Fighting Corruption

Corruption significantly harms the growth, economy and trust and thus, tackling it is not only a moral imperative but also a political, social and economic necessity.[1]The fact corruption has always been very damaging in so many countries is that it doesn’t only exist in economy but rather sustained by corruption of the legal and political systems.[2

If we do not understand the systematic character of corruption in fragmented institutions, reforms seem unrealistic and a game. Procurement, financial management, recruitment, audit, legislation, and the administration of justice were the persistent drivers of corruption in the past in Afghanistan, says President Ashraf Ghani.[3]“Nigeria alone accounted for 217 billion of the African continent’s total 850 billion loss to illicit flows between 1970 and 2008”.[4]

Based on a study in Nigeria, the followings are pre-disposing factors to corruption. Firstly, when there is a distortion in the cultural context and values due to displacement of communities and urbanization. Secondly, when there is a strong culture of nepotism and ethnicity which influences “the irrational allocation of the resources and the the protection of culprits”. Thirdly, when the culture of elite exceptionalism exists, as an example exemption from the laws and regulations for them. Fourthly, when there is an existence of “the culture of impunity across social strata fuelled by the legal system and bedeviled by delays” and the lack of political will to tackle corruption. Sarah Chayes adds that the following four components are also the driving forces of corruption namely “the humiliation inflicted on victims, their lack of recourse, the structure and sophistication of corrupt networks, and the truly colossal sums being stolen”[5].

In Guatemla, three factors namely technology, people and institutional pressure for accountability come together to decrease the level of corruption. People demanding transparency and accountability can make a difference in fighting corruption.” It’s the combination of the loud indignation and the quiet vigilance that will put an end to corruption, both grand and not so grand.”[6]

Moreover, building values is crucial for combatting corruption. “Building values among public officials require sustained public education. Formal trainings can help out but, ultimately, values are most effectively instilled through the education framework, societal pressure, and leaders. Although sustained political leadership is crucial to the success of any anti-corruption campaign, it is important that reforms in this area are not hijacked to implement a political agenda”.[7]

Some learned lessons could be to invest in people’s education, health, and good service delivery and ensure them against the risks of unemployment, poverty, and illness.[8]The development of critical infrastructure for example railways, roads, and power; pursuing social programs such as skills acquisition and creating an enabling economy with investment in agriculture, solid minerals, petrochemicals, and allied industries need to be part of the corruption strategy.[9]

Mobilized, teach savvy, anti-corruption activism is also crucial for fighting corruption[10]. We need to make the data available to the public since more data means transparency with the condition that the data is “supported by tools that allow proper analysis”. The use of information needs to be both sided. The government needs to release the information and the citizens need to take active usage of it. This allow citizens to make informed and smart decisions holding those who are accountable.[11]For example, journalists necessarily can use “advanced investigative techniques, including the emerging discipline of data journalism, to identify the patterns and practices inherent in corrupt activities”.[12]

Moreover, having the office of the Ombudsman could be helpful for maintaining the openness as an oversight body, and for having the power to investigate and report the conduct of public officials. Having a free and independent press can also contribute significantly in terms of addressing, raising awareness, and preventing corruption. Furthermore, having independent and capable judicial system, and law enforcement agencies are very critical. For example, “New Zealand police provide training and mentoring across the Pacific in prosecutions, community policing, human rights, ethics, leadership and road policing.” This generates trust in police and contribute in the culture of service which is the front line against corruption (New Zealand Police 2015)[13].  In Brazil, the campaign about a new law effect in 2010 called “Clean Record”, “transformed individual anger about political corruption into collective action for social change”[14].

“The effectiveness of our various tools and initiatives will also depend on how we are able to link them up, build synergies, provide consistency in our approaches and support co-ordination between institutions responsible for enhancing integrity and fighting corruption”. In order to

create such connections, different stakeholder including the government need to play a significant role to strengthen the links between the “the initiatives on foreign bribery and public sector integrity with those on tax envision, bid rigging, money laundering and illicit financial flows.” Alongside Institutional solutions, we also need to have “rule-based compliance approach” to the political economy of corruption and to the values of public officials

[1]Angel Gurria, Secretary-General of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)2006, [1]“

[2]The Cancer of the modern world-a European perspective: Mart Laar, the Prime Minister of Estonia from 1992-1994 and from 1999-2002

[3]President Ashraf Ghani

[4]President Muhammadu Buhari

[5]Sarah Chayes[5]

[6]Jose’Ugaz who served as Ad-Hoc State Attorney of Peru in several corruption cases state” in its writing of people’s power: Taking action to demand accountability.

