero y Galdámez (15 August 1917–24 March 1980) was a prelate of the Catholic Church in El Salvador. He served as Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of San Salvador, the Titular Bishop of Tambeae, as Bishop of Santiago de María, and finally as the fourth Archbishop of San Salvador. As archbishop, Romero spoke out against social injustice and violence amid the escalating conflict between the military government and left-wing insurgents that led to the Salvadoran Civil War. In 1980, Romero was shot by an assassin while celebrating Mass. Though no one was ever convicted for the crime, investigations by the UN-created Truth Commission for El Salvador concluded that Major Roberto D'Aubuisson, a death squad leader and later founder of the right-wing Nationalist Republican Alliance (ARENA) political party, had ordered the killing.
In 1997, Pope John Paul II bestowed upon Romero the title of Servant of God, and a cause for his beatification was opened by the church. The cause stalled, but was reopened by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012. Romero was declared a martyr by Pope Francis on 3 February 2015, paving the way for his beatification on 23 May 2015. During Romero's beatification, Pope Francis declared that his "ministry was distinguished by his particular attention to the most poor and marginalized." Pope Francis canonized Romero on 14 October 2018.” Wikipedia, Óscar Romero
Honduras--Dionisio Díaz García fue parte del equipo de abogados de ASJ, liderando el programa de derechos laborales de la organización con el fin de proteger los derechos de los guardias de seguridad, mujeres de limpieza y trabajadores más vulnerables de Honduras. En diciembre de 2006, mientras Dionisio Díaz García se dirigía a las oficinas de la Corte Suprema de Justicia para presentar un caso contra una importante empresa de seguridad, unos asesinos a sueldo lo interceptaron mientas se conducía en su vehículo y lo mataron a tiros.
Desencadenada por su trabajo en la protección de los derechos de los empleados vulnerables, la muerte de Dionisio demostró el riesgo muy real que los empleados de ASJ estaban asumiendo en su lucha por la justicia: ser cristianos valientes puede costarlo todo. El personal de ASJ busca honrar el legado de Dionisio eligiendo trabajar diariamente por la justicia en lugar de ceder al miedo. Hasta el día de hoy, el caso contra los asesinos de Dionisio sigue impune. La Corte Suprema de Honduras revocó la condena original del caso y este ha sido apelado ante la Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos, donde se encuentra pendiente de revisión. La lucha por la justicia de Dionisio sigue en curso y seguimos buscando justicia por su muerte.” Asociación para una Sociedad más Justa
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Featured Items--April 2023:
Confronting the Corruption of Human Trafficking
Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities(JLI)
“There are over 40 million victims of human trafficking worldwide. The annual cost of this exploitive industry totals a massive US$150 billion a year, with no country to escape the grips of this human rights tragedy. Alongside global efforts, local faith communities - with their widespread reach and unique community presence – are key assets in countering human trafficking. They play a role in prevention, protection, and prosecution, tenets of a holistic human trafficking response, by supporting the vulnerable, ensuring that systems are just for all and making perpetrators accountable.”
“[JLI's] Anti-Human Trafficking and Modern Slavery (AHT-MS) Hub is a learning community that brings together academics, policymakers and practitioners working on the contribution of faith actors to ending human trafficking and modern slavery. [It] is a collaborative platform that provides understanding for better practices in the effort to end human trafficking and modern slavery.” AHT-MS is one of the many hubs in JLI. See also: Faith and Freedom: The Role of Faith Actors in Anti-Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (2019, scoping study) which explores “the programs and initiatives of local faith actors in their response to modern slavery and human trafficking in the Global South;” and the Resource Library.
Human Trafficking in Armed Conflicts and Post-Conflict Situations (27 March 2023, webinar recording). Side event during the Human Rights Council, United Nations Geneva. Subtitles in English, French, German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Simplified Chinese HERE. Power point and other documents HERE. This is the latest intenatinal webinar ofn the human trafficking in light of Laudate Sí and Fratelli Tutti (Encyclicals by Pope Francis). CO-organized by Caritas Internationalis, Secours Catholique-Caritas France, and the Sovereign Order of Malta. “Existing and emerging war conflicts (including, but not limited to, Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, Eritrea, and others) have led to a dramatic development of trafficking. In Europe, the war in Ukraine has contributed to revealing this phenomenon in the country itself, the border countries, and the host countries of people fleeing the fighting. Preventing conditions of trafficking of human beings in armed conflicts and supporting the victims is vital.”
