Increasing the Strength of Partnership Between Media and Cooperation with Law Enforcement Institutions in Fight Against Trafficking

To support the growth of the strength of the Media in the struggle against trafficking, reinforcement of efforts for respect of human rights, stability and construction of a new mentality of civil and human values. The project focused on five cities in Albania.

Openness and competence II

It is a Poland-wide project targeted at raising awareness about corruption and shaping anti-corruption behavior models. The project is on-going and runs since late 2003. Both youth (primary schools, high schools and universities) and teachers are targeted and the aim of the undertaking is to introduce to school curricula more information about corruption and ways to counteract this phenomenon. Additionally, teachers were to be trained on topic how to deliver information about anti-corruption in classes as well as an internet database of corruption related materials was to be created. Within the program local governments are engaged on some stages and in some initiatives, like on-site visits, conferences, workshops, etc.
The project is of the very large scope and thousands of teachers as well as youth was trained and took part in multiple workshops and trainings. Many various materials have been elaborated within the project, like informative brochures, manuals, code of conducts etc. Moreover, some stages were linked with other ongoing projects in Poland, e.g. in 2004 with the Transparent District and in 2005 with Transparent Poland.
Project’s donors have varied over years and the funding have originated from governmental sources (the US Embassy and Polish Ministry of Education and Sport and Civic Initiatives Fund) as well as EU means the European Commission, Transition Facility 2005 (managed by the Cooperation Fund Foundation), and other NGOs, e.g. the Stefan Batory Foundation.
Within this project a number of other anti-corruption-/transparency-oriented initiatives for youth have been taking place. Two most significant are:

Youth in transparent Poland (since 2006) – Młodzież w przejrzystej Polsce
@corruption e-platform (2008) – E-platforma @ntykorupcyjna

Both of them were of the national scope and engaged large number of participants. Youth and teachers often try to engage within the projects public officials from local administration but also particular working groups, like judges, doctors, policemen etc., which often bear a patch of being very prone to corruption. This was achieved thanks to study visits to interested institutions as well as conferences and workshops with representatives of those sectors. Moreover, the project ‘Youth in transparent Poland’ stepped outside Poland and it turned into joined projects with e.g. Lithuania, where schools and local administrations were encouraged to cooperate in the field of anti-corruption.

Corruption in Estonia: analyzing 3 different target groups 2006

The Survey Corruption in Estonia: analyzing 3 different target groups at the first time was carried out 2004. In autumn 2006 the second survey was carried out. The objective of the survey was to fit answers to the following questions (and to communicate results via public debate):

1. How big problem is corruption in the opinion of the respondents
2.how is corruption defined and to what extent it is condemned

3.how far spread is corruption

4. how frequent is contact with corruption

5.how receptive are people to corruption

6. what is the potential damage caused by corruption

The survey was carried out in three parts: interviews with the general population of Estonia (503), entrepreneurs (500) and employees of the public sector (1321).

Results

Corruption was considered a problem by almost three-fourths of the population of Estonia and one-fourth of entrepreneurs.

Employees of the public sector are less tolerant of corruption.

Estonians are also less tolerant of corruption in comparison with other nationalities.

Corruption is considered to be more widespread in Tallinn. 3% of the people of Estonia and 12% of entrepreneurs have given a bribe.

15% of the entrepreneurs claim that they have been asked for a bribe.

14% of the population, 20% of entrepreneurs and 4% of public sector employees have experienced some form of corruption.

People admit very little of corruption, because they believe that it would be very difficult to prove and do not want to create further problems.

Perception of the spread of corruption and the reliability of state institutions are related phenomena.

Set in stone – honestly

In December 2008 Ruch Normalne Państwo and SAR and in cooperation with Forum Obywatelskiego Rozwoju, magazine ‘Murator’ and Cadera company released a report on corruption in construction sector in Poland. Information was gathered predominantly among the readers of the magazine, which is the most well known magazine in topic construction, via an on-line survey. The sample and outcomes bear a significant risk of being biased, nonetheless, the report is indicative about exemplary situations that a Pole encounter during an administrative process when she tries to acquire a construction/remodeling permission.

