Overview of implemented and ongoing activities
Some of the implemented and on-going activities with respect to the core strategic areas are discussed briefly.
Research on Peoples’ Corruption Perception Survey
As part of its core strategic objectives, TE has embarked on commissioning a research project pertinent to peoples’ corruption perception survey (in Addis Ababa City Administration).
Information about public perception and experience of corruption is vital to anti-corruption efforts. People’s perceptions are an indicator of the success of anti-corruption policies and initiatives. Moreover, it is equally important to understand the gendered element of corruption impact. And as such this study will look to disaggregate the finding by gender. In addition, establishing which public agencies are perceived to have the highest level of corruption helps set priorities for reforms. Since reforms are often resisted by senior officials, politicians and bureaucrats, a study of this kind can provide the necessary evidence to advocate for improvements.
Awareness creation on corruption via panel discussion
Joint efforts are indispensable to tackle corruption. It is for this reason that TE and the Federal Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (FEACC), the two specialized organizations exclusively dealing with corruption issues in Ethiopia, are jointly working on a project which aims to raise public awareness on corruption issues via panel discussion. The cooperation between them gained impetus by an agreement signed in November 2007 to work on a joint anti-corruption project entitled “Deepening Knowledge on Corruption via Panel-Discussions”. The project provides four panel discussion sessions spread out in a period of 12 months, with each session lasting half day. The discussions will largely focus on prominent corruption issues and problems in Ethiopia including corruption in different sectors, the role of media in the anti-corruption struggle, corporate corruption, and the need for networking and coalition building to fight against corruption, among other.
The first of these panel discussions was conducted on March 28, 2008 at Ghion Hotel on the theme “The impact of corruption on development”. Papers related with the theme were presented by Mr. Garbis Korajian and Dr. Constantinos Berhe, and moderated by Professor Andrias Eshete, President of the Addis Ababa University. A heated discussion and debate took place at the panel, which made the occasion lively and worthwhile.
The project is covered by TE from the financial support obtained from the Royal Netherlands Embassy and the Norwegian Church Aid Ethiopia.
A film Show
One of the awareness creation mediums TE target to exploit is film. Realizing that the Ethiopian film industry is becoming an important outlet to reaching the youth and certain groups of society, TE commissioned a film entitled “Ye Moriam Midir” for about 1000 students in Addis Ababa University on May 17, 2008. The film was selected from among other films that are currently on screen because it depicts the bad effects of corruption.
Ethics training for public service officers
TE believes that public service officers need proper trainings in areas of Ethics and Anti-Corruption so as to build their capacity in order for them be able to to serve better the people that they represent. With this in mind, TE is working on a project under the title” Training in Ethics and Anti-Corruption for Public Service Officers and member of the Parliament.
The first phase of the training package is going to be given for FDRE House of People’s Representatives (HoPRs) in the upcoming months tentatively. The main objective of this training programme is to raise awareness of matters relating to Ethics and Anti-Corruption in national development, law promulgation process, and business transaction through training, lectures and seminar.
These training packages thus are able to respond to both institutional and personal demand of the concepts and skills needed by a parliamentarian and/or peoples’ representatives in areas of Ethics and anti-corruption to provide innovative, action oriented, non-lending activities illustrating new way of acting in which the trainee is in the driver’s seat.
A weekly Amharic radio program on corruption issues
Transparency Ethiopia has begun a 20 minutes weekly Amharic radio program on corruption issues. The programme has been broadcasted on FM 98.1 since April 20, 2008. The overall aim of the program is to educate the public on the essence, manifestations and adverse effects of corruption, and consequently contribute to the creation of a corruption intolerant society in our country. The program is also expected to constitute an important forum for a multi-polar discussion (mainly involving public, government, private sector and civil society) on issues of corruption.
Learning Visit
A three member delegation of professional members of TE led by TE Director, Mr. Eyasu Yimer made a successful study tour to Transparency International Kenya (TI-kenya) from May 3-9, 2008. In the visit, the delegation was briefed on TI-Kenya, including the major activities of the various departments.
Being around 15 years from establishment, the delegation learnt that TI-Kenya is one of the strongest and successful anti-Corruption local Chapters of Transparency International (TI) and as yet has ample experience in the movement of anti-corruption struggle. It was learnt that TI-Kenya is well equipped in terms of material and human resources.
The other meeting which was visited by the delegation take part was the meeting of the Kenya Chapter of African Parliamentarian Network against Corruption. The existence of this Chapter, according to the delegation, has also given TI-Kenya additional strength. The delegation got the participation of parliamentarians in the anti-corruption movement very remarkable. They can have much input on the push for major policy changes in the country context.
Simply put, the team acquired wide knowledge and experience on the organizational set up of Ti-Kenya, its working environment, its diverse activities and the tools it uses to carry out these activities to fight corruption.
Website development
With a view to see corruption intolerant society and a corruption free Ethiopia, TE is employing different strategies. In connection to this, TE has developed and launched its dynamic webpage. The purpose of the webpage is to facilitate for an appropriate system of awareness raising, information dissemination, and widening the operational boundary to increase its stakeholders, to strengthen its potential or fighting capabilities for the causes of corruption.
Establishment of a resource centre
TE is undertaking the establishment of a library/resource centre based at its premises. The objective of setting up the resource centre is to contribute availability and accessibility of information on corruption and governance as well as effective information exchange. To this end, it is able to gradually collect both hard and soft copies of materials on corruption issues from various sources and have identified partner organisations with which TE will be sharing its resources. Thus, the library provides researchers, students and persons who are interested in the area, with access to a wide variety of information on the aforementioned subjects.
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