Posted on November 7, 2003

Civil Society

Although the definition of corruption varies widely among organizations, governments, and industries, corrupt behavior almost always erodes the trust that constituents place in businesses and institutions. The latest issue of Open Society News (20 pages, PDF), a publication of the Open Society Institute, examines the devastating impact corruption can have on economic and political development and looks at how civil society organizations are responding to many different forms of corruption. Articles in the issue, The Money Trap: Stopping the Spread of Corruption, describe the pressure and intimidation that potential whistleblowers face from friends, colleagues, and authorities; examine undisclosed deals between multinational corporations and governments that benefit officials at the public's expense; and look at how even strong anti-corruption laws in the most established democracies can be riddled with loopholes.