Czech Republic NGOs Determined to End Corruption
By Daniel Rabanales, Marketing −
A coalition of NGOs has come together to root out corruption in the Czech Republic.
A coalition of NGOs has come together in the Czech Republic with a lofty goal in mind: reconstruct the government and eradicate corruption. The slogan for this campaign is: “We have a plan to end corruption. And we need your help to make it happen.”
The coalition was formed to help rebuild public trust in the government after a scandal rocked the country a little over a year ago.
Czech Leaders Held Accountable
On an important and memorable day against organized crime, more than 400 police officers seized the offices of prominent entrepreneurs and high-profile politicians of the Czech government on June 13, 2013. The then-prime minister Petr Necas quickly resigned and his chief of staff was arrested, along with other businessmen and politicians.
Due to the unexpected scandal and sudden elections, the coalition promptly submitted nine anti-corruption proposals to the candidates for office wherein they would public commit to transparency and honesty in performing their duties. More than half of the members of the Czech Parliament in office today have signed that agreement.
Making Steps to Rebuild
The coalition’s message attempts to rally everyone to take an active part in this process and the organization itself is evidence of this. More than 20 civil society organizations, national enterprises and international donors make up a robust group called “Rekonstuke Stau,” meaning “Reconstruction of the State.”
The vision behind the organization is not new and has been in the making since 2009. Pavel Franc, the CEO of environmental law form Frank Bold, has played a key role in the development and fundraising for the project. They have come a long way since the U.S. embassy provided initial financial support. Those who contribute today are mainly open society foundations, enterprises and individual donors.
As it is common when it comes to politics, the process of rooting out corruption has only just begun. Members recognize this as they continue coordinating their efforts with officials and parliament.
Will the Coalition Reduce Corruption?
At least for now, the combined efforts in reconstructing the state and eradicating corruption from it appear to be underway, working towards a better outcome.
This raises some interesting questions: Is creating a coalition of NGOs the only viable strategy to put an end to corrupt leaders in office? Will this change for the better even last in Czech politics? Will there ever be a way to lastingly ensure transparency and honesty in our governments?
We need a tool to weed out deceivers who influence political and public opinion with deceiving performances and information.
EyeDetect™ may be a solution to the problem. EyeDetect is a non-intrusive lie detector test that examines an individual’s eye movements to determine deception. Using this polygraph alternative, watchdog organizations could quickly and effectively filter out politicians and officials influencing public policy who are involved in corruption at any level. If we allow this technology to assist, we can prevent scandals and restore public trust once again.
