Can Citizens Make a Difference?

Can Citizens Make a Difference?

There are all kinds of institutions and laws that can be put in place to combat corruption,
but some of the most effective programs happen at very small scales. Citizens’
campaigns at the local level can, in fact, be one of the most effective ways to fight
corruption. “No progress can be made until citizens are involved,” asserts Shaazka
Beyerle with the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict.32 “To date, there has been
an institutional approach to fighting corruption, but there has been a shift in thinking that
this alone can’t make a dent. It’s important, but not enough. Civic organizations,
neighborhood groups, and community networks all have to become involved,” Beyerle
added.
Examples of this include the youth-driven Mjaft! (“enough” campaign in Albania), which
emerged in 2003 to “increase citizen participation, promote good governance, fight

corruption and improve social justice. For the fourth year, the annual ‘I Vote’ report
disseminates the results of civic monitoring of Albanian legislative activity.” In Paraguay,
“Controlarios Ciudadanas has grown into a network of 70 citizen watchdog groups
covering every province. They share expertise on filing criminal reports of corruption and
getting information to the media about corrupt officials.” In 1997, over a six-week period
in Turkey, the “One Minute of Darkness for Constant Light Campaign” mobilized
approximately 30 million citizens in synchronized mass actions (like turning off lights and
banging pots) to pressure the government to take specific measures to combat systemic
corruption, including launching judicial investigations.
Initiatives that give journalists and citizens more access to government information is
particularly important to ensure transparency. A grassroots effort in India has been
behind the passage and support of the Right to Information Act. The legislation, passed
in 2005, requires public officials to provide information to citizens in a timely manner and
certain government records are now computerized and proactively published. This
legislation enables all Indian citizens to obtain details of any publicly funded scheme,
project, or institution. To date, the act is being effectively used by hundreds and
thousands of Indian citizens and has resulted in a number of indictments of officials.


Daniel Jordan Smith, in Corruption, Global Security and World Order, points to the endemic
corruption in Nigeria—largely tied to oil money, but also based on a long tradition of loyalty to
kin, ethnic groups, and home communities.33 “Favors,” in other words, are expected if one is
in a position of power. Despite this, most Nigerians recognize the detrimental effects of
corruption and are frustrated when elites use a patronage system to further their own
interests. “Corruption can be the norm in a country and people do it in order to survive,” adds
Shaazka Beyerle34 with the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, “but it doesn’t mean
that they like it. The most creative civic campaigns to fight it are coming from the most
corrupt countries.”