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Featured Items--March 2023:
Leadership Integrity and and Involvement
Character, Virtue, and Leadership (17 February 2023, 60 minute video). A conversation with Michael Lamb, the Executive Director of the Program for Leadership and Character at Wake Forest University, organized by the Trinity Forum. One of the main resources featured was the research on Seven Strategies for Character Development “that have been identified through a rigorous analysis of research in philosophy, psychology, education, and other fields.” The strategies range from habituation through practice to friendships of mutual accountability.
8th Interfaith Dialogue at the UN Geneva (10 February 2023)--link is a summary on the UNITAR website). “The Annual Geneva Interfaith Dialogue serves the purpose of commemorating World Interfaith Harmony Week, established in 2010 by UN General Assembly Resolution 65/5, to raise awareness about the value of interfaith dialogue while facilitating the exchange of best practices on how different faiths can contribute to harmony, peace, sustainable development, and towards building more inclusive communities....[This] event convened a diverse panel of Ambassadors, high-level representatives of the world's major faiths, and the International Geneva community to engage on the links between faith, politics, and society....The event consisted of two separate panel discussions. The first panel was entitled ‘Faith and Multilateralism,’ and the second ‘Faith and Public Policy.’ You can watch or listen to the recording HERE.
We especially encourage you to listen to the opening presentation by Mr. Nikhil Seth, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of UNITAR (from the beginning to minute 11’30”--and worth listening to more than once!). Here is an excerpt: “How do we make [tolerance and respect for religions and human dignity...and caring for our common future] a part of our daily lives?....Faith, multilateralism, and public policy are the crucial ingredients for effective engagements to save us from ourselves because most of the crises we see today are self-inflicted wounds and we must find ways to heal them...The nexus between faith, human rights, diplomacy, and multilateralism of course precedes the United Nations by thousands of years. Religious teachings have laid the foundation of the sanctity of human dignity and value, including for societies’ most vulnerable people, centuries before the modern human rights law was conceived.” Read the text of the presentaion is HERE
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Featured Items--February 2023:
Resources from Nigeria
Student Against Corruption Project, Student Christian Movement (SCN), Nigeria
"The aim of this project is to eradicate various vices that have become the order of the day amongst the youth while restoring positive values. The project has been ongoing for over five years now starting from 2016." SCN currently runs a network of members in Nigeria in about 40 tertiary education institutions and about 850 secondary and primary education schools. An example of a recent project is the March Against Corruption on 13 August 2022.
Shun Corruption Project, Peace and Justice Intiative, Palace of Priests Assembly, Nigeria
--“Palace of Priests Assembly (PPA) is a faith-based organization established in 2016 that is committed to empowering Nigerians to promote peace and social justice. PPA uses behavior change approaches to prevent and reduce corruption and is a member of On Nigeria’s behavior change cohort.” (Quote from the MacArthur Foundation in reference to their three grants to PPA)
--“The two reports [about the Shun Corruption Project] highlight the organization’s mission, vison, and values and....the victories the organization had in the numerous collaborations across the six geo-political zones of the country in the two years that Church leaders and workers reviewed their thinking and beliefs about the issues of the fight against corruption, engaging in political participation and adding their voices to raising their concerns about social injustice in the country....[They] did not only make history by marching on the streets of the nation to raise their voices against corruption, but they were also for the first time involved in election observation as well as take the initiative to establish social arms for Churches as a way of adding their voices to the campaign for social justice in Nigeria.....[There] are numerous Pentecostal Church leaders and workers who used the three S Model to shun corruption, speak against corruption, and stand against corruption even when confronted with the consequences of their actions. [There] are equally others whose success stories may not have been captured but because they participated, they are worthy of being celebrated. “They are the anti-corruption champions within the fold of the Pentecostal Church which was the primary target of the PPJ led shun corruption project"....How this will impact on the church in the coming years remains to be seen.” (Excerpts from the article on the reports of the Shun Corruption Project (South South International Magazine, 16 February 2021)
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Featured Items--January 2023:
Religions--and Psychologists--for Integrity
