After teaching a course on Responsible Leadership Transparency and Good Governance, Nancy Boswell, Jessica Tillipman and Ken O. Opalo joined the YALI Network to answer questions and further the discussion on what individuals and communities can do to promote transparency in their country. While transparency and accountability are not easy to achieve, the instructors were able to highlight the best ways individuals can make an impact and inspire their communities.
Nancy Boswell is the Director of the US and International Anti-Corruption Law Certificate Program at American University Washington College of Law in Washington D.C. Ms. Boswell was named among Ethisphere’s “100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics” and is a member of the OECD Secretary General’s High Level Advisor Group on Integrity and Anti-Corruption.
Jessica Tillipman is the Assistant Dean for Field Placement and Professional Lecturer in Law at the George Washington University Law School in Washington D.C. Dean Tillipman teaches a Government Contracts Anti-Corruption and Compliance Seminar and has published articles on anti-corruption, white collar crime and government contracts topics.
Ken O. Opalo is an Assistant Professor at the Edmund A. Walsh School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. Mr. Opalo’s research includes political economy and legislative development and the electoral politics in emerging democracies. His current book focuses on the evolution of legislatures in emerging democracies and explaining the variation in institutionalization and the strength of African legislatures.
Start Small and Work Together:
The best way to begin tackling this issue is by starting small: educate yourself on the problems in your country and work with others who share your goals.
The use of media outlets, especially social media can be vital tools to shine the light on corrupt leaders. Sites like ipaidabribe.com and transparency.org are incredibly helpful in getting started.
Education and a network of individuals can make a difference.
Protection for Whistleblowers:
Protection for those who speak out against corrupt systems is a vital component to change. There should be laws in place to protect whistleblowers in order to create an environment where the people can speak freely against systems that lack transparency.
If laws are not in place, whistleblowers need to take caution in protecting their identities.
Tackling these issues is no simple task but there is hope for change. Communities need to come together and use the tools at their disposal to hold their governments accountable.
Learn how you can stand for integrity on our YALIUnites page.