Large-Scale Corruption (governments, corporations, organized crime) is the origin of all serious and fundamental global problems, either directly or indirectly:
- war and terrorism, organized crime and violence, traficking of weapons, drugs, people and animals;
- violation of human rights, exploitation of human and natural resources, the false "crisis";
- famine, contamination, deforestation, extinction of species, destruction of nature in general, climate change, global warming.
To eradicate Corruption, it is essential to Abolish Bank Secrecy and bring down that opaque, secondary money system as a whole, so that the Financial Pirates of today, at least can't dispose of their Treasure Islands where to hide their Loot anymore.
Independency Project is in the first place concerned in finding, inventing and sharing all possible ways that can, directly or indirectly, lead to the total abolition of Bank Secrecy and Offshore "banking" (Tax Havens - Treasure Islands).
Corruption is a large chain that starts at the top (Tax Havens and Banks) and then spreads throughout all global society.
"Wealth doesn't trickle down" (the Guardian) Corruption DOES!
Let it be clear that we consider Lobbyism as nothing else than some legally allowed form of corruption, in much the same way as Offshore "banking" somehow seems to be considered legal by a few.
The Bank has identified corruption as among the greatest obstacles to economic and social development. It undermines development by distorting the rule of law and weakening the institutional foundation on which economic growth depends.
Hundreds of governance and anti-corruption activities take place throughout the World Bank. These activities focus on monitoring staff conduct at the Bank, minimizing corruption in World Bank-funded projects, and helping countries improve their public sector and control corruption.
As outlined in the World Bank's Strategy on Governance and Anti-Corruption, the Bank will continue to expand efforts in these areas on three fronts: At the country level, the Bank is helping countries build capable, transparent, and accountable institutions and design and implement anti-corruption programs.
In Bank-funded projects, the Bank is minimizing corruption by assessing corruption risk in projects upstream, actively investigating allegations of fraud and corruption, and strengthening project oversight and supervision.
At the global level, the Bank is expanding partnerships with multilateral and bilateral development institutions, civil society, the private sector, and other actors in joint initiatives to address corruption.
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Corruption is a cancer and no country, rich or poor, is immune nor is a multilateral development institution. Fraud and corruption have undoubtedly occurred in Bank-funded projects, but it would be nearly impossible to determine how much Bank money might have been lost. Corruption on a world-wide, country-by-country basis has not been measured by anyone, given the difficulties and enormous costs of collecting quantitative data on the subject.
Corruption sabotages policies and programs that aim to reduce poverty, so attacking fraud and corruption vigorously is critical to the achievement of our overarching mission to reduce poverty.
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Charmian Gooch: Meet global corruption's hidden players
Heather Brooke: My battle to expose government corruption
Peter Eigen: How to expose the corrupt
All Wars are Banker's Wars
Siemens corruption (part of the Black Money documentary)
All companies get around laws and bribe in some fashion or the other. Often these involve extraordinary amounts of money. If you don't believe it, watch this segment from a PBS documentary about how Siemens conveniently did this by dealing in "slush funds" to capture business and stay competitive. Later, Siemens AG was found guilty for violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act by the U.S Justice Department and was slapped with a whopping 800 million dollar fine.
Black Money (full documentary - Frontline)
As the global financial downturn continues and pressure for profits increases on corporations across the world, a small group of lawyers in the U.S. Justice Department is pursuing an aggressive crackdown against an international business tactic -- bribery -- which the World Bank says amounts to as much as a trillion dollars a year in payments... more >>>
War against corruption
*Use of the term Corruption on this website
Corruption has a broad meaning and coverage. For ease of word this website will just stick to the one simple and well-known term of "Corruption", understanding it in it's widest sense (as stated on wikipedia"In philosophical, theological, or moral discussions, corruption is spiritual or moral impurity or deviation from an ideal.") to refer both to all authentic financial crime as to any obscure, doubtfully legal and clearly unethical fiddling with money. It includes fraud, swindle, embezzlement, obscure speculation, all manipulation of black money and any other behaviour that is "officially" rendered legal by hard to believe arguments and elaborate (financial and/or legal) mechanisms that lead to surrealistic enrichment of one person or a small group, against considerable disadvantage or loss of another person, (bigger) group or the environment. And of course any use of Tax Havens, since by definition they exist for corruption only.
Ocasionaly we will use the term "(financial) Piracy" in direct analogy with the Treasure Islands since they are so closely associated.