[7]Addressing Corruption-openly: Christine Lagardem, the 11^thmanaging director of IMF

[8]How to tackle corruption to create a more just and prosperous world: Jim Yong Kim, the 12^thPresident of the World Bank Group

[9]President Muhammadu Buhari

[10]Addressing Corruption-openly: Christine Lagardem, the 11^thmanaging director of IMF

[11]Taking action to demand accountability: Jose’Ugaz who served, Ad-Hoc State Attorney of Peru in several corruption cases state people’s power

[12]How open data and investigative journalism can beat corruption: Paul Radu, the executive director of the Organization of Crime and Corruption Reporting Project

[13]A culture of fair play: Prime Minister John Key, New Zealand

[14]Taking action to demand accountability: Jose’Ugaz who served, Ad-Hoc State Attorney of Peru in several corruption cases state people’s power

Compassion, Empathy, Strength and Courage

The Dalai Lama says that our whole society has a “materialistic culture”. Emphasizing much in itself brings more anxiety and more loneliness. When you focus too much on yourself, you “become disconnected and alienated from others”. In the end, you become alienated from yourself. In the materialistic way of life, there is no concept of love, but of just work, twenty-four hours a day, like a machine. So we ultimately become part of that “large moving machine”. We are social animals, and cooperation is necessary for our survival but cooperation is entirely based on trust, when there is trust, people are brought together – whole nations are brought together…

The need for connection with others is such a fundamental part of who we are as human beings. Our basic human nature is compassionate; the problem is that children go to schools where they are not taught to nurture these deeper human values so their basic human potential becomes dormant. We are same human beings. When we relate to others from a place of compassion, it goes to the first level, the human level, not the secondary level of difference. Then we can have compassion even for our enemy. When you have a more compassionate mind, and cultivate warm-heartedness, the whole atmosphere around you becomes more positive and friendlier.

Much depends on our attitude. If you have an open heart and are filled with trust and friendship, even if you are physically alone, you will never feel lonely. The only thing that will bring happiness is affection and warm-heartedness. This really brings inner strength and self confidence, reduces fear, develops trust, and trust brings friendship. Kindness and compassion is the antidote to loneliness. We don’t have to wait for others to open their hearts to us. By opening our heart to them, we could feel connected to them whether on a mountain top or in the middle of Manhattan.

On the other side, if one is filled with negative judgment and anger, then it will feel separate from other people. You will feel lonely. If you feel fear and distrust, other people will distance themselves. They will feel cautious, suspicious and distrustful. Then comes the feeling of loneliness. When we are concerned with the well being of other human beings, that inner door opens and we are able to communicate very easily with other people, openheartedness and warm-heartedness

My Experience of Joining the One Young World Summit 2018

We are one world, we are one people, we are one humanity, we are one destiny, and we are one blood[1]. If the world around us fails, we never can be successful!

Be authentic to who you are and be who you are. We need to bring humanity back. It starts with connections-it starts with the brain and the heart[2]. The cost of solving the problems is cheaper than not solving them. You don’t have to be alone and don’t have to do it alone. Bring other people with you. The world changes when we work together.[3]”We are not so divided actually. We are one people travelling around one planet, together. My home is earth”.[4]

Mobility is definitely a fundamental need and Partnership is the key. It brings us together and make social life possible. Mobility is changing dramatically; how do we organize mobility is the key to success.  The former Public Prosecutor of South Africa, Thuli Mandonsela says, “Focus your dreams on the world you want to live in, find areas to step up and advance integrity and form connections to advance your dream”.

