The Anti-Corruption Award 2018 Comes This October
This year’s 18th edition of the International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) comes up on October 22-24 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The conferences centers around the Anti-Corruption Award which seeks to honor and reward individuals who through acts of integrity have positively impacted society and fought against corruption.
The Anti-Corruption Award became known by its present name in 2016. It first began as the Integrity Award in 2000. It was set up to establish as fact the idea that corruption can be challenged and overcome in every layer of society, as Transparency International reveals. Anti-corruption activists believe much of the world’s economic woes, underdevelopment and social injustices are linked to corruption.
Categories of Persons Eligible for the Anti-Corruption Award
The organizers of the annual award identify individuals and organizations which have proven to better the society through acts of transparency and public honesty. To this extent, individuals that could be so recognized and conferred with the Anti-Corruption Award include –
- Journalists
- Public prosecutors
- Civil rights advocates
- Government officials
- Integrity organizations
The Anti-Corruption Award Committee is saddled with the responsibility of vetting and ultimately choosing the winners.
Criteria for Selecting Award Nominees for the Anti-Corruption Award
The committee considers several factors before settling on eventual awardees. These factors must cover three main areas which are – impact, courage and sustainability. Based on this criteria, the committee assesses eligible nominees and assesses the following qualifications –
- Nominees must have done something that erodes and challenges corruption in his country or region.
- Nominees must have demonstrated that corruption can be overcome by initiatives they embark upon.
- Nominees must reside or work in a region or country where corruption reigns supreme.
- Nominee must demonstrate courage and international acclaim.
- Nominees anti-corruption work must provoke global interests and emulation.
- Nominees must be seen to be eternally committed to fighting and overcoming corruption.
- Nominees’ actions must have driven social, economic, cultural and political change.
Anyone can nominate someone for the Anti-Corruption Award 2018, but the nominator must follow the guidelines for nomination.
Anti-Corruption Award History
The conference, which first took place in 1983, occurs every two years at different locations around the world and hosts up to 2000 participants from 135 countries around the world.
Past recipients of the award include The Car Wash Task Force in Brazil, which won in 2016. The Carwash Operation was a local money laundering investigation which turned into one of the largest corruption scandals in the world. The investigation brought down previously Brazil elites thought untouchable and resulted in more than 240 criminal charges and 118 convictions totaling 1,256 years of jail time. Those sentenced, included high-level politicians and businesspeople.
In 2014, the winner was South Africa’s courageous Public Protector Thuli Madonsela. Madonsela developed a positive reputation in South Africa as an advocate for marginalized populations and for going after corruption and abuses of power at the highest levels despite meager budgets.
In 2012/13 alone, Madonsela’s office dealt with over 35,000 complaints. In 2014 she investigated South African President Jacob Zuma and his use of taxpayer funds for home improvements on his personal residence. She released a hard-hitting report that demanded Zuma repay the funds and apologize.
The Deadline for nominations to the Anti-Corruption Award is July 15th. The award committee is made up of journalists, economists, lawyers and others working to expose corruption around the world. In August the commitee reviews the nominations and prepares a short list. The winner is announced at the Anti-Corruption Conference in October. You can nominate someone here.