Corruption-Free Religions are Possible: Integrity-Stewardship-Accountability (2022), edited by Christoph Stückelberger. “This book focuses on the sector of religious institutions. This sector is not often in the focus of anti-corruption efforts but has gotten more attention in recent years due to famous cases and official efforts by religious institutions.... All religions are potentially and — in reality — affected by corruption. All religions are part of the problem, but also part of the solution. Between them, there are substantial differences in the size of the problem and the commitment to solutions. Main factors for these differences are....This book has three objectives: 1. to understand the mechanisms and roots of corruption in religions by analysis and information, 2. to encourage stronger commitment of religious institutions in fighting corruption as core part of their commitment to their faith and values, 3. to strengthen cooperation between people of different faith and religious institutions in order to increase impact in all sectors of society. This book includes twenty contributions from all continents in four parts: A) Values (2), B) Case Studies on World Religions (3-11), C) Praxis: Standards and Procedures (12-18), and D) International Policies (19-20).” (Introduction, pages 11, 13)
A Summons to a Global Integrity Movement: Fighting Self-Deception and Corruption (March 2018), Kelly O'Donnell and Michele Lewis O'Donnell. Lausanne Global Analysis. Link to a copy with a translation tool for 50 languages HERE. 'In this article psychologists Kelly and Michele O'Donnell distill some of the lessons that they have learned over the past 15 years in promoting integrity and confronting corruption. Why is it hard to live up to our moral and ethical aspirations? They reflect on the reality of dysfunction and deviance, highlight the challenge of self-deception, describe anti-corruption resources, and summon the church-mission community (CMC) to a global integrity movement marked by righteousness and relevance. We are the light—or the darkness—of the world!' (adapted from the opening section)
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Resources for GID 2023
Networks-Groups-Organizations
--Berkley Center for Religion Peace and World Affairs (Georgetown University)
--Faith and Public Integrity Network
--G20 Interfaith Forum, Working Group on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
(corruption is 1 of 6 topics)
--Global Integrity Network
--Globethics
--PETRA People
--SOPHOS AFRICA --initial stages of development
--Religions for Peace
--The Trinity Forum
--Trinity Foundation--Montoring religious fraud for 30+ years"
--Wilberforce International Institute
--etc.
Advocacy-Awareness-Action
EXPOSED Campaign (2013-2014). "EXPOSED was a first of its kind--a truly global Christian response to corruption, supported by Christians from 176 countries, with a thousand public gatherings, close to 150,000 individual signatures, a powerful Open Letter from some of the world's most prominent Christian leaders, representing a billion believers, and a clear engagement with the G20."
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.
Why Can't Grace Go to School? EXPOSED Campaign (advocacy video, 2014)
Corruption is closer to home than you might think - or admit.
Religions for Peace. "Religions for Peace [among many other areas] have engaged religious communities and institutions to respond to refugees and migrants’ issues, addressing the root causes of violence, chronic poverty, corruption, and climate change. Since 1970, [it] has worked in partnership with UNHCR to form a Religions for Peace-UNHCR Multi-religious Council of Leaders. It comprises religious leaders serving on the front lines in conflict zones, addressing the root causes of displacement, and fostering care and support for migrants and displaced communities worldwide.” Excerpt from the Standing Commission on Promoting Peaceful, Just, and Inclusive Societies (SDG 16)
Training-Webinars-Podcasts
1—Faith and Public Integrity Network (FPIN)
Corruption and Anti-Corruption in Health Care: Why Do We Speak So Little About Them? (13 December 2021). This is a one-hour webinar with Dr. Marius Ungureanu, organized by the Faith and Public Integrity Network.
Global Integrity Day: Courage against corruption during COVID (9 June 2021). Faith and Public Integrity Network. This webinar featured the work of the Association for a More Just Society-Honduras (ASJ) and also included a short overview about global Initiatives for integrity and anti-corruption. Videos/audios and the two power point presentations HERE.
Faith and Anti-Corruption: A Conversation with Katherine Marshall (Georgetown University) and Roberto Laver (FPIN) (60 minute webinar, 22 March 2021). Joint Learning Initiative on Faith and Local Communities and Faith and Public Integrity Network (FPIN). Listen to the conversation and the Q/A as two senior level, respected experts discuss the opportunities and challenges for faith leaders and organizations in promoting public integrity and fighting corruption.
2—Global Integrity Network (GIN)
Overcome Evil with Good: Integrity Overcomes Corruption (10 December 2022). Global Integrity Network (GIN). Online Conference-Webinar, Organized by GIN Lausanne Movement--World Evangelical Alliance. Three toics: Global overview of corrruption, Interventions by the Church, and Personal examples. Watch the archived recording HERE.
Integrity and Anti-Corruption on the Frontlines (30 April 2022). Five interviews with advocates from around the world organized by Lausanne-WEA Global Integrity Network (about 20 minutes each).
