© 2013 Transparency International. All rights reserved

EXCHANGE Platform for Engagement:

Transparency International Asia Pacific

September 2013

Message from the Regional Director

Our APD team has decided to completely reshuffle the format of the

previous News from the Regional Director (NERD). In this latest

communique ´EXCHANGE´ we want all our Chapters to share their

work, successes and challenges with the rest of the region. The

´Exchange´ will be published every three months, so get in touch with

your respective Regional Coordinators to share news from your

Chapter. The APD is here to facilitate your fight against corruption. I

wish you all the very best with your upcoming work and look forward

to reporting your contribution in our next ´Exchange´

- Srirak Plipat

© 2013 Transparency International. All rights reserved

Updates from the Asia Pacific Department

Successful Completion of RPM 2013! Continue giving feedback on SHAREK

We would like to thank you again for your productive participation at our 2013 Regional Programme Meeting in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. A comprehensive report has been compiled by the APD team which gives a description of all the relevant events, discussions and presentations that transpired during the meeting. A link to this report is available here. We also would like to thank the chapter staff who took part in the NIS training and the advocacy workshop. We are highly excited about the work to that transpired. Last but not least a big thank you to TI Cambodia for organising the event and the incredible hospitality.

ADB - OECD discuss Whistleblowing and Anti-

Corruption Agencies The 18th Steering Group Meeting of the ADB/OECD Anti-Corruption Initiative took place in Dili, East Timor on 23 July. The APD presented its on-going and upcoming work to the participants from anti-corruption authorities and government agencies from the Asia Pacific Region. The Steering Committee meeting was followed by the 12th Regional Seminar on the 24-25 July. The focus of this year’s seminar was whistleblower protection and strengthening anti-corruption agencies in the region. The APD made presentations on both subjects and were well received by the participants with enthusiasm. APD would like to thank Dr. Iftekhar Zaman, ED of TI Bangladesh and our international board member for his participation and presentation on the ACA index project.

Breaking Ground in Timor Leste! APD conducted a scoping mission to Timor-Leste during the week of 15- 23 July in advance of the ADB/OECD anti-corruption initiative

meeting on 23-25 July. The objective of the mission was to identify potential partners, individuals or organisations interested in forming a national chapter and/ or collaborating on advocacy initiatives during the chapter development period. We met with anti-corruption actors in the country including international and local NGOs, donors and international organisations to gather input into how TI can best add value to the anti-corruption movement in Timor-Leste. A key outcome was the establishment of a national contact group made up of respected civil society representatives.

Annual Report, Published!

The Annual Report 2012 is now

available online. This was a

massive collaboration effort that

highlights the many successes of

Transparency International around

the world. Printed copies will be

distributed to the Chapters soon.

The direct link to the online report

is here

© 2013 Transparency International. All rights reserved

A leap in Bhutan!

On 6 August 2013 Bhutan Transparency Core Group (BTCG) organised its first ever multi stakeholder meeting in Thimpu, Bhutan. The key governance and anti-corruption players in Bhutan along with the APD Regional Coordinator for South Asia was present at the meeting. The main objective of this meeting

was to receive input from the stakeholders on the strategic direction of the group and engage in a discussion on a potential way forward. The meeting commenced with several presentations on the spectrum of governance and corruption in Bhutan. This was followed by participants working in small groups on the way forward and recommendations for BTCG. Following the group presentations in the plenary, the BTCG engaged in a work area prioritising exercise. Development of a proposal for funding to be submitted to Swiss Development Corporation who are keen to fund the group, registration of the group as a local NGO and initial consultations on strategic planning were decided by the group as immediate next steps.

Stay Alert for Funding Opportunities

INSP Core/ Governance Seed Funding

The Asia Pacific Institutional Network Strengthening Programme will announce the call for application for Core & Governance Funding soon: Core Funding- To provide the basis for National Chapters’ organisational sustainability in order to build their outreach and advocacy Governance Funding - To strengthen governance and accountability mechanisms of National Chapters in Asia Pacific Some eligibility characteristics are as follows: Core Funding Hiring core staff that plays a key role in ensuring sustainability through developing internal capacity and

securing funding (e.g. Executive Director (with significant fundraising role), Finance staff, Human Resources Manager, Grant writer/Fundraiser)

Basic office maintenance costs, including office rent/scale-up of office (including purchase of new equipment) to accommodate new projects stretching the office capacity

Trainings/consultancies which aim at strengthening core capacities of the National Chapter Development of knowledge management systems to enhance internal learning Other relevant issues identified during capacity assessment process Governance Funding Conducting national strategic planning activities and exercises (high priority in follow up to the

endorsement of the TI Strategy 2015) Strengthening membership and / or governance bodies Strengthening financial management If you are interested stay alert for the announcement.