Your purpose should be to making the world a better place. We need the knowledge, the skills and the energy of the young people. Making money is not the only goal of the economy. We need people not only for the salary. The purpose should be to work for everyone and for all around. These two things should go together! You need to have purpose and sustainability. Which world do you want to leave behind? Dare to focus on the challenges of the problem, and dare to mobilize. Our voice and our influence could be used with youth to create a different agenda and apply the skills in the communities. “Do not let the voices of doubt to put out your fire”[5]. “You are not a leader by status, you are a leader by action. Believe in your potential, believe in your ideas and believe in your vision”.[6]

800 million people suffer from hunger and they do not know whether their children will be alive or no. 820 million will not have the skills by 2024 to enter into the job markets. Less than half of the people know the skills that are required for the workplace. What are the future skills we need to know? Workers need to be given life skills. Out of 1.8 billion entering the workforce, 1.5 million of them will not have the skills for the work of tomorrow by 2030.[7]Workers need to be taught skills so they can navigate their skills. We do the work not because its easy but because its hard to do. Education should not end at schools. We need to invest in education. Education for individual opportunity, for success, for a civilized society, and for citizenship.[8]How we work in the work place for the future? We need to have a digital curriculum based on the world demand.

We also suffer from a climate change and we cannot mobilize other people if the world goes on like this. Education needs to be inclusive and education needs to be digitalized. We also need to address new forms of energy and should be determined to create a brighter world.

Moreover, we are facing the issue of ethics. The ethical values differ from context to context and the expectations to abide by some ethical values differ from each other in different settings. Consider trust as a currency of ethics and you need to create and generate trust alongside spreading the trust. We need to ask ourselves “Is it the right thing to do and it is ethical thing to do?”. When ethics is an issue silence is never an option!!.

We are good at the what and how questions. We need to concentrate more on the why question. Start more concentration on why do I do a certain thing? And how can we change it? You don’t have to re-invent everything. You can improve it and see what is the level of sustainability you can bring. For example, for entrepreneurship we ned to design our own financial institutions on how to create a bench mark partner. Define the systems and have the courage and step in and take the lead and challenge the status quo. We are to have Deep listening, and patient engagement, understanding and collaboration, and stubborn optimism! WE NEED TO ASK OURSLEVES How we can have Sustainability, digitalization, and Urbanization.

Reimagine our self and see the world how we see the world from space. WE ARE ONE PEOPLE, TRAVVLING ONE WORLD. “When I came to earth, I felt I am home. Although I was in kazekestan”says Astronaut Ron who has been to space. We need to have more collaborations; Image of earth raise, and collaboration, Principle of earth rise: Peace and Harmony. Planet is evolved and thrived fro everyone. Future of our planet could be the manifestation of the world we saw from the space[9].

Global conflicts have affected more than 68 million people around the world[10]. say. We need a greater sense of compassion, humanity, and a greater sense of recognizing the cause of migration[11]. We need to imagine a better future in order to create one. We have to think from our heart, but act from our mind. Its your world, its your now and its your future so lets work on it[12]. There is more power in the young people than in the people in the power[13]. If you don’t do politics, politics will do you. The skills of the future are not tech skills. Its how you combine those skills with soft skills, employability and entrepreneurship[14]. SO step in, take political positions, run for offices, and be the leaders!

Thank you One Young World and the City of Love and Confidence and Peace and Justice (The Hauge) for your great hospitality! My experience was an incredible one and I truly thank you for providing such a platform! Thank you the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs for providing me with the Enterprise for Peace Scholarship. I am more empowered with having a global family! Very much looking forward to joining you for next years and years!!!

[1]Mohamed Amersi

[2]Paul Polman

[3]Naomi Campbell in the One Young World 2018.

[4]Astronaut Ron Garan

[5]Naomi Campbell says,

[6]Olu Odubjabo

[7]Jamira Burley

[8]Former Prime Minister of the UK, Hn Gordon Brown

[9]Astronaut Ron Garan

[10]Illiacalderon

[11]Kumi Naidoo

[12]Former President of the Ireland

[13]Bright Kaomi

[14]Kenny Mafidon

YWLC-Bamyan (Young Women Leadership Conference in Bamyan) Refelction!

YWLC (Young Women Leadership Conference) was conducted from Dec23-Dec28, 2017 in the peaceful heart of Afghanistan, Bamyan!

