Corruption on the Defensive
Transparency International, which has worked assiduously to
highlight the issue of corruption and which publishes influential annual indices
of corruption levels in different countries, released a report this week arguing
for a sense of optimism in anti-corruption efforts. While acknowledging that
corruption continues to bedevil many countries, and developing countries in
particular, The Global Corruption Report 2001 notes that an increasing number of
governments and business organizations are reacting to private and public sector
pressure "calling politicians to account in all corners of the world." The
report documents a considerable array of examples, including the public outrage
about corruption in the Philippines that forced President Joseph Estrada from
office, and elections in several other countries, Mexico not least, that focused
especially on addressing systemic fraud and corruption in the public sphere. So
which country is the most corrupt? According to TI's methodology, Bangladesh
takes that honor, followed closely by Nigeria, Uganda and Indonesia. To read
more go to
http://www.globalcorruptionreport.org/
Guess What Causes "Natural Disasters"?
Despite the prominence of wholly man-made disasters in the news, the Worldwatch Institute has issued a timely report which helps to keep the dangers of "natural" disasters in focus. In a paper dubbed "Unnatural Disasters," Worldwatch researchers chronicle the rising costs associated with natural disasters and the preponderance of natural threats. The paper points out that more people are now displaced by floods, hurricanes and fires than are affected by military conflicts (although excepting the 1940s a skeptical reader might ask when the reverse was ever the case). The marshaled figures are telling: in the 1990s, natural disasters affected two billion people and caused over $600 billion in damage -- more than the previous four decades combined. More importantly, the report highlights the link between human behavior and the cause of the disasters. Put simply, humans are often the ultimate or contributing cause of many contemporary natural disasters. To learn more go to http://www.worldwatch.org/
