Youth for Transparency Network

Youth for Transparency Network program operated by the Bolivian Ministry of Institutional Transparency and Fight against Corruption

Description of the Experience:

The Ministry of Institutional Transparency and Fight against Corruption has established a national network of young people who have been trained and have become more deeply committed to pursuing activities that foster transparency in the educational and social arenas in general.

Incorporating these new players in the fight against corruption has shown great potential.  More than 800 young people – volunteering with the network that covers 33 municipalities in the Plurinational States of Bolivia – are raising awareness about how corruption affects schools and the population in their towns.

Against that background, the practice may be described as follows:

1.              Empowerment, training leaders to fight corruption:  Under this area, target municipalities are first of all identified (there are 339 in Bolivia), after which a call is put out to young people in schools, universities, and youth organizations, and through social networks on the internet. This is followed by a two-day training using participatory teaching methods on transparency and anti-corruption issues. On day 3, these young people serve as facilitators for so-called "transparency fairs" at schools. They use seven types of educational games (see description on page 9) in which townspeople take part and learn through play.

2.              Young people as change agents in the fight against corruption: Here, the network's young people begin working on their own, supported by municipal transparency units (many transparency units to prevent corruption have been set up as public entities of the Plurinational State of Bolivia). Activities include drawing up a timetable for visiting schools, where these young people do public awareness events using the games mentioned above.

3.              Transparency Caravan: This is a massive event involving road trips through the various regions of Bolivia. Three main events are held in each town:

•  Transparency Fairs: These fairs are run by young people who use educational games to train all the participants.
• Training workshops: There are held at educational institutions and cover transparency and anti-corruption issues. The theater workshops are also based on three important platforms: i) teaching about theater techniques and resources; ii) sending out messages about the importance of properly applying energies and spirituality by avoiding corrupt practices; and iii) building self-esteem, based on the premise that young people can no longer remain invisible but instead must be real players in the fight against corruption. 
• Arts activities: a) Firstly, there is a parade led by a group of young people playing batucadas, dancing as they carry drums, stilts, megaphones, and other accessories. They are followed by students from local schools, carrying white flags and anti-corruption messages. The parade moves through the main streets of towns; b) A performance on the subject matter is then staged by a troupe of young actors doing a play entitled "In the community – hope and honesty press on."  The play is supplemented with performances by dance groups from each community.

As can be appreciated, creative vehicles are being used and generated a lot of interest among municipal authorities and in the society at large.

"I saw it as a very important initiative because, through this NETWORK people are encouraged to make a better effort and it is a good way to start fighting corruption in our country, where we see the evils of corruption everyday ... I love being part of the network; it’s spread out across Bolivia and, hopefully, being new, it can help in a big way. I would love if it didn’t stay silent ... I would like this Network to develop; not to stay where it where it is, because it’s something new for me and hopefully over time it will become a tool to fight corruption in Bolivia – which is what I want to do ...."

Digna Videz Castillo, 24

Training:

Training the youngsters is a three-day, two-part affair.  Part One is the first two days, and entails learning about and discussing issues related to the National Policy on Transparency and Fighting Corruption. It explores their expectations and discusses ways to motivate and empower them to maintain direct, frank communication with the community.  Part Two, conducted on day three of the workshop, seeks to encourage young people to learn how they can use educational games to raise awareness about fighting corruption.  After being trained, these young people run the games, using them to reach out to residents interested in participating in various fairs held around the country.

Outcomes:

• A new approach to making public policy was successfully implemented by bringing young people together and using alternative mechanisms such as games and the arts, which have stirred up young people’s desires and courage to fight corruption.
• A network of young pro-transparency volunteers committed to fighting corruption across the country was successfully established.
• Young people become transparency champions in neighborhoods, high schools, and other places, proving that fighting corruption is not an obligation falling on government alone but is everyone's job.
• In the debates that were organized, young people identified corruption problems and how to get involved in fighting them in their community.
•  The youth network is part of the transparency caravan in many towns across the country; through it, young serve as champions for transparency and anti-corruption issues.
• Based on their drive and leadership, many of these young people were tapped and are now working with transparency units in their towns or in decentralized institutions.
• Theater workshops are conducted on anti-corruption issues, thereby bringing out young people's artistic talents.

"The youth network has been very interesting and innovative – I was able to get the community to learn what transparency is. I think it’s been very important to give people an opportunity to express themselves. I now see fighting corruption as everyone's duty; and, if I get to work in government someday, I would like to help create a culture around this, starting with educating children about the evil that corruption really is." 

Fabiola Elizabeth Gonzales Jiménez, 23

Challenges:

• Implementing an ongoing corruption-prevention education program in schools as a basic factor in building a transparency and anti-corruption culture.
• Establishing a Youth Network in every town, to implement a corruption-prevention education program in schools by promoting anti-corruption values and building a culture of transparency.
• Strengthening coordination with young members of the Network in every municipal government's transparency units by encouraging those government agencies to place importance and proper value on young people.
• Empowering young people to become key players in the fight against corruption.

Lessons learned:

• It has been observed that one effective way to make and implement public policies is through ongoing contact with the beneficiaries (young people) who must be reached though the most suitable mechanisms, such as training, delegation of responsibilities, and artistic vehicles like theater and music.
• Working with young people is complex and promising at the same time. They should not be pigeon-holed nor can they be reached through traditional state broadcast or training media.

Evaluation:

The following monitoring activities are performed:

• Monitoring of the youth network, using computer applications – constant contact is maintained with young people in the network, to get their feedback about the information obtained from pursuing their activities.  Questionnaires are also sent out regularly, and the findings are entered into databases for follow-up.
• Systematization of the learning application and retrieval process. 
• Preparation of the project development memory: the memory of activities carried out through the Youth for Transparency Network is organized and edited.
• The Youth Network’s First National Gathering was held in December 2013, to discuss and share experiences about the work done in all regions of the country.

Useful links:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-de-Jovenes-por-la-Transparencia/471670442910947?fref=ts

https://twitter.com/No_Corruptos

Contact person details:

Professionals from the Ministry of Transparency and Fight against Corruption

Gabriela Veizaga Bellido: gveizaga@transparencia.gob.bo
J. Martín Zapata Medina:jzapata@transparencia.gob.bo
Danilo Mejía:dmejia@transparencia.gob.bo
Daniel Mendoza:dmendoza@transparencia.gob.bo