YWLC had a series of activities regarding ethnic harmony, effective listening, effective communication, trust circle, decision making power, self Awareness, and self discovery, action plan implementation, community mapping, needs assessment, and leadership Skills. We also had national and international speakers who are exemplary leaders in their communities. Our speakers were Wais Khairandewsh, Azadah Raz Muhammad, Naomi Bugre, Raj Kumar, Basel Osama, Nabila Waqef, Kubra Atayee, Shero Project, Anika, Freshta Ibrahimi, Matiullah Rahmati, Mason West, and Zahra Hussaini. All the speakers shared at least one common factor which was the desire to serve humanity and humans, to see smiles on other faces, and to start working for brining that smile, not to wait for others, rather to be the force to bring the change!

Mahboba Hussaini, YWLC-Bamyan Participant, states “I was feeling frustrated in the past, I thought I am a girl and the society does not need my contribution, someone else might be there to change the things! BUT now after YWLC I am very energetic and I consider myself the strongest person. I do understand that my country needs me and I should be a counter force against all the bad things and be a responsible citizen of my beloved country”

The Young Women Leaders in Bamyan are exceptional leaders and a true representation of the resilience and natural strength of Afghans! They are the driving forces of change, with power, determination, and vision…

Angela Samar states, “I learned that I should not only think for myself or my family, but consider the broader picture and empower everyone around me, we women are the changing forces and have the potential to change the world”!

Aqela Nasrat, another participant, says “We discovered our potentials and strengths in YWLC”. 

Ruqya says, “I have big goals for the future, I was confused where to start from to achieve my goals in the past, YWLC was a push for me to take the step and I see myself near towards achieving my goals, I know where to start from, and how to get where do I want to end up! I am equipped with enough tools and confidence!”

Our participants stated that YWLC has shown that the young women coming from Bamyan are the strong women of this land. They also stated that we are creating a support network of women who support each other in each sector!

Visiting Bamyan was such a great experience for me. I saw the inner peace, the calmness, the hard work, the love, the strength, the hope, the intellectual power, the commitment… in my beautiful people! Spending the last days of the year in Bande Ameer, in Bamyan near Buddah sculpture was truly a great ending of the year! Very much looking forward for exploring it again!

Peace &Women’s Leadership

Looking at the countries around the world, coming together, showing commitment, and dedication for preserving democracy and for maintaining, strengthening and sustaining democratic values is a great step towards strong democratic institutions, a strong government and a better, peaceful, prosperous and a more democratic world! Women’s engagement in the peace process and in combating extremism is a crucial point that needs serious consideration from democracies around the world.

I strongly believe that Women are the main forces, powers, inspirations, and leading factors that can achieve sustainable, systematic and real win win peace. Women are the root causes of a peaceful family. We should integrate such powerful forces! If women Lead this process, this is the time where extremist narratives are countered, a new perspective and more innovative ways of approaching the clashes/disagreement are presented!

We need to provide platform for women to have a meaningful decision making power in leading the peace process. Afghanistan and the International Community should have a strong political will, and a greater support for women’s leadership in the peace process. As a young woman living in Afghanistan, I truly understand that how strongly Afghanistan needs and should have women leading this process. I confidently say that with women’s meaningful and true engagement and leadership in this area, the policies, strategies, and negotiations to maintain peace in the country and in the region will be successful. 

There is no ground not to include women in the peace process. They should not be ignored not only because that they have the right, but also that how can a society ignore half of the human force, their capacity, intellect, and their great contribution towards a sustainable country. This is the very right time for women to lead the Peace Process.

My People

Love to my people!

My people love and celebrate diversity

My people are kind, and strong, and powerful

My people are thoughtful, and compassionate

My people have a firm determination

My people think beyond race, language, color, sexual orientation and faith.

My people are against hate and prejudice/ biasedness!

My people know/understand themselves, understand the people/the environment around them

My people are visionary, they know where they want to end up and define the vision for themselves, the community, and the world

My people are honest and direct communicators

My people want to get the outcome with due consideration given to everyone’s legitimate interest and with keeping the relationship

My people know how to effectively manage conflicts and crisis

My people are in the cycle of liberation!

My people are deep analyzers, self reflectors, and better simplifiers!

My people are compassionate, love friendship, and conquer hearts and souls with the internal values and love!

My people are global citizens.

My people are peace builders!!

Participated in the Generation Change Fellowship by the United States Institute of Peace (USIP)! I am astonished and amazed how the vibes of love, prosperity, relationship and bond building, and the true sense of compassionate feeling of “MY PEOPLE” is deeply integrated in the heart and soul of humanity!!

