Is it possible to label the issues of ethics, good governance and anti-corruption as cool, hip and worthy of a young audience? It seems there is no need for such labels since the issues that have dominated the political and social consciousness over the past years are grabbing the attention of a younger generation without all of the hype. Around the world, young people are fighting for a more just world, by taking action against corruption by making oaths, attending concerts to support anti-corruption work, and creating their own organisations to promote political transparency and social responsibility. Transparency International (TI) recognises the force and power that young people harness in tackling corruption. They are, after all, the next world leaders.

This past November, TI witnessed how young people from around the world are committed to the fight against corruption when they signed the Guatemala Declaration on Young People’s Engagement as part of the 12th International Anti-Corruption Conference in Guatemala. The declaration sets the anti-corruption agenda for 2007 and highlights the important role of young people’s participation in decisions and activities promoting the anti-corruption agenda.

In addition, TI joined forces with AIESEC - the world's largest student organisation – to educate students on issues of transparency and ethics, and to provide mutual support in the development of the organisations and networks, through reciprocal advice and support.

Through both its local and international work, TI engages, educates and empowers young people to get involved and take action on corruption issues, recognising that lasting change must come from youth. If only TI could awaken the kid in everyone.

TI’s programmes encourage the young to participate in the anti-corruption movement both in the public and private sectors, and in this way overcome the apathy that often surrounds this problem.

Anti-corruption youth concert in Bangladesh attended by more than 25,000!

Transparency International (TI) Bangladesh organised the first Anti-Corruption Concert for Youth in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 29 December 2006. With the theme "The Invincible Youth will surely Resist Corruption", the eight-hour concert was intended to ensure that the spirit and values of the anti-corruption movement are instilled in Bangladesh’s future leaders.

In addition to performances by renowned national artists and musical groups, Nobel Laureate Prof Muhammad Yunus of the Grameen Bank, addressed the crowd emphasising the importance of collective social movement to combat corruption, and highlighting the need for young people to become more involved. The concert ended on a high note with an anti-corruption oath.

More than 25,000 students attended the concert, having received free entry cards on a first-come-first-served basis. The concert was broadcast live on television and online, as well as being featured as a leading news item on many news channels. More than 7,500 online viewers sent impromptu feedback - the highest record to date for any such transmission in Bangladesh.

To see live coverage of the concert, go to: www.ti-bangladesh.org/concert/
To read news coverage of the concert: www.thedailystar.net/2006/12/30/d61230012012.htm

The Cátedra programme is an inter-university initiative promoted by TI’s national chapter in Colombia (Transparencia por Colombia) and supported by several Colombian higher-education institutions. Cátedra upholds the ethical training of future professionals by providing pedagogical tools and bringing together leaders of public and private organisations academics and students. The programme illustrates the use of a multi-disciplinary approach, using interactive teaching methods based on case studies, combined with teacher-support and a teacher-development programme. Designed by Transparencia por Colombia, the Cátedra programme was implemented in 2002. For information on participating universities, please see: www.transparenciacolombia.org.co/vcontent/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=64&Itemid=18.

The Coalition for Accountability and Integrity (AMAN, TI's national chapter in the Palestinian Authorities) and CHF International West Bank and Gaza are carrying out an Anti-Corruption Training (ACT) programme, launched on December 9, 2006. The ACT is a twelve month transparency and accountability project for Palestinian youth in the West Bank and Gaza aiming to provide Palestinian youth with an understanding of corruption and how to combat it through transparency, accountability, and integrity. ACT plans activities throughout 2007 school semesters across the West Bank and Gaza, and will also develop a university course on corruption to be piloted in Birzeit University, run specially designed summer camps for children (in the summer of 2007), create a virtual library so that the public can access books, articles and other materials on corruption available online, and publish a newsletter to raise awareness on corruption, transparency and accountability.

For more information: www.aman-palestine.org/English/activities/ACT/Program.html
And: www.transparency.org/news_room/latest_news/press_releases_nc/2007/2007_10_01_palestine_act

Transparency International Latvia is committed to transferring experience and knowledge to civil society organisations and young people in Latvia. In the run-up to every election, TI Latvia focused its efforts on raising public awareness of controversial events during the election process. In addition to lectures, study trips, discussions, research and group activities highlighting different aspects of corruption, TI Latvia also organised a summer school programme focused on anti-corruption and good governance.

Last month, TI-Kenya organised the successful Youth Forum on Governance and Leadership in collaboration with National Youth Empowerment Council, a university student organization; Youth Action Against Corruption, an Africa Youth Parliament initiative; and the Kenya Youth Education and Community Development Programme. The forum aimed to stimulate a dialogue on governance issues among youth by emphasizing the role they can play in demanding accountability from their government. TI-Kenya intends to hold more forums to sustain the dialogue in the future.

TI-Korea has developed a Korean Youth’s Integrity Indicator with the purpose of finding out more about how young people in Korea perceive corruption. Between 2001 and 2005, it has carried out four surveys highlighting a pressing need for education on anti-corruption issues. TI Korea has recently organised a “Clean Korea Fair” showcasing exhibitions, symposia, workshops and an art competition. TI’s national chapter in Korea has been supporting youth initiatives through its participation in and sponsoring youth activities during the 11th IACC in Korea and the 12th IACC in Guatemala. For more information go to: www.transparency.org/content/download/5696/33037/file/Korea_2005ACeduAP.ppt

TI’s contact group in Sierra Leone, the National Accountability Group (NAG), has been working to educate young people on anti-corruption issues for many years, with a special focus on primary school children. NAG’s most recent programme consists of setting up “integrity clubs” in both primary and secondary schools through which pupils can learn about and discuss issues related to corruption, transparency, accountability and integrity.

