How young people fighting against corruption around world

Activists are learning to investigate corruption, advocate for stronger rules and hold those in power accountable. Photo- T.I. Indonesia

As we mark International Youth Day this week we are celebrating the amazing young people around the world who are standing up to corruption and demanding better from those with power. 

Corruption can hold back young people from achieving their potential. It drains funds from classrooms and health clinics, blocks opportunities and erodes trust. Our research has found that young people are often more exposed to corruption than adults. In the high-stakes education sector, for example, corruption can include bribery and favouritism in admissions, collusive cheating in examinations, bid rigging and diversion of school supplies, as well as sexual corruption by teachers. 

It's inspiring to see how many young people are taking action to challenge the injustices they see, by tracking public budgets, reviewing public data, speaking up and demanding transparent policies and improved public services. In this edition, we celebrate youth-led, local solutions from around the world that are turning integrity into daily practice and delivering real change. 

In Jordan, young people have just taken part in a Youth Integrity Forum organised by Rasheed (Transparency International Jordan), the final step in a rich educational journey that started with Integrity Schools and an Integrity Academy. Throughout the programme, young people have been developing their skills and confidence to be able to push for integrity and accountability from public authorities, plus practical tools to boost participation, citizenship and leadership.  

During the forum, young participants met government officials and experts and worked on practical recommendations to strengthen institutional transparency, boost digital accountability and foster an inclusive political system. Discussions ranged from peace, justice and strong institutions to media independence and the governance of political parties. Our colleagues in Jordan will share these recommendations with relevant officials to inform ongoing policy development.  

In Indonesia, young people have been collaborating with Transparency International Indonesia, who are committed to ensuring that young people have a voice in governance decisions that affect them. Together, they have identified priority programs for oversight, built local capacity and influenced regional development plans. An exciting milestone was the Youth Integrity Bootcamp, which trained 28 young leaders from seven provinces in procurement oversight, corruption risks mapping and budget management. Graduates are now monitoring important national programmes, from the free nutritious meal initiative to major infrastructure. In addition, 100 young people are now involved in planning and monitoring services, making local governance more transparent and accountable. 

Lastly, Transparency International Zimbabwe organised a forum that brought together 10 young integrity ambassadors from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Madagascar, Rwanda and Zimbabwe. Committed to improving health and education for women, girls and other marginalised groups, they used the forum to exchange knowledge, strengthen advocacy efforts and foster cross-country collaboration. Through peer-to-peer learning and engagement with anti-corruption experts, they explored best practices for promoting transparent, accountable and inclusive health and education services. They also built their capacity in anti-corruption strategies and fundraising to drive their own social accountability initiatives. 

Young people everywhere want a fairer future and are willing to play their part in ending corruption. They’re not just preparing to lead – they already are. Transparency International will continue to support them with skills to hold power to account. We are convinced that when we invest in young people, communities grow stronger and we all win. – Transparency International