 

#peacebuilding#GenerationChangeFellows #YouthLeadersAcrossAsia

Youth Leadership, Stronger Leadership: A Connected World, and aligned Policies; Harmonious society

I think the most significant obstacle to peace in my community is the dominant extremist, culturally deep rooted, historically well practiced, systematically inherited, pre conceptual “conservative ideologies/practices” which have given rise to some many other problems. This extremist ideology manipulates the younger generation in violent ways and they start joining opposition groups of the government. From the other side, the Afghan government is a new democracy. Warlords have been active in Afghanistan for the past decades. The warlords want to make corruption and disruption in the country more common, since a weak Afghanistan is in their best interest. Youth are getting violent, getting more engaged in extremism and terrorism. Consequently, youth are being used as distractive units in the society instead of constructive units and systems.

I am a firm believer that youth should step in to assume leadership. Young people are the true forces of change, they have a lot of energy, motivation, and innovative approaches of how the future/present of this planet should look. Brining youth together, and paving the way for them to  work strategically to develop policies which shape the governments, the leaders, the world in every sector and are affecting youth participation in social, economic, political, security and peace related issues is one of the very best ways to bring understanding, peace, love, harmony, and development in the countries.

Participation in the One Young World Summit will be an enriching experience since I am closely working with the grass root level, connecting youth to the top level leadership, and working on strategies for enhancing youth’s leadership especially in peacebuilding. It will be a pleasure to share my experiences as a young Afghan woman contributing to youth’s leadership across the country, raising young responsible leaders and paving a way for them to find their potential. Moreover, participating in this program is a chance to enhance the skills to be more effective regarding conveying more systematic strategies alongside youth from across the world as a strong connected network which affect youth’s leadership globally. This will be a rewarding and life changing experience, connecting youth to a diverse, well connected like-minded strong network from across the world.

One Young World Summit is the biggest youth gathering opportunity. Young people listen to extraordinary leaders, establish long lasting friendships and contacts, and observe and analyze the action plans of young leaders from across the world, which in turn gives them the opportunity to reflect, see the commonalities and find a middle ground for partnership across borders. It is an enriching experience to know more about shaping the narratives and how can we contextualize it in our country. Engagement globally with strong and capable youth from across the world working together for a better youth lead world is one of the great things we could do for a peaceful world.

Acceptance and Respect for Diversity!

All human beings have one thing in common which is their desire for happiness. You want happiness, and I want happiness. You do not want suffering and I do not want suffering. This is what makes us one. We cannot get happiness at the expense of someone else’s happiness. You need to be confident and courageous enough to build your society and your home without harming others. Without confidence you cannot build your country and without having compassion and education you cannot serve the nation. Humans should make efforts with wisdom and education which should be mixed with love, passion, and compassion. We should try our best and work hard. The honesty to serve your country with love and kindness will make the nation the greatest one.

Human beings like to call everything its own property. We like to call… my book, my way, my opinion, my sect. These factors lead us to fight each other because of the feeling of belonging and superiority over others due to the “ my things”. If we say that the thing is ours, and we all can use it together in its most effective and productive way with more efficiency, the point of “my” will no longer exist as a distractive factor which creates enmity, separation, discrimination… among human being and create a false perception of arrogance and superiority.

As younger generation, we are able to educate people to lets study together, bring different groups together, discuss together, make friends from diverse sectors, and remove the misunderstandings. Do not go out with a weapon but bring them together in peace because we humans do not favor war and can be altogether in peace and humanity.

Reflection on the Dalai Lama’s Sayings and his wordings…

Find Your Inner Peace and Conquer the World with Genuine Love and Compassion!

Meeting young people from across the world who are sharing a similar vision and responsibility to bring peace to the world gave me an inner peace that together we can create a more compassionate, loving and caring world for everyone!

We live in a world which has been suffering from war, terror, poverty, conflicts, violence, hatred, and materialistic selfish desires (No matter whatever part of the world we live in). However, the counter forces against these negative forces are stronger: we share love, compassion, peace, determination, smile, optimism, responsibility, a thirst for inner peace, and a desire and love for oneness while at the same time welcoming and celebrating our diversity.

We have at least one common factor with everyone and everything, which is our existence and being! To exist and live in harmony and peace, let’s not consider the “we versus them”, or “we and them” or “ours and theirs “pre-occupied stereotypical strong beliefs.