TI Morocco has been the epicentre of the network project University of Transparency, which aims to encourage educational activities and research in the fight against corruption and the promotion good governance. The project, which involves round table discussions, seminars, research and culminates in an annual meeting, is aimed specifically at university academics. To read more, please see: www.transparencymaroc.org/

TI Zimbabwe is a technical partner of the Network of African Youth Against Corruption (NAYAC) to encourage young people to promote accountability amongst its affiliates. Under the banner Institutionalizing Accountability and Transparency within Youth Based NGOs, the members of the network deal with topics such as responsible leadership, accountable resource management, ethics, integrity and corporate governance.

More links on TI’s national chapter initiatives on corruption and education can be found here:

www.transparency.org/global_priorities/education/anti_corruption_
education/projects_anticorruption_education

Recently, OCASA has undertaken a number of impressive projects working in partnership with national and international organisations. The programmes are wide-ranging and far-reaching – some focus on how to encourage young people to become active in anti-corruption-related issues, while others tackle the lack of accountability of public officials. For more information, see: www.ocasa.avanza.org.co

African Youth for Transparency
The African Youth for Transparency (AYFT) aims to eradicate all forms of corruption and lack of transparency in public and private life. AYFT challenges, empowers and supports young people in Africa and provides a forum for the discussion of strategies and plans. They have organised awareness campaigns, conducted research projects, and they are currently developing the Youth Bank Nigeria project promoting financial security. To read more about their work, go to: www.ayftafrica.ca/main.htm

NAYAC-Zambia, one of the NGOs in the NAYAC network, has been acting as the network’s Secretariat since 2002. On International Anti-Corruption Day (9th December) NAYAC organised several awareness raising activities on good governance and corruption in Africa, as well as activities aimed at engaging young people in discussions about Africa’s most pressing problems. The activities included an essay writing competition, plays based around the theme of anti-corruption, a music festival and a debate competition. See: nayacafrica.org/

The group established the International Youth Network Against Corruption (YNAC). A discussion forum was organised by Transparency International, TI Korea, the Lebanese Transparency Association and the Institute for Cultural Diplomacy. For more, see: www.11iacc.org/iacc/html/para_4.html

Other initiatives

Other civil society organisations and institutions working on democracy-promotion and transparency have been actively engaged in organising projects aimed at educating young people on the fight against corruption.

In 2006, the Centre for Citizenship Education in Poland (Centrum Edukacji Obywatelskiej: www.ceo.org.pl/) and the Modern Didactic Centre in Lithuania have worked together on the Youth for Transparency project. The programme promotes partnerships between schools and local authorities with the purpose of improving communication with local civil society and disseminating good governance. This local project encourages young citizens to build transparency and accountability in the public sphere through education and cooperation. To read more, please visit: www.vpu.lt/sdc/antikorupcija/en/tp2.htm

The World Bank’s Youth and Good Governance project stimulates dialogue on governance issues among young people and emphasises the role they can play in demanding accountability from their governments. The World Bank is running a distance-learning programme stressing the importance of educating citizens about their role in fighting corruption. http://youthink.worldbank.org/issues/corruption/

• International Youth Leadership Africa
  21-26 January 2006, Cape Town, South Africa
  http://www.civicconcepts.org/africa/conference.php
• 2007 Global Education Summit: People, Planet, Purpose: Leading the Way to a Sustainable Future
  28 February – 02 March 2007, Denver, CO, USA
  http://www.nais.org/ac/eventdoc.cfm?ItemNumber=148859&sn.ItemNumber=148113&tn.ItemNumber=148910

Transparency International resources

Transparency International’s web section on anti-corruption education:
www.transparency.org/global_priorities/education/anti_corruption_education

Transparency International’s web section on corruption in the education system
www.transparency.org/global_priorities/education/corruption_education

News coverage

Youths throng concert against corruption: The Daily Star, Dec 30 2006
www.thedailystar.net/2006/12/30/d61230012012.htm

Concert Against Corruption of Transparency International will be Tuned Today, News From Bangladesh, Dec 29 2006
www.bangladesh-web.com/view.php?hidDate=2006-12-31&hidType=INT&hidRecord=0000000000000000144488

Primera manifestación en Rusia contra la corrupción de Vladimir Putin: Informativos Telecinco, Dec 16 2006
www.informativos.telecinco.es/rusia/manifestacion/disidentes/dn_37959.htm

Business-Led Solutions to Combat Corruption and Improve Transparency: Firm-Level and Collective Action Initiatives: Young Americas Business Trust, Dec 9 2006
www.myybiz.net/yabt/main/news/csrbr

Other links

Essay Competition 2007: How does corruption affect your life? What can you do to fight the corruption that you face?

Good selection of corruption and youth related links:
www.ocasa.avanza.org.co/enlaces-jovenes.shtml

World Banks “You think!” initiative: youthink.worldbank.org/issues/corruption/

Zambian Youth on Fighting Corruption
youthink.worldbank.org/multimedia/gallery/zambian/index.php

World Youth Movement For Democracy
www.ymd.youthlink.org/ymd/index.html

Anti-Corruption Student Network (Balkans and Eastern Europe)www.soros.org/initiatives/hesp/focus/sesi/network_anti