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« Let us read a book today | Main | Blogging for governance: on countries and governments »

Blogging for Transparency & Good Governance: on IFIs

By Kaufmann | April 26, 2008

      Blogs are playing an increasingly important role for improved governance.  Blogs do not face the restraints of commercial print media.  The blogosphere is a planet apart from traditional PR departments of public institutions, enabling citizens to share unfiltered information, expose misdeeds, and freely express views.  Blogs help make governments and public institutions more accountable.  In real time. 

     Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) were also involved during the recent Spring Meetings of the IMF/World Bank, and some blogged.  Notably among blogging NGOs there was IFIwatchnet, which monitors International Financial Institutions (IFIs), and with their own blog.  Other NGOs that participated and which play an important role on holding IFIs accountable (even if they do not have a blog yet, but perhaps soon?) include the Bank Information Center (BIC), advocating protection of rights, transparency, and accountability in the governance and operations of IFIs; the IMF/World Bank watchdog NGO Bretton Woods Project; as well as the Heinrich Böll Foundation, supporting democracy, civil society and equality; the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, promoting social democracy; the anticorruption NGO Transparency International (TI); the European Network on Debt and Development (EURODAD), advocating accountability on Debt & Development; and the International Financial and Trade Institutions (IFTI) Watch.  

     Then there are other NGOs whose primary role is not to be so much a watchdog of IFIs,  but which contribute substantive insight into the key challenges in development (and follow the activities of the World Bank and other IFIs).  Some of them mantain an active blog, such as ODI, Oxfam, CIPE, and CGD.  Further –and very importantly–, there are thousands of NGOs and individual bloggers in developing countries who are blogging about the World Bank, the Fund, and other IFIs, many of them providing constructive critiques and crucial feedback.  I just blogGoogled and found about 300,000 blog entries for the World Bank, and a similar number for the IMF.  Not a small number, by any means, even if it is a lower count than for the WTO, and constituting only one-third of the blog entries for either NATO, the UN, FIFA, or the Olympics…

     Finally, closing the loop: some blogging within the World Bank and the IMF has also started in recent times,  such as the South Asia poverty blog at the Bank, and the PFM and the Chief Economist blogs at the IMF.  More on this coming soon..click here)

Topics: Aid Effectiveness, Corruption, Public Financial Management, Transparency, Voice and Human Rights | |

3 Responses to “Blogging for Transparency & Good Governance: on IFIs”

1. Tim Ramsey Says:
   April 26th, 2008 at 8:16 pm

   I recently came accross your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I dont know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog.

   Tim Ramsey

2. Pierre Guillaume Wielezynski Says:
   April 29th, 2008 at 8:18 am

   Great to see you are embracing blogging! Believe it or not, blogging has been going on for over 2 years at the Bank. The PSD blog, (http://psdblog.worldbank.org), the Poverty and Growth blog (http://pgpblog.worldbank.org) and the newly launched East Asia and Pacific blog (http://eapblog.worldbank.org), the Public Sphere blog (http://publicsphere.worldbank.org) are all making a difference in the way we at the Bank engage with stakeholders. More blogs are in the pipeline so stay tuned!

3. Kris Dev Says:
   May 1st, 2008 at 5:02 am

   We are a global, not-for-profit loose knit consortium, for developing and implementing anti-poverty solution in developing economies in Africa, Asia, Latin America, MENA Region, etc., by creating community centric sustainable development based on the principles of transparency and accountability. More of what we do can be seen at http://TrAcNet.blogspot.com.

   A recent article of ours on Eradicating the Evils of Corruption for poverty alleviation that was published in SANGONeT - South Africa NGO Network - A Development Information Portal for NGOs in South Africa - Linking Civil Society through ICTs is as below:

   Eradicating the Evils of Corruption

   By Kris Dev

   Corruption is a cancer eating into the vitals of our society. It does not allow the under developed and developing nations to transcend and become developed nations. Most developing countries are doing well on many fronts - except tackling corruption - which in turn affects many development projects and impacts the grassroots by depriving the marginalised of essential benefits.

   The rich are growing richer at the cost of the poor.

   What is needed is a one-stop solution for solving the evil of Corruption.

   The solution has to change the face of our society and take it from the downward path to one of upward growth.

   One ideal solution would be, to register every citizen uniquely using their biometric (all finger prints, all fingers or palm vein) and issue Multi Purpose Biometric Smart Card cum Debit Card, linked to a Cashless Money Account.

   Every transaction of every individual and organisation will be made through the Biometric Smart Card and the transactions will be made transparent on the web.

   A suitable ‘e-Administration’ communication and transparency tool should be available for tracking all communications and compliance online by anyone anywhere. This would minimise corruption, to the point of eliminating it. It will create a level playing field.

   Total transparency and accountability needs to be made a way of life. Every transaction must be made public, for public scrutiny. This would deter us from doing any thing on the sly.

   We need to create a new world order, where every citizen has an equality of opportunity, and allow every individual to explore their potentials to the maximum.

   This would encourage everyone to contribute their full potential, for the growth of the community and society at large without impeding the growth of others.
   - Written by Kris Dev, ICT and e-Governance Consultant with 30 years global experience in Asia and Americas.

   http://www.sangonet.org.za/portal/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=8585&Itemid=1

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