| It is obvious when
you think about it, that if we leave the fight against corruption
to either the Ombudsman Commission, or Transparency International,
or the police, then no gains will be made. The Ombudsman Commission
can only do so much and are currently investigating hundreds
of cases, and the PNG chapter of Transparency International
has four staff, and a tiny office in Port Moresby. Other public
agencies such as the police have their own capacity challenges.
The fight against corruption can only be effective if it is
taken into each village, each home, and each school, each
office, and into the minds of every citizen in PNG. This is
where the idea of 'Coalitions Against Corruption' come from.
TI PNG has a vision to take our message to every part of PNG
through strengthening our 'Coalitions Against Corruption'. To do
this we plan to mobilize coalitions amongst different groups: Youth
Against Corruption Association (YACA), the Community Coalition
Against Corruption (CCAC), and the formation of sub-chapters in
regional towns and cities of PNG starting with Lae.
The launch of the Morobe sub-chapter of Transparency
International in Lae is one of the most exciting things we have done this
year. Transparency International Morobe will do the same things we do, except at a
provincial level - advocate for anti-corruption interventions, raise
awareness about the detrimental effect of corruption on human
development, and work with government to improve dialogue and
accountability between citizens and the state.
The Community Coalition Against Corruption started in 2002 and is
jointly coordinated by the Media Council of PNG and TI PNG. It is a
loose network of community leaders who come from the public,
private, and civil sectors. The CCAC advocate around particular
issues. In recent times they came together to oppose two private
Member's Bills that the CCAC believed would strike a huge blow to
our young democracy. The CCAC last met in early November, and
decided that the next big issue for anti-corruption and PNG is the
2007 elections. The CCAC committed to working with the PNG Electoral
Commission to ensure that the elections are fair, effective and
democratic. Of note was their commitment to advocating for more
women in Parliament and in government.
Every citizen of PNG must
ask themselves, "When I was called upon did I stand up for what
was right?" Alone, we are powerless. Together, we have the
power to change the world.
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