International Anti-Corruption Day

Corruption could be one of the biggest tragedies of mankind for the simple reason that it is ongoing and extremely difficult to combat, forcing the poor into ever more hopeless conditions while the select few in power get ever richer and more powerful.

Bribes prevent chosen criminals from ever having to take responsibility for what they’ve done, politicians employ all of their cronies as as soon as the get into office, police officers cooperate with drug dealers, and anyone who dares object is either blackmailed into silence or “mysteriously” disappears.

As of 2014, some of the most corrupted countries in the world are Haiti, Iraq, North Korea, Venezuela, Somalia and Afghanistan.

History of International Anti-Corruption Day

International Anti-corruption Day was launched on October 9^th 2003 by the General Assembly of the United Nations as a way of raising awareness of corruption and highlighting the role of the United Nations Convention against Corruption in combating and preventing it.

The official reason given by the UN for creating this day is that it was “concerned about the seriousness of problems and threats posed by corruption to the stability and security of societies, undermining the institutions and values of democracy, ethical values and justice and jeopardizing sustainable development and the rule of law”.

Since the day was first held, the day’s organisers, the United Nations Development Programme and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, say intolerance towards corruption has grown. This is evidenced by the increasing number of politicians and chief executives who are being tried and convicted for the crime.

How to Celebrate Anti-Corruption Day

Some of the ways in which governments around the world, private businesses, non-governmental organisations, the media and the general public can get involved are by organising creative activities, reporting incidents of corruption, using the UN’s anti-corruption logo on publications and at events, and spreading the message through social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

Just sharing something on Facebook or Twitter may not seem like like much of anything, but as the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge proved so well, social media can indeed play an enormous role in bettering the world. If you want to help those affected by corruption more actively, perhaps you could donate some money to a charity that helps take care of those in need in especially corrupted countries.

Hopeforhaiti.com has been working for over 25 years to help Haiti’s least fortunate get access to better education, nutrition and healthcare. With approximately 70% of Haitians lacking direct access to potable water, every dollar you can spare can go a long way and help many people. There are also plenty of organisations that allow you to sponsor an abandoned Somalian child.

Somalia is a country struggling to deal with the civil war that has been going on since 1991 and is thought to have killed about 500,000 people and uprooted another 200,000 since then. What with the rampant poverty and hunger, as well as the severe shortage of drinking water and the number of people infected with HIV, hepatitis, cholera and polio, Somalians are in desperate need of assistance.

Sponsoring a Somalian child is much more affordable than one might think, starting at just £20 monthly. Amazingly, even this small amount of money can be enough to ensure a Somalian child’s needs are seen to. However you decide to celebrate this day, make sure you’re helping the world become just a little bit better in the process.

Sponsoring a Somalian child is much more affordable than one might think, starting at just £20 monthly. Amazingly, even this small amount of money can be enough to ensure a Somalian child’s needs to. However, you decide to celebrate this day, make sure you’re helping the world become just a little bit better in the process.