Integrity: Fighting the Evil of Corruption. (9 December 2021). Organized by the Integrity and Anti-Corruption Network (GIN), Lausanne Movement-World Evangelical Association--Presentations available on the GIN website HERE.
When the Best Is Corrupt--Strategies for Living in Integrity (1 May 2021). 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.
3--Various
What to do About Fraud in the Workplace. Making It Work Podcast, Theology of Work Project, Fuller Theological Seminary. “If you suspect fraud in your workplace, what should you do about it? Our guest today, Charles Malgwi, faced this nightmare scenario at his supposed dream job. He navigated through a banking system riddled with fraud to become an expert in forensic accounting. Today, he is a professor of accounting, and he recently won the Gregory H Damian Award for excellence in teaching.” You can also read the transcript below the podcast image-link above.
Written Materials
--Confronting Corruption: Letting the Bible Speak (2018). Richard King.
--Corruption and the Church Voices from the Global South (2018). Martin Allaby.
--Deliver us from Evil:Corruption and the Challenge to the Cristian Faith and Church (2018). Roberto Laver.
Roman Catholic
--Laudate Si--Care for Our Comon Home (2015). Pope Francis. "Corruption" is mentioned in paragraphs 55, 172, 177, 179, 182, and 197.
--The Name of God is Mercy (2016). Pope Francis. Chapter 7--"Sinners Yes, Corrupt No."
--Repentance and Reconciliation–The Pope’s Pilgrimage of Penance (August 2022). Global Inegration Updates.
Various
Taming the Beast: Can We Bridle The Culture of Corruption? (2016). Robert Osburn Jr. [This book combines] deep reflection on the human condition with extensive biblical teaching about corruption, bribery, and integrity. Written with a global audience in mind, [it] is designed to spark new conversations about corruption, whether in study groups, university classrooms, in public fora, in the media, business boardrooms and the offices of government ministers. Each of the 12 chapters end with chapter summaries and short study guides. A multi-page appendix offers the latest ideas for taming and tackling corruption, and an invitation to join in an ongoing discussion of best practices for stamping out corruption, while also ensuring the humanity of everyone---offenders and the offended---who are caught in the web of corruption and evil.”
How Might Faith-Based Actors Play a Role in Changing Values and Norms in Corruption? (29 March 2021). Roberto Laver. Leir Institute, The Fetcher School, Tufts University. "The conventional technocratic anti-corruption reforms (such as anti-corruption agencies; new legal and regulatory frameworks on public procurement and access to information; new monitoring mechanisms and new judicial structures), are not producing a real and lasting transformation in the rules of the game, and this is unsurprising to anyone who has grown up in a similar environment of endemic corruption, as I did. While many factors might explain these disappointing results, there is a growing realization that a more positive and broader focus on building values and norms of public integrity is needed to produce a collective shift in behavior."
Corruption-Free Religions are Possible: Integrity – Stewardship – Accountability (2021). Christoph Stückelberger (Editor). “Corruption is abuse of public or private power for personal interests. Paying and receiving bribes in form of money, advantages, nepotism or sexual services exists in all sectors of society. This book with twenty articles from four continents analyses the mechanisms of corruption within religious institutions in Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity. This book contributes ways corruption can be overcome by values, education, good management, accountability, state regulations and interfaith cooperation. A book for religious leaders, lay persons, politicians, educators and all those engaged to overcome corruption.”
Loving Truth and Peace: A Case Study of Family Resilience in Dealing with Mission/Aid Corruption. Kelly O'Donnell and Michele Lewis O'Donnell. Chapter 22 in Family Accountability in Missions: Korean and Western Case Studies (2013). "At the heart of this chapter is the Pace family, four resilient people who refused to ignore an international fraud in the mission/aid community. Names and other identifying details have been changed, and some information is presented in a composite form. We highlight this serious case to provide support for two types of families: mission families, as they navigate expected challenges of mission/aid life (e.g., transitions, culture stress, relationship tensions, child rearing, existential anxiety, and financial pressures), and the broader mission/aid “family” that comprises senders (agencies/churches) and the international mission/aid community, as it works to develop good governance, accountable management, and verifiable transparency. This case study gives cause for both the Korean and the international mission/aid communities to reflect on the quality of their work and its possible shortcomings, on issues of transparency and accountability, and on the challenges facing mission families. It is also a wake-up call to the reality of corruption in our midst and the resilience needed as part of our commitment to “love truth and peace” (Zech. 8:19). "
Corruption-Free Churches are Possible: Experiences, Values, Solutions (2010). Christoph Stückelberger (Editor). “Through case studies, and consideration of religious, ethical and theological principles, Christoph Stückelberger demonstrates the need for churches everywhere to reject corrupt practices and to develop structures that are effective in stemming corruption. It includes 35 specific recommendations to enhance the transparency and accountability of churches and related institutions. Such recommendations address not only practical efforts, but also deeper theological, liturgical and ecclesiological issues. The appendices offer an excellent set of resources, including, for instance, an ethical and spiritual leadership test and a code for responsible leadership.” (pages 7-8)
Corruption: When Self-Interest Comes before the Common Good (2019). Thomas Schirrmacher and David Schirrmacher. (Volume 19 in the Global Issues Series of the World Evangelical Alliance—link for free download) “This book gives a global overview on corruption, describes its different forms and effects and argues how and why corruption should be combatted by all means. It includes more than a hundred of brief examples of corruption from the German speaking countries as well as worldwide.”
