Saying No to Corruption Takes Courage

In my Adama community in Ethiopia, the transmission line is needed in 81 new residential areas. Unnecessary bureaucracy, concealment of information, lack of transparency is a manifestation of corruption to receive electric services (ie, forcing people to "pay for tea"). No, leadership and action are necessary to break normal conditions. A group of people gathers to represent our community and receive the necessary services without paying the fee. In this case playing a leading role and sacrificing time for the community is the first step to increase the value of not being corrupt.

The first thing we do is to ask the staff to identify corrupt individuals. Instead of focusing on our community only, we begin to gather concrete evidence according to the decisions made by the authorities to other communities in the city. For example, I found that certain communities and individuals are receiving services earlier than those who first registered the service. This violated the first-come-first-served policies of Ethiopian electric companies.

At the same time, we identified offices that may be useful for us, such as city complaint handling room, anticorruption room, mayor room etc. We revealed corrupt individuals and started to pose serious questions to the offices of corrupt officials. We are extremely cautious about problem solving and we promise to comply with all legal requirements. Over time, our community began to feel irritated. Generally, "payment is the only way", "there is a connection, it is useless to fight with them", "how it differs from the person who makes payment for tea" Become. Since we came up with the idea of ​​tackling this task, we began communicating with the community members of the small group and communicating progress and results.

Finding officials and offices that fight corruption and decided to work closely with them has been of great help to us. But some officials will still do everything they can to get what they want.

Finally, when we got a power line after a few months of battle, our community has been praised its right way and representatives of other people and communities asked us about our experience Whenever you come, you will share with them. . The officials who cooperated in our battle invited us. If you say no to corruption, you need courage. Do not be relaxed - now we are working hard to open the way for our community

It is terrible to support other officials in a dangerous situation and take the initiative. It takes courage that it is the highest risk, as you need the courage to resist fellow pressure to conceal police brutality and corruption. In order to ensure the beliefs of suspects who are dangerous and called bad guys, the temptation of lies is very big. To resist this temptation, we need to deeply respect justice, law and individual rights. Policing can be frustrating, boring and repetitive, and watching the evil escape from the crime can cause deep anger. The temptation to respond to excessive drinking and the use of illegal drugs is truly self-disciplined, and resists well only by temperate and self-respecting police. They will remember that they should do their best for their partners and the mass every day - and they have a much worse performance among criminals and predators among us To do.

To condemn corruption, to support corruption, lack of consciousness, or lack of courage. This is the situation of people who are still quiet learning of corruption. They just protect the corrupted individuals, perhaps they think this is not their problem, or they may be embarrassing, but they make their lives more complicated. Does it help to promote culture accusing corruption? Cultural environment that allows corruption. For example, you may defend and even admire liars ("You must be very smart to avoid taxes" or streamline false arguments without moral basis ( "Everyone did it" "Use as much as possible" "Life is short-lived." Who should advertise this culture? Social leader? Everyone?