The rampant corruption that prevails in governments around the world is becoming more and more public each day, and for good reason.
Billions of dollars, shillings, rupees, pesos (etc) of fraud and laundering are exposed daily, as money meant for numerous government programs are found filling the coffers of top government officials. Recently, millions of foreign aid from Great Britain meant for Kenya’s Department of Education was stolen by government officials—depravity of the lowest form which took money meant for educational necessities and was used for personal excesses.
I firmly believe that corruption is one of the leading causes and perpetuators of poverty and conflict. Money is abused and manipulated as governments choose to do more for themselves than their people, and the poverty cycle becomes something impossible to break from. Transparency is thus necessary for the alleviation of the corruption that perpetuates poverty, and therefore for the betterment of society.
In numerous cases, information and communication technologies have proven effective means of combating corruption and improving the transparency of governments worldwide. In the Philippines, for example, the President there has implemented a page of the government website entitled “Transparent Government—What the People Want.” On the site, individual citizens can provide commentary or issue complaints about the way in which the government of the Philippines is run. It is an effective web-based tool through which ordinary citizens can voice opinions and press for increased transparency from their government.
You can read the comments posted here: http://www.president.gov.ph/government/default.aspx
Grassroots anti-corruption movements have also burst all over the Internet. India-based “India Against Corruption” has started an online movement to ensure the passing of a strong anti-corruption bill in Parliament. Members of the movement regularly market meeting times, events, and goals on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Orkut. The movement has gained a lot of press in the last few weeks, and its leaders have been able to garner support from numerous members of parliament. You can find the website here: http://www.indiaagainstcorruption.org/
The online anti-corruption movement is only just getting started. With time and creative application the Internet and other technologies will hopefully continue to broaden the degree of transparency in some of the most corrupt nations of the world.
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