Greetings from the Global Investigative Journalism Conference in Lillehammer, Norway. One of the best aspects of this annual conference is the chance to meet so many Global Integrity experts in person. I’ll try to share some highlights during the next 48 hours, but for now wanted to post a picture of some of our colleagues…
The BBC reports on the unlikely rise of Asif Zardari, once the “most mistrusted politician” in Pakistan. BBC: The victory of Asif Zardari, husband of assassinated former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, in Pakistan’s presidential election represents an extraordinary turnaround for the most mistrusted politician in the country. BBC: The ‘master plan’ to save Pakistan –Jonathan…
A new book by Global Integrity and the UNDP examines the state of the art of corruption measurement. Based largely on interviews with governance data’s end-users, A Users’ Guide challenges some long held assumptions about what a good corruption metric looks like. A Users’ Guide to Measuring Corruption is available for purchase (at cost) or…
A phone call from a shadowy bureaucracy shuts down an anti-corruption conference moments before it begins — an example of the routine harassment directed at reformers worldwide. The Anonymous Sovereign BodyBy Mohamed Abdel Aziz On the night of August 27th 2008, and few hours before the convening of the Final Evaluation Conference on the project…
With a neo-Cold War standoff brewing, it’s a shame the caricatures of Georgia’s government have little to do with the facts. In truth, Georgia’s young democracy is more flawed than its boosters would have you believe. Georgia’s Lessons for the Next U.S. PresidentOp-Ed by Nathaniel Heller & Global Integrity While plenty of justified handwringing is…
Anti-government protesters threaten to shut down Thai utilities and transportation in an effort to head off the ruling party’s electoral success. As tensions escalate, irony looms large. NY Times: Despite its name, the People’s Alliance for Democracy, leading the anti-government protests, is explicitly calling for a less democratic structure. “We used to chant the mantra…