As an American, do you want to make sure that our help reaches those who need it most instead of ending up in the hands of corrupt middlemen or officials? So do the people who live in the world's poorest countries. And together, we're doing something about it.
Right now, reformers in the world's poorest nations are standing up to fight for clean government and democracy. In Malawi, local parents tour the country's schools making sure textbooks paid for by international assistance actually arrive in the hands of students. (See www.oxfam.org/eng/pr050630_corruption.htm.) In Uganda, a group supported by Oxfam recently named and shamed a corrupt official who pocketed funding meant to improve their roads, sending him to jail. And today, 23 African countries have volunteered to have outside experts come in and scrutinize their governments for corruption and poor public services.
What works is fighting corruption by giving international assistance to honest governments, private charities, and faith-based organizations and then holding them accountable. (See www.one.org.) Today, America ensures that our international assistance goes to those countries that fight corruption, rule justly, and invest in their people. It's also essential that when we give assistance or when American companies invest overseas, we do not encourage corruption. Together with debt cancellation, trade reform, and increased aid, anti-corruption measures have the power to help Africa and the world's poorest nations beat AIDS and extreme poverty.
America's help is a compact; our compassion offered in exchange for real, measurable results that make a difference. Together as ONE, we can help people who are victims fight corruption and make their own governments accountable and invest in a better future for everyone.
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This article appeared in the Fall 2005 issue of the Covenant Discipleship Quarterly. Copyright © 2005 General Board of Discipleship.
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