UN Anti-Corruption Day: Just Say No

December 9th was UN Anti-Corruption Day.  While I was visiting South Asia I learned the terrible price citizens pay for corruption.  Whereas the United States ranks 7.1 with 10 being the least corrupt,  India ranks 3.3 and Bangladesh ranks 2. 4  Some of the Scandinavian countries, Canada and Australia rank as the least corrupt.
The saying "just say no" has to do with drugs in the United States, but in India, it means say no when a bribe is requested by a public servant for services. That must be hard for the average person or poor person to do since they are giving money to grease the palm so that a service that is necessary such as getting a license, permit, or other official document will occur sooner than later.  It may be easier for industry to just say no. As a UN backed campaign says, "your no counts."  If a business is an American business trying to get permits, say, in India, the business is governed by an US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. Transparency International lobbied in 1998 to put more teeth into this act. Transparency International is a nonprofit that works with business, super NGOs such as the World Bank, to improve reporting of how  money is spent for public purposes and by business.  Without transparency, TI reasons, the poor, in the end are most affected with loss of jobs, with loss of quality of life

But it is not really enough to have a law, it takes moral and ethical business practices to reduce corruption.  What Transparency International suggests  is that there are power in numbers.  If more businesses agreed to not give bribes then they might have more success in stopping corruption.  Other nonprofits such as Ipaidabribe.com (which asks people to record when they gave a bribe, didn't give a bribe, or a public servant refused a bribe) take the approach of showing how much money is siphoned off and shaming government for its action. Another nonprofit, the Fifth Pillar sponsors a zero rupee note to give to those who ask for bribes.  This idea has spread to other countries and now the Fifth Pillar is creating zero denomination "money" to be used in other countries.

What surprised me most in India was that the police were one of the most corrupt units of government.  We must be thankful that we are Americans, and our problems are minor.  Rarely do you read of bribes of police officers.  Indians fear their police.  There is little to no understanding of the idea of "to protect and serve," let alone community policing.   This undermines the whole of civic society.  When government law enforcement officials are corrupt there is no recourse at the lowest level of government that has regular interaction with the public.  In India the Supreme Court intervenes extensively by mandating reforms, but that is not really enough.  Political officials and the highest level of law enforcement must believe it is important for officers to be honest and help citizens. Then they must institute training and reinforce it by their words and actions. 

Right now that seems laughable when the the India Government Commission that sponsored a conference on transparency for Anti-Corruption Day may have as its highest commissioner a man accused of taking bribes.
The Supreme Court is considering whether it is a job requirement that the commissioner be beyond repute.  I'd say the answer is yes!