5 reasons why we can beat corruption

“We have to do what our parents’ generation did not do…so that
when they die, the corruption dies with them,” says Divine
Anderson. Anderson is the young director of the Accountability
Film School , which empowers Liberians to make documentaries
about integrity issues in their communities and show these films
to government officials at local video clubs and national film
festivals. This helps them raise their voice, increase awareness,
and generate demand for reform.
Across the world, the millennial generation is finding new tools to
make people in power more responsible to citizens. New leaders
like Anderson are fighting corruption in ways that are
fundamentally changing societies that, in many places, have
been deeply hierarchical, frustratingly opaque and unequal for
hundreds of years.
Corrupt officials are worried – and they should be. Young people
are proving themselves to be hugely committed to working
towards greater transparency, accountability and integrity in
their countries. Here are five reasons why corruption is no match
for the millennial generation:
1. Strength in numbers . Over half of the people on the
planet are now under the age of 35. In South-East
Asia, this number rises to two-thirds of the
population. In Africa, the median age is now less
than 20 . This is a constituency that is large, vocal
and cannot be ignored. It is also bringing with it
votes for a new cadre of young leaders who
understand how to fight corruption. Think of the
youthful Joko Widodo in Indonesia, for example,
respected for his integrity ; or President Benigno
Aquino, who won the youth vote by vowing to crack
down on corruption in the Philippines.
2. Global perspective . It is no secret that today’s youth
are better connected than ever before, through
tools that allow them to chat, share and
collaborate. Almost 70% of the world’s internet
users are on Facebook. This provides an
unprecedented comparative perspective across
societies and replication of good ideas from place
to place online and offline. The I Paid a Bribe
platform, for example, started in India but now has
local versions – led largely by young people – in 14
countries. The Global Youth Anti-Corruption
Network (GYAC) has more than 45 chapters around
the world. It is easier than ever for youth to come
together and build coalitions for change.
3. Civic-minded . Young people today are less
entrenched in patronage networks than their
parents and grandparents, and less interested in
perpetuating these ties than any generation before
them. The Citizenship Forum in Morocco, for
example, is building a network of civic clubs in
schools across the country to help youth
understand their rights and responsibilities. In
Papua New Guinea, Transparency International’s
Integrity Camp has supported hundreds of young
leaders on issues related to the rule of law and
accountability. Our conversations with millennials
indicate that their aim is not to become part of a
corrupt system but to change it. They desperately
want to create a new generation of citizens who
value meritocracy over partiality and honesty over
duplicity.
4. Innate creativity . Millennials are less bound by
traditional ways of thinking and more able to work
outside conventional mechanisms for change in
their societies. Social enterprise – business that
does good – is increasingly popular among young
people. In the US alone, social business is now
worth over $500 billion a year . This movement is
spilling over into the anti-corruption realm. In
Prague, Corrupt Tour.com , for example, is running
paid tours that highlight where graft has taken
place in the city, with demand for at least four
tours a month. In Thailand, the for-profit Refuse to
Be Corrupt cafés at universities provide a space
where young people can discuss how to tackle
corruption. For the younger generation, building
integrity can also mean making money.
5. Tech-savvy . Computer programming and tech
literacy are second nature to many millennials,
even in places where internet access is still limited.
In fact, poor equipment and connections precipitate
innovative technology ideas to stamp out
corruption. In Nepal, for example, a tool called
Nalibeli allows young people to crowdsource
information on public services online. This allows
citizens to better navigate government and avoid
paying bribes. In places with greater online
populations, like China, young people have been
playing a popular new anti-corruption video game.
In Colombia, a site called Congreso Visible provides
information on elected officials, including their
attendance in parliament and key votes.
Transparent information online is allowing
millennials to hold decision-makers more
accountable.
Back in Liberia, Anderson and his team are working on a film
festival to show films that focus on the corruption that they
perceive to be contributing to the Ebola epidemic. “Our people
are dying,” he says. “Corruption is killing us. Young people have
to be responsible for building an honest future, or we won’t have
one at all.”