Pressrelease
August 16, 2016
TI Ukraine Called on Citizens not to Tolerate Corruption
The prevailing highlevelof citizens’ tolerancetocorruptionisoneofthereasonswhyUkraine continues to score low in CorruptionPerceptionsIndexand intheIndexofEconomicFreedom.This was stated bythe message of the representatives of Transparency International Ukraine during the launch of a new communications campaign “Corruption Must Be Spotted”. The campaign is directed at reducing social tolerance to corruption. The journalists could experience the challenge of tolerance at firsthand during the provocative social experiment at the beginning of the press conference.
22 % ofpopulationinUkrainethinks that bribery can be excused. However, our country’sscoresin the Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI), the Index of Economic Freedom and the Happy Planet Index in are relatively low. ТІ UkrainehasanalyzedtherelationshipbetweentheseindicesintheEuropeancountriesandfound a pattern: Societies with higher tolerance to corruption, where such practices are more widespread and citizens enjoy less economic freedom, tend to be more unhappy. «Thatiswhythe fight against corruptionmustbeconducted oneveryfront: atthelevelofexistinglegislation, by irreversiblepunishmentforcorruptactsandatthelevelofeducationofpopulation, the change of mentality,» stated AndriiMarusov, Chair ofTransparencyInternationalUkraine.
Forthejournaliststoexperiencethechallenge of experiencing corruption, ТІ Ukraine decided to carry out a provocative experiment: before the press conference started, together with press releases,the journalists received envelopes with UAH 100 inside. The results showed that 35% of the journalists were not ready to tolerate corruption and refused the bribery attempt. When the press conference was over, almost all the money was returned, which attests to the high level of consciousness of the Ukrainian media community.
ForalreadythreeyearsTransparency International Ukrainehas been working on the social mentality change with regard to corruption. To do so, the organization creates socials ads, which portray corruption as a destructive phenomenon. «CorruptionMustBeSpotted», developed in the collaboration with theCheil Ukraine communications agency includes gender-sensitive external advertising, anti-corruption recordings on radio and strip cartoons. «Theideaofthecampaignhasdoublemeaning.Firstly,itappeals to ”spot” corruptionanddestroy the doublestandards: any especially peoplewho blamecorruptofficials, butthemselvesdo not opposelivinginaluxuriouswayforcorruptmoney. Secondly, the campaign offers the opportunity to expose corruption and demands the inevitability of punishment for corrupt offences. Our main aim is to create a social inquiry which would press on the authorities, demanding real changes,» said OlhaTymchenko, the Head of the Communications Department of ТІ Ukraine.
TheMinistryofInformationPolicy and socially responsible business(SRB) providedassistanceby showing the ads for the third time. According to the Deputy Minister of Information Policy ArtemBidenko, business has been focused on zero tolerance to corruption for a long time, while thebeaurocratic apparatus resists the changes. «Thatiswhyapowerfulsocialinquiryforrealchangesandanti-corruptionfightmustbeformed,» stressed ArtemBidenko.
Thesocialcampaign“CorruptionMustBeSpotted” hasbeendevelopedbasedon the recommendations of the «Anti-corruption Communications Strategy», as a pilot project of the Decorruption Communications Platform. «This Platform will unite the representatives of civil and international organizations, advertising business and anti-corruption bodies. It is established to consolidate anti-corruption communications campaigns in the country and to vest them with more diversity,» told IhorHoncharenko, Acting Chief Coordinator of the Project Management Office/Anti-Corruption Reform at the Council of National Reforms of Ukraine.
Creativeandoff-standardinformationproductsweredevelopedby Cheil Ukraine communications agency. The Ministry of Information Policyprovidedassistancewiththe placement of ads: Ukrainianswillseemorethan 500 ofexternaladsaroundthecountrythisyear,andlistentooriginal radio recordingsbroadcastedbyLux FM, Radio 24 andtheRadiogroup TAVR MEDIA (Kiss FM, RAdioRoks, Relaks, Melodiiaandothers). Social advertising aids were created with the support of Magai Production, photographer Andrey Demenyuk, and Artpost, creators of the series of anti-corruption strip cartoons on in the Uptown ChroniclesThe campaign is implemented in the framework of the project the Ukraine National Initiatives to Enhance Reformsis funded by USAID and implemented by Pact, Inc. in Ukraine. Due to the joint efforts the effect of the communications campaign will be much more profound. And this will help us to reduce the level of tolerance to corruption in Ukraine and to replicate the success of other countries.
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Contact for media: Olga Tymchenko, Communications Department Head of Transparency International Ukraineм.т. 050-352-96-18,
e-mail: / Note: Transparency International Ukraine is a national chapter of Transparency International, an anti-corruption NGO with over 90 national chapters; which operates in more than 100 countries. TI Ukraine’s mission is to limit the increase of corruption in Ukraine by promoting transparency, accountability, and integrity in both the public authorities and civil society. You can learn more about the organization’s activity on the website