Sharing and partnering for applying the UN Global Compact Principles in Bulgaria

The overall aim of the project was the constitution of Global Compact’s network governance structure in Bulgaria as well as the strengthening and increasing the role of the local network in view of the future governance of the GC initiative in Bulgaria.The project included three main components: traveling seminar, Global Compact Network Retreat and Global Compact plus three national forums. The initiative was implemented in partnership with leading business and non business associations in Bulgaria.

More honourable medicine treatment

The goal of the project was to assess the situation in terms of possible occurrence of corruption in various sub-sectors and elements, processes and institutions in the health care sector. TILS, in cooperation with other NGOs and the Ministry of Health, created a research concept and interviewed 402 doctors. Such an extensive study of this sector was conducted for the first time. The research indicated the least transparent and most corrupt areas of the interactions between doctors and pharmacists. Based on the study results TILS came up with 6 methods that were suggested to pharmaceutical companies and doctors how the situation could be improved.

Collective business actions against corruption

The main goal of the project was the establishment of a governance framework for the Bulgarian network of the UN Global Compact in order to strengthen and enhance its role in the country. The project was meant to achieve greater involvement in the initiative on the part of members and partners and provide a platform for dialogue and collective action in line with the latest developments in corporate social responsibility.

Strengthening the Media’s Role as a Watchdog Institution in Georgia

Goals

With funding from the European Union, EPF began the Strengthening the Media’s Role as a Watchdog Institution in Georgia project, focused on increasing public access to high quality, professional, independent information.
Main activities of the project are the following:

• Perform a media landscape study through surveys, focus groups and in-depth interviewing.

• Link the Georgian Association of Regional Broadcasters (GARB) with a media association in a new EU member state and undertake activities aimed at institutional development of the GARB.

• Conduct trainings for media and legal professionals on the specifics of investigative journalism, media legislation, access to information.

• Establish the Georgian Media Legal Defence Centre (GMLDC) to provide free legal aid for journalists, media outlets, and lawyers and to advocate for legislative changes.

• Hold TV and public discussions involving all stakeholders to encourage broad, inclusive dialogue on the state of the media in Georgia.

• Conduct targeted grant competitions on investigative journalism.

Results

EPF’s Caucasus Research Resource Center has undertaken a study of the Georgian media landscape consisting of a survey of public attitudes to the media in Georgia, a series of focus groups with media consumers, in-depth interviews with media professionals, and media monitoring of Georgian TV news. The results of the study were presented at the “European Union-Georgia” Civil Society Human Rights Seminar on Media Freedom and Internally Displaced Persons organized by the European Commission Delegation to Georgia in November, 2009. The report provided a comprehensive picture of the current situation in the Georgian media and served as the basis for a vibrant discussion at the seminar.

Source: Eurasia Partnership Foundation. Read more about this project here.

Raising Awareness of the Essence of Corruption and Strengthening the Fight Against it in Estonian Society

The aim of the project was to increase the interest of the public in the essence of corruption and to call the relevant state structures for closer cooperation. The researches on the situation of legislation dealing with corruption in the Republic of Estonia were implemented resulting in written analysis. A seminar and conference “Corruption in Estonia”” also took place.”

Promoting Transparency and Accountability

The Accountability Project was implemented as part of TI BiH’s overall programme activities within AC DC programme (Anti-corruption Delivery Change).
The AC DC programme includes components such as analysis and monitoring of public institutions (at the state and entity levels), advocacy and promotion of anti-corruption reforms on the basis of the problems identified through analysis and monitoring, and provision of expert support to institutions with the aim of implementing anti-corruption reforms.
The Accountability Project will focus particularly on strengthening the enforcement mechanisms for the conflict of interest law through monitoring and analysis of implementation of the law and functioning of the institutions responsible for implementing the law, on the basis of which priorities will be identified for advocating and promoting necessary reforms aimed at strengthening law enforcement mechanisms.