Definitions
Integrity and Integroty
--Integrity is moral wholeness—living consistently in moral wholeness.
--Corruption is moral rottenness, the opposite of integrity--the distortion, perversion, and deterioration of moral goodness, resulting in the abuse and exploitation of people and the planet. It is integroty.
--Global integrity is living consistently in moral wholeness at all levels--individual, interpersonal, institutional, and international; across sectors and settings; local through global; the systemic and structural.
"Integrity is moral wholeness—living consistently in moral wholeness—with honesty, humility and all the virtues--and with an awareness of one’s potential to deceive and harm oneself and others. Integrity needs external moral referents--standards of virtue with accountability--and not simply positive self-appraisals--in order to safeguard us all from both blind and willful hypocrisy." Defining Integrity. Kelly and Michele O'Donnell, Member Care Update (June 2023)Note: This an expanded version of the above definition on the GID website. Note that it opens the door wide to the crucial discussion and clarification of "external moral referents" and "standards of virtue and accountability" as well as the process and acccuracy of one's moral self-perceptions.
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Corruption is "the abuse of entrusted power for private gain." Transparency International
Corruption is "a system of abuse of entrusted power for private, collective, or political gain--often involving a complex, intertwined set of relationships, some obvious, others hidden, with established vested interests that can operate vertically within an institution or horizontally across political, economic, and social spheres of society and transnationally." Shaazka Beyerle, Curtailing Corruption--People Power for Accountability and Justice (2014, page 25)
Special News
Integrity and Anti-Corruption
'Accountability is good because it requires you to give an account--
even if you have to lie about it.' [being facetious]
Baghat Korani, presentation at Which Way for the Arab World?
Geneva Gaduate Institute (5 November 2015)
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Contact us to share examples/links--MCAresources@gmail.com
See all the special news in the Special News section of this website
2023
Global Report of Cocaine: Local Dynamics, Global Challenges (16 March 2023). UN Office on Drugs and Crime
Globethics--Ongoing courses and webinars/events online and hybrid related to ethics, teaching ethics in higher education, leadership, peace, intrafaith initiatives, etc. One example is the Responsible Leadership course starting on 27 March 2023 and going for 12 weeks.
Tracking the reviews of how countries are implementing the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC). UNCAC--Civil Society Coalition. Note also the Guide by Transparency Inernational and the UNCAC-Civil Society Coaliton on Using the UNCAC to Advance Anti-Corruption Effrots (2014).
Examples from 2020-2022
United Nations, Sustainable Development Goals (in the six official UN languages)
17 Goals, 169 Targets, 247 Indicators
G20 Interfaith Forum, Working Group on Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions (corruption is 1 of 6 topics)
Civil 20 (C20) is one of the official Engagement Groups of the G20. “It provides a platform of Civil Society Organizations around the world to bring forth the political dialogue with the G20. The Civil 20 process involves a wide variety of organizations and networks far beyond the G20 countries and it is structured around the C20 Guiding Principles. The C20 is organized in thematic Working Groups with two co-facilitators, one from the host country and one from the international civil society.”
Official Channels (2020). Brian Martin. Irene Publishing. Note: Available online for free. There is no subtitle to this book. Our suggestion would be something like this: When Doing the Sensible Thing Makes No Sense--Exploring the Limits of and Alternatives to Formal Procedures for Whistleblowing, Confronting Corruption, Resolving Problems, and Seeking Justice.
