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Corruption is widely recognized as one of the most pernicious threats to democracy, undermining political legitimacy and sapping government capacity to deliver services.
The Indian state of Uttar Pradesh has 200m inhabitants – a larger population than Brazil – but Unicef estimates that only 21% have access to a toilet.
A decade ago the central government allocated about $300m to improve sanitation in Uttar Pradesh alone – but the money somehow disappeared between Delhi and places such as Budaun. Local residents tell stories of the small tragedies that blight lives and thwart official policy – such as government ration cards that are stolen by local officials.
The central government in Delhi spends huge sums on many poverty alleviation programs, but the story “is not so much one of outright government neglect as one of corruption, maladministration and rigid social structures,” notes Gideon Rachman.
Transparency International, Ashoka and the International Anti-Corruption Conference Series are launching a global competition for new project ideas to boost transparency, strengthen accountability and fight corruption:
The three competition winners will be awarded a mini-grant of 5,000 Euros to support the kick-start of their new anti-corruption project.
We are looking for people who are motivated to solve social problems and develop new methods, tools and projects to fight corruption. It is time to devise new tools and creative means to crack corruption.
• A mini-grant of 5000 Euros to implement your new transparency project.
• Anti-corruption expertise on tap: Access to a wide range of experts in the field of accountability and transparency within the IACC Game Changers platform.
• The chance to participate at the 15th International Anti-Corruption Conference (7-10 November 2012 in Brasilia). On 7 November there will be ceremony with the Jury, who will award the grants.
To kick start your thinking process, here is a short overview of what we will ask of you in the application process, click on the links to access detailed explanations of what we are looking for.
• In 500 words or less, tell your story of change and let us know what motivates you to fight corruption
• In 500 words or less, describe your project in an elevator pitch
• There is an impact map asking you to fill out the context of the problem you are trying to solve, project objectives, stakeholders and deliverables
• A budget indicating what the grant will support
The winning projects will be selected by an expert international jury based on the following criteria: 1) the social change element and potential to improve the lives of people 2) the novelty and practicability of the approach and 3) the sustainability and scalability of the project. Precise details on the steps related to the application process are here, on the Apply Now page of this website.
Countdown to the 15th IACC in November has begun. Projects pitches will be accepted from now until 1 October 2012 and no later. We will announce the winners between 25-31 October, just enough time to make it to Brasilia for the Competition Award Ceremony. Show your commitment to the fight against corruption and help us spread the word about this competition. To express interest or if you have any questions at all, please write to Paula O’Malley at the TI Secretariat and we will get right back to you with a suggested solution.
