The Arcadia Foundation promotes democracy and curbs corruption in governments all over the world. We fight on-the-ground for those with little control over their lives, who yearn for understanding and support from their governments. We provide the platform, the tools and the training for political activism and encourage dialogue and transparency between government and their citizenry.
Its in our hands to create change.
Dec. 27th, 2010
The Wall Street Journal reports that the U.S. Justice Department announced charges against two former executives of a Miami-based telecommunications company accused of paying $500,000 in bribes to government officials in Honduras to maintain a long-distance telephone link with the U.S. Read More
Nov. 2nd, 2010
Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe sits down with the Arcadia Foundation to commend them on their efforts to uphold democracy in developing nations and promote fundamental human rights wherever they are being upheld. Read More
Apr. 11th, 2010
Arcadia Foundation President and former Chief Mediator between the Government of Uganda and the Lord’s Resistance Army, Betty Bigombe has been awarded the Geuzen Medal for 2010 for her efforts to end the war in northern Uganda.
Historically, development was a promise all too often given in the nation with the fourth largest oil reserves in the world. From the federal level on down to the state to state, electricity was and in many cases is lacking throughout Nigeria and infrastructural progression is often subtly put on the political backburner.
Then there is the case of Akwa Ibom State.
Sir Richard Branson last night denied a report in a leaked US embassy cable that he bankrolled a diplomatic effort to sweeten the exit of Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe, writes Alex Duval Smith in the Independent.
A confidential memo released by Wikileaks says that in July 2007, Branson was due to hold a secret meeting with South Africa’s former president Nelson Mandela and other senior African statesmen to discuss persuading President Mugabe, now 87, to step down.
The initiative is said in the cable to have been brokered by Zimbabwean politician Jonathan Moyo, but never came to fruition. Last night Sir Richard Branson’s office acknowledged that he had been approached by Mr Moyo to discuss ”ways to broker a peaceful reconciliation in Zimbabwe” but no further action was taken.
CNN reports that Zambia’s incumbent president has bowed out with “grace and honor” today after election results showed his main challenger had won, his party said in a statement.
“The people of Zambia have spoken and we must listen,” outgoing President Rupiah Banda said on the website of his Movement for Multiparty Democracy. “The time now is for maturity, for composure and for compassion.”
Zambians voted Tuesday in the presidential election.
The incoming president, Michael Sata, will be sworn in Friday, party officials said.
Sata is the leader of the opposition Patriotic Front and a major critic of China’s investment in the nation.
Ten candidates took part in the presidential race .
The Tehran Times reports that HRW issued a statement on Monday saying the Kuwaiti government has denied the Bidun “essential documentation, including birth, marriage, and death certificates, as well as access to free government schools and legal employment opportunities.”
Middle East Director at Human Rights Watch Sarah Leah Whitson said, “Like the rest of the Arab world, the Bidun have had enough and are demanding reforms the government should have made years ago.”
According to HRW, the Bidun in Kuwait live under “vulnerable” conditions and “without protection,” and the government considers them “illegal residents.”
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The World Federation of Diamond Bourses has called on members of the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme to resolve internal disagreements as to whether Zimbabwe should be allowed to export stones from Zimbabwe’s Marange diamond field, saying a continued deadlock is causing irreparable damage to the global industry.
In a statement, Federation President Avi Paz said Kimberley members must “take the essential and courageous decision to allow Zimbabwe to export rough diamonds from all diamond mining areas in the country, including Marange.”
Voice of America reports that Paz said the Kimberley Process has failed to end a longstanding impasse over diamonds from Marange and therefore bears responsibility for reputational damage to the diamond industry and indeed for much of the economic hardship facing Zimbabweans today.
UN officials made a special visit to Tunisia to determine the progress of it’s recommendations involving human rights and counter-terrorism in the country. According to a report from the UN News Centre, Martin Scheinin visited the country for the first time since last January to see what human rights efforts still needs to be accomplished in the country.
An independent United Nations human rights expert today urged Tunisia’s transitional Government to carry out the necessary reforms to ensure that its counter-terrorism measures comply with international human rights law.
“I call for measures against impunity to secure accountability for crimes and human rights violations committed in the name of counter-terrorism,” said Martin Scheinin, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, at the end of his five-day visit to Tunisia. Read Full Paper
Ugandan Parliament was a beehive of activity yesterday as new MPs, including Arcadia Foundation Co-Founder Betty Bigombe, began taking their oath of office, ahead of the official opening of the second multiparty Parliament on Thursday.
At least 123 ‘fresh’ MPs were sworn-in including Lubaga North MP Singh Katongole Marwaha whose election was shrouded in controversies. While Mr Marwaha was supposed to be sworn-in today, authorities in Parliament said Mr Singh had requested to take his oath ahead of time.
While Mr Singh said he was going to travel, there was speculation that he could have been favoured for fear of an impending court injunction to block his swearing- in because of the tumult surrounding the vote-recount that gave him the ‘victory’.
As AllAfrica reports, to run a democratic government in Nigeria is very expensive but the people that run the government determine the political system. In the recent past, the Federal Government has been bedeviled with high- profile corruption which emanated from the military interregnum but has continued under the civilian government. Yet, corruption undermines everything the law enforcement community works toward. It impoverishes whole communities and threatens the safety and security of the many for the benefit of a very few.
Corruption is a multifaceted phenomenon supported by different historical and socio-economic conditions in each country. It exists at all levels of society. Although in the past it could have been considered a largely domestic issue, corruption now often transcends national boundaries. Its consequences are global; its hidden costs immense.
The private sector has responded by implementing ethics and compliance standards and regulations, while the public sector benefits from the ratification of recent laws and international conventions. Oversight bodies and mechanisms have been created to ensure the smooth running of efforts in both sectors. Corruption remains rampant in many countries, continuing to siphon off valuable resources and economic gains. Read Full Paper
Zimbabwean journalists marking World Press Freedom Day on Tuesday in Harare told Information Minister Webster Shamu the country must open up its airwaves and repeal repressive laws under which Zimbabwe remains a difficult working environment.
VOA reports that journalists attending the event organized by the new Zimbabwe Media Commission said that while there has been some improvement on the print side with the licensing of independent dailies, they still feel targeted by authorities for reporting the truth.
The Ugandan Government is to set up call centres across the country to employ over 3,000 youth. The call centre initiative is part of the Job Stimulus Programme that the Government designed to create jobs for the youth, mainly through the use of the growing computing and information technology (ICT) sector.
New Vision reports that Arcadia Foundation co-founder Betty Bigombe, the National Information Technology Authority chairperson, additionally noted that the Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) programme had grown to phenomenal market levels estimated to be over $1.1 trillion per annum.
Under these initiatives, Ugandans will be in position to work for local and multi-national firms and organisations online, ICT minister Aggrey Awori said yesterday.
