Last year I had the pleasure of travelling to T&T as a speaker at the TTTI Anti-Corruption Conference on Whistleblowing. As it happens, as well as being a whistleblower, I am President of Canadians for Accountability (C4A), the only national organisation devoted to assisting whistleblowers in Canada. I had the good fortune of meeting Deryck Murray, the present Chair of Transparency International. I read with interest Deryck's interview. He and I both share a desire for a corruption free world. Being realists, we both realise this will never happen. However, there is a saying that summarises our belief. "It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end." (Ursula K LeGuin) Nothing remains static. If we don't try and improve, we will backslide. The greatest danger that all societies face is complacency.
As for the level of corruption in T&T, it can be reduced if people are willing to stand up for their rights. The government must also demonstrate that integrity and accountability are critical values in the society through programmes and effective laws. The youth of a country learn their values through the values demonstrated by the leaders of a country. The lessons being taught to the youth will set the tone for tomorrow. With modern communication, whistleblowing has become international. Originally whistleblowing was limited to a small area. With radio, the ability to get the message out grew. TV allowed the scope to expand to a complete country.
The internet has allowed whistleblowing to expose corruption to the world. Governments need to realise that their corruption is no longer private or localised. The world is quickly informed whether through Wikileaks, other electronic media or blogs. This applies equally to Canada and T&T. We live in a globally-integrated world. Whistleblowing is here to stay. All societies continue to have great individuals with strong moral courage and a belief in the stated values of society. Whistleblowers have proven time and time again that they have perseverance. People are fascinated and support their struggles and triumphs. While the society values collective responsibility, it also respects individual heroism. The C4A motto expresses our reality: "Individuals standing for the good of the community against the misdeeds of the few." The struggle to improve the world is becoming global. Governments and leaders will soon realise that they are better off supporting anti-corruption methods so that their historic legacy will be untarnished.
Allan Cutler
Allan Cutler & Associates
Canada