We can achieve local and global peace and of course there is no reason to say that it is not possible. Peace starts from within ourselves, our inner peace, peace in mind, peace in actions, peace in thoughts, peace in body, and peace in everything. “Its all about the inner peace” (The Dalai Lama). How you internalize it and how this internalization affects others around you which in this process you externalize it unconsciously with only your being and presence and consciously with externalizing it through different means and strategies.

 

I met the Dalai Lama as part of the USIP Youth Leader’s Exchange Program. I listened to his voice, saw the truthfulness in his words, heard the voice of his hearth which was full of inner peace, saw a power in his eyes, and a compassion and love in the way he touched the hands and a natural divine strength, optimism and realism in his vision!

Dalai Lama said that fear is creating uneasiness and it creates violence. To deal with it, we need to hate the action not the actor. Genuine love, compassion and forgiveness is the one which is expressed for the enemy. We need to figure out the ways to integrate the person as a healthy person in the society which will help the person and the society as a whole. More importantly, it helps us, the inner peace within us and the compassion in us!

 

Gharsanay Amin

 

 

Explore the World and Discover it!

I went to school in Nangarhar province and was going to English and Math centers with facing many obstacles, resistance and challenges because of getting an education especially co-education as a woman. But I always considered these challenges as opportunities for growth, and for working harder and contributing more. I was facing many challenges, but those challenges made me stronger, that I vision bigger, and as a woman be in the highest leadership position, invest on the capacity building and leadership of youth especially women and be closely engaged with the communities, having grassroots level representation activating the communities and using the down to top approach. Even after the brutal attack on my university, the aim of which was to close the doors for education, we as the AUAF community came stronger, and I as a senior law student of AUAF from Afghanistan got the Emerging Young Leaders Award after the very brutal attack on my beloved university. This shows the strength of education, peace, and that we as a community are coming stronger, and are making Afghanistan and the world a peaceful community. I feel more committed after getting such a prestigious award as it was not only recognizing my efforts but also putting  a responsibility on my shoulders to be a role model for the youth around the world through the grass-root level efforts.

The more we globalize, the better we can transfer values from different cultures. We can build a strong network of young leaders to support each other, be involved in shared projects with one another and make significant changes possible in different parts of the world! I saw that we were coming from different parts of the world and were having many commonalities, sharing a common vision and responsibility for changes in the society, and we were using different approaches from technology to workshops to dance and food to social media for bringing peace, prosperity, equality, acceptance of each other and working for a peaceful world. Young women and men are making significant changes possible, they are the leaders and their contribution, leadership and involvement should be encouraged and welcomed!

Recognizing the achievements of  youth not only inspire these leaders to bring their projects to the next level or equipping them with the tools expertise and network, or building upon their confidence,  or connecting them to a very great network, or recognizing and rewarding their leadership in challenging environments or providing opportunity to experience life in different part of the world; it is also inspiration for youth around the world to be motivated, have visions, dream big, take actions, face barriers, never let the challenges bring them down but rather use the challenges as opportunities to be the change and make the change possible as responsible citizens.

I  am enthusiastic about expanding my projects to all over Afghanistan raising the leaders of the country, brining different ethnicities together and promoting ethic harmony, working closely with the communities, activating the communities, working for peace and stability and decreasing the school drop out rate. I see the future of Afghanistan very bright from 15-20 from now. I am sure about it and we will make it happen!

No matter where do we come from, there are connecting factors that connect us to have peace starting from food to Music and to different types of dances! We as youth should never stop making the world a great place, our contribution make the world how we want to see the future and the present, we are the leaders and the present and the future depend upon us so never let anyone let you down just because you are young, you are never too young not to be capable of anything in world, the amazing ideas you have just go for it and make it happen. Never let the thoughts of lack of resources be a barrier for you, very successful initiative started first not having enough resources, you can make things happen, just go for it! You are very a strong person, never let anything in the society bring you down, redefine the norms and redefine a new reality!  (This last paragraph is what different emerging young leaders do in their respective countries and I combined the work they are doing and their powerful visions in my own wording).

Gharsanay Amin

Co-founder of Youth Empowerment and Leadership Organization

Young Women Leadership Conference, and Afghan Girls Sustainable Education