After the Transition: The Role of People Power in Dismantling Entrenched Corruption | The 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference, Brazil, 7-10 November 2012
After the Transition: The Role of People Power in Dismantling Entrenched Corruption and Consolidating Democratic, Accountable Governance and Sustainable Peace
President, Afro-Egyptian Human Rights Organization; Co-founder, Shayfeen.com and Egyptians against Corruption
Topic: 1) current people power initiatives in Egypt to curb corruption, consolidate rule of law, and gain accountability from the military and new government and fresh lessons learned as this transition is under way; 2) bottom-up recommendations for the international community on how: to support transitions; facilitate reforms; build the foundations for transparent and accountable governance systems; and positive and counterproductive approaches to supporting grass-roots civic initiatives and people power.
Topic: 1) example of a successful post-transition people power campaign that impacted horizontal corruption involving the executive and legislative branches of the government, political parties and the economic sector; 2) bottom-up recommendations for the international community on how to: support transitions; facilitate reforms; build the foundations for transparent and accountable governance systems; and positive and counterproductive approaches to supporting grass-roots civic initiatives and people power.
Topic: 1) example of a successful people power youth social accountability campaign under conditions of external occupation and corrupt local rule that impacted vertical corruption involving schools; 2) bottom-up recommendations for the international community on how to: support transitions; facilitate reforms; build the foundations for transparent and accountable governance systems; and positive and counterproductive approaches to supporting grass-roots civic initiatives and people power.
Topic: 1) example of a successful post-transition people power civic initiative (community monitoring) that impacted horizontal corruption involving donors, reconstruction and development actors (both international and national), local and national government, and the economic sector; 2) bottom-up recommendations for the international community on how to: support transitions; facilitate reforms; build the foundations for transparent and accountable governance systems, and positive and counterproductive approaches to supporting grass-roots civic initiatives and people power.
Topic: Topics: 1) example of a successful post-transition people power campaign that impacted horizontal corruption involving the executive and legislative branches of the government and the economic sector; 2) bottom-up recommendations for the international community on how to: support transitions; facilitate reforms; build the foundations for transparent and accountable governance systems; and positive and counterproductive approaches to supporting grass-roots civic initiatives and people power.
Corruption does not evaporate after a transition towards democracy and peace. Many of the same players retain influence and power, and systems of graft and abuse reconfigure as the vested interests benefitting from corruption adapt to the new situation. Left unchecked, corruption threatens the consolidation of peace and democratic governance by hindering critical reforms, the emergence of a legitimate government, fair and clean institutions, and overall trust in the state and the new political system. For regular people, many of whom endured oppression and suffering under the old regime, unfettered malfeasance perpetuates their hardships and hinders social and economic development. On the other hand, transitions to peace and/or democracy present opportunities to change entrenched patterns of power and corruption. However, genuine internal efforts by honest powerholders are too often blocked, and externally driven reforms are not particularly successful. Nonetheless, there is another force for change in societies – people power. Citizens mobilized in nonviolent civic initiatives and movements are impacting corruption and playing an active role in building accountable, democratic governments – even under grim conditions.
This workshop will tap the experiences and insights of civic leaders engaged in curbing graft and abuse during the post-transition process, including: 1) the role of citizen campaigns and movements to undermine systems of corruption inherited from authoritarian regimes and/or violent conflicts, as well as gain accountability, facilitate reform, and support honest powerholders; 2) what roles can international actors play to affirm civic initiatives and when should they stay away. The workshop will be divided into two sections. Part I will focus on post-transition, grass-roots civic initiatives and general lessons learned. The presenters from Indonesia and Korea will highlight successful people power campaigns that impacted horizontal corruption involving the executive and legislative branches of the government, and the economic sector. The presenter from Egypt will discuss current citizen mobilizations targeting corruption, stolen assets and rule of law. The presenters from Afghanistan and Palestine will underscore innovative civic initiatives at the local level (community monitoring and social accountability) that impacted corruption in reconstruction and development efforts in the former case, and schools in the latter case. In Part II, we’ll provide bottom-up recommendations for the international community on: supporting transitions; facilitating reforms; and building the foundations for transparent and accountable governance systems. This can include: policy; technocratic and legislative measures; development practices and priorities; and positive versus counterproductive approaches to supporting grass-roots civic initiatives and people power.
The workshop is relevant to policymakers, practitioners, anti-corruption advocates, and activists, such as: 1) veterans of new political transitions who face the challenge of consolidating democracy and gaining social and economic justice; 2) in-country civic activists involved in people power struggles for accountability, anti-corruption, human rights and justice; 3) international civil society actors from the anti-corruption, human rights and development realms; 4) development actors from multilateral institutions, country donors and bilateral aid institutions; 5) officials from transitioning political systems, e.g. judiciary, anti-corruption agency, attorney general’s office, parliament, executive branch.