Building New Bridges Together: Strengthening Ethics in Higher Education after COVID-19. Globethics, virtual conference with four tracks, 25 June 2020, pre-conference events 17-24 June 2020
OECD Public Integrity Handbook (May 2020). "...provides guidance to government, business and civil society on implementing the [13] OECD Recommendation on Public Integrity. " Available in English and French.
The Psychology Behind Unethical Behavior (12 April 2019), Merete Wedell-Wedellsborg, Harvard Business Review.
Resolving Ethical Dilemmas: 50 Cases from Africa for Teaching and Training (2019). Editors: Tobe Nnamani and Christoph Stückelberger
Institutional Integrity: An Essential Building Block of Sustainable Reform (October 2018), report by James Michel.
International Anti-Corruption Day –9 December 2022
UNCAC at 20: Uniting the World Against Corruption
Spotlight events that we featured:
Spotlight Event 1. Uprooting Corruption, Defending Democratic Values, International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC), 6-10 December 2022, Washington DC. There are 60 workshops and 7 plenaries scheduled. See the website for archived recordings (as of 23 Feb 2023). See the Washington Declaration--It is a brief description of 11 summary points from the conference.
Spotlight Event 2. Overcome Evil with Good: Integrity Overccomes Corruption. Global Integrity Network (GIN). Online Conference-Webinar, 10 December 2022. This spotlight event is organized by GIN Lausanne Movement--World Evangelical Alliance. There are three three toics: Global overview of corrruption, Interventions by the Church, and Personal examples. Watch the archived recording HERE
Spotlight Event 3. Films4Transparency: "This year’s...programme focuses on the indispensable role of a free and independent media in the fight against corruption. We present eight powerful documentaries from around the world each with an urgent story to tell, all engaging with one of the [IACC's] global challenges: Defending the Defenders." These films were shown at IACC (Dec 2022)--not all are available to watch-rent online.
Participate in this special day and throughout the year
via GID's developing platform and emphasis on living in integrity by
"a) cultivating lifestyles, cultures, and systems of integrity
from the individual through the international levels;
b) joining together to understand and address the causes and consequences
of corruption in its many forms; and
c) working towards just and equitable societies
marked with wellbeing for all people and for the planet."
Post a description/link on your website and social media.
Share with others! Ideas and resources welcome.
Next Steps for GID
Developments and Directions
--Uploading resources on the GID website in general and related to the 2022 theme of Integrity and Corruption in the Health Sector
--Consulting with colleagues about GID's development and directions
--Exploring the formation of a Coordinating Group to help guide the development and direction of GID
--Sharing about GID internationally and acoss sectors via webinars and conferences etc
--Encouraging "bridge" colleagues to include the supportive and common emphases of GID within their organisations and networks
--Promoting "spotlight" events-webinars organised by different organisations around the time of GID 9 June and IAD 9 December
Kelly and Michèle
Coordinators
Kelly O'Donnell, PsyD and Michèle Lewis O'Donnell, PsyD
pro-integrity@gmail.com
"As both a psychologist and a UN representative for the World Federation for Mental Health, I am keenly curious about what helps bring out the best and the worst of my colleagues in the UN and other sectors. And myself. I am especially interested in how the UN’s approach to competencies and values, and in particular the moral-based areas of integrity and accountability, can support staff as they traverse the troubled terrain of our world." Integrity and Accountability for UN Staff, UN Special (2017) Kelly O'Donnell
Coordinators
Kelly O'Donnell, PsyD and Michèle Lewis O'Donnell, PsyD
pro-integrity@gmail.com
"As both a psychologist and a UN representative for the World Federation for Mental Health, I am keenly curious about what helps bring out the best and the worst of my colleagues in the UN and other sectors. And myself. I am especially interested in how the UN’s approach to competencies and values, and in particular the moral-based areas of integrity and accountability, can support staff as they traverse the troubled terrain of our world." Integrity and Accountability for UN Staff, UN Special (2017) Kelly O'Donnell
More Quotes
"If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, and it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being. And who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?”
Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, The Gulag Archipelago 1918-1956 (1973)
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"Der bestirnte Himmel über mir und das moralische Gesetz in mir."
“Two things fill the mind with ever new and increasing admiration and awe, the more often and steadily we reflect upon them: the starry heavens above me and the moral law within me. I do not seek or conjecture either of them as if they were veiled obscurities or extravagances beyond the horizon of my vision; I see them before me and connect them immediately with the consciousness of my existence.”
Immanuel Kant, Critique of Practical Reason (1788)