'What works and why in community-based anti-corruption programs'

What works and why in community-based anti-corruption programseducation resources for university students were developed and tested with a range of religioneducators based in Islam, Christianity, Buddhism and Hindiuism as well as teachers in civics,Pancasila philosophy, ethics and other social studies. Rather than setting anti-corruption education upas a separate subject, the materials provided educators with tools for appropriate adaptation andincorporation into their existing courses on values and ethics. Educators and students respondedpositively to the courses and materials, evaluating them as useful and challenging.Key strengths● Religious guidance plays an important role in many people’s decision-making processes.The Coalition’s strategy was sophisticated and comprehensive, targeting the involvement of seniorreligious leaders, educators and young activists.● Unlike alliances that focus only on discussion about corruption, this coalition developed acollective position, and then focused on practical and tangible projects, such as the production of anticorruptioneducation materials for religion and ethics courses.● The strategy of integrating anti-corruption education with religion and ethics subjects, alreadywell established in universities’ curriculum, was successful in addressing teachers’ concerns that theircurriculum could not accommodate new courses.Key challenges● With five religious represented in the coalition, and individual religious leaders in each faith-grouppreaching with their local communities, some inconsistencies emerged across the approaches andmessages contained in sermons and preaching.● Managing coalition members’ view of an appropriate public response to corruption was also a keychallenge. Some members sought to mobilise the constituents of their religious community to putpressure on policy-makers. Other religious leaders believed mass mobilisation contravened theirreligious teachings that condemn violence. In order to bridge these differences, the Coalition firstsought open and constructive dialogue with government authorities or officials, and agreed to ask onlyparticular religious communities to mobilise their communities for public activities.● Individual representatives on the coalition are often community spokespeople or leaders indemandfor other community activities.Establishing Anti Corruption Movement through Formal and Informal Religious Education – Indonesia- 34 -