Corruption Fighters’ Tool Kit - Special Edition 2004

Abstract

"Education is central to preventing corruption. Even clear laws and regulations and well-designed institutions will not be able to prevent corruption, unless citizens actively demand accountability from government and institutions. The attitudes and expectations of citizens are crucial in building a responsive public administration. Therefore, fostering attitudes that do not tolerate corruption is at the core of Transparency International’s (TI’s) work. Ethics education for young people can help to break the cycle of corruption, as today’s youth will be the potential leaders of tomorrow. However, anti-corruption education does not work in isolation. The environment in which children grow up plays a decisive role in shaping their attitudes. Ethics education must be part of a broader effort to improve governance and reduce corruption. Within this framework, children must have an appropriate and conducive learning environment that values integrity. Thus, in order to be credible, anti-corruption teaching must relate to the daily lives of the students and address real life ethical dilemmas, conflicts of interest and corruption cases. This Special Edition of the Corruption Fighters’ Tool Kit presents a diverse collection of youth education experiences mainly from civil society organisations. Although approaching the topic from different angles, including moral or value education, human rights and civic education, they all have a common goal: Strengthening young people’s attitudes and demands for accountability, and ultimately, to build trust in government and the public sector.