© 2013 Transparency International. All rights reserved

Events and Announcements

AMM Reminder! As you are aware through our email communication, the Annual Membership Meeting and Regional Governance Meeting are around the corner. They will be from 7-10 November. The deadline for registration is 15 October. We advise you to stay connected to us through emails for a speedy and smooth management of travel, stay and conduction of meetings. We are excited to welcome you in Berlin!

Leadership Training participants selected!The second Executive Leadership Training will be held on the 12

th November. The TI Institutional Network

Strengthening Programme is organising this event covering all the regions in our movement. The training aims at further enhancing professional approaches in our work especially covering aspects relating to management and leadership skills. Participants for the event were selected on the open call application process which went out to the chapters.

Global Corruption Report (GCR): Education The Global Launch of the GCR took place on 1 October in Hungary. A total of 37 Chapters, including a number of chapters from our region have expressed their interest in hosting national launches. The online link to the report is available here. The Asia Pacific Regional Launch will take place on 15

th October 2013

in Seoul, South Korea.

Global Education Network Coordinator Nguyen Thi Kieu Vien, the founder of Towards Transparency joined TIS to fight corruption at the global level as the Global Education Network Coordinator. Vien is ready to provide coordination advice for any of your national level advocacy work on the GCR. She can be contacted at: kieuvien@towardstransparency.vn

Pacific Chapters Come Together in New Zealand!

Chapter representatives from Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu joined APD staff for the Annual Pacific Meeting in Wellington New Zealand on September 21-22. The Pacific Meeting provides chapter Executive Directors, Executive Officers, Chairs and Transparency International Asia-Pacific department staff with a forum in which to highlight achievements, address challenges and identify lessons learned in the Pacific Institutional Network Strengthening Programme (PINSP).A big thank you to TI New Zealand for their support in organising the event.

© 2013 Transparency International. All rights reserved

Updates from National Chapters YOU ARE INVITED! In this new format in sharing information with you, we will be allocating space for our

national chapters. The Newsletter will be published on a quarterly basis with a space gap of three

months. We encourage you to feed into this section with your key chapter highlights including activities

that you organised, and/or any other information that would be useful for other chapters and our

stakeholders to know. So get in touch with your regional coordinator!

TI Nepal CELEBRATES! 18 years of fighting corruption with a difference

TI Nepal’s (TIN) celebration of its 18th anniversary on the 19 August was marked by a celebration of a different kind. The Chapter decided to disseminate their message of anti-corruption through an artistic means by collaborating with a well-known theatre group to stage the play Bhikshyam Dehi. The play depicted the plight of corruption in the country —an unequal land where corruption and poverty are everyday realities. The message of the play resonated well with an audience which only knew too well the degree to which corruption affects Nepali society. There were many

sequences in which the audience couldn’t resist encouraging the actors with rounds of applause. The anniversary celebrations ended with many requesting a repeat performance of the play to a larger crowd in different parts of the country.

Congratulations!! TI India wins at Global Development Awards

TI India secured third place at the prestigious Global Development Awards in Manila in June in recognition of its work on Development Pact Programme. In India, the pacts have created visible and significant change in provision of public services and infrastructure including increasing transparency in access to equal distribution of agrarian services and preventing teacher absenteeism in schools. Click here to find more about the award and the awardees.

Asia Pacific wins ALL Top Positions in the Youth Photo Competition!

The winners of the 20th Anniversary Youth Photo Competition organised by TIS have been announced. The

photos were sent in by individuals aging 18 to 30 about the effects of corruption on their world. We are proud

to announce that the first three winners and several merit awardees are from the Asia Pacific region.

For more detailed information on these pictures and their respective photographs visit TI website or click

here.

© 2013 Transparency International. All rights reserved

First Place – Bangladesh

Second Place, India

© 2013 Transparency International. All rights reserved

Joint Third Place - Bangladesh Joint Third Place - Philippines

Welcome and Farewell

Farewell Jessica Sercombe- APD would like to take the opportunity to wish a

farewell to Jessica. She interned with the APD for six months till 10 July 2013. Among other things she tremendously contributed to developing an Operational Standards Guidebook for the APD, compiling ALAC stories from the region, working on the NIS Animation and Country Profiles and taking a lead in organising the Anti-Corruption Agency Index expert´s meeting in Malaysia. We are extremely thankful to her for her dedication and hard work. Soumya Saxena- Another farewell is wished to Soumya who had

rendered her services to the TI-S APD for a span of one year, as an intern and then as a Department Assistant. She was the strength behind organising the Annual Membership Meeting 2012, Regional programme meeting in 2013, APD winter and summer retreats. Her contribution for the smooth operation of the APD for the past six month is highly valued and acknowledged.

Welcome Sofia Khan- APD would like to introduce the new intern of the department, Sofia

Khan from Pakistan. She has a Masters in Management of Non-Profit Organizations from the University of Applied Sciences Osnabrueck. Before joining TI she interned with the Ethnic Communities Council in Sydney Australia. Sofia also has previous work experience in the developmental sector in Pakistan working on USAID funded projects. She speaks English, Urdu/Hindi, German, and Phusto.