Dr. Patrick Mardini, CEO of the Lebanese Institute for Market Studies (LIMS), is a leading advocate for market-based solutions to Lebanon’s economic challenges. One year since their first conversation on the podcast, Dr. Mardini updates Marie A. Principe, Program Director for CIPE's Middle East and North Africa team, on the ongoing financial crisis, prospects for reform in key sectors, and how LIMS is engaging local leaders for change.
Amy Miller-Taylor, Executive Director, and Elsa Peraldi, Associate Director, are executives at Global Integrity, a Washington-based anti-corruption NGO that is closing at the end of 2023. In its 18 years of existence, Global Integrity helped nurture what is today a global anti-corruption movement of unprecedented scope and impact. The organization was established on the belief that transformative change requires deep local expertise, something it helped build into CIPE's operations. Miller-Taylor and Peraldi speak with Frank Brown, director of CIPE's Anti-Corruption & Governance Center, to discuss why Global Integrity is closing, what might have been done to prevent it, and how Global Integrity's legacy will be preserved for the scores of anti-corruption organizations that had depended on the organization. This podcast is brought to you by CIPE's Anti-Corruption & Governance Center.
Selima Ahmad, Founder of the Bangladesh Women Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BWCCI), joins John Morrell, Regional Director for CIPE's Asia and Pacific team to discuss empowering women entrepreneurs. They highlight CIPE and BWCCI's partnership and how their work breaks down barriers, Ahmad's story of perseverance in founding the BWCCI, and Bangladesh's current political and economic outlook.
It’s a pivotal moment in Cambodia’s history, and Charles Dunst joins the Democracy That Delivers podcast to discuss the leadership transition as Prime Minister Hun Sen hands power to his son Hun Manet. Does this create a once-in-a-lifetime historic change for the country? Dunst is a regional expert and the author of Defeating the Dictators: How Democracy can Prevail in the Age of the Strongman, and joins Jennifer Anderson, Program Director for CIPE's Asia & Pacific team, to discuss implications of this historic transition and what it means for Cambodia’s future.
The Ukrainian Business Women Platform, founded by President Nadiia Lysetska, specializes in assisting business women and women entrepreneurs, especially during wartime in Ukraine.Lysetska and Kateryna Khudyk, platform mentor, join Deputy Director of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Programs Stephen Rosenlund, CAE, IOM, to explain the essential mission of the association and its impact.
Both Lysetska and Khudyk draw from their personal business experience and explain how the war has changed the role of women in the economy and how the platform empowers those women.
Nadiya Bedrychuk, Ukrainian Direct Selling Association Executive Director and Ukrainian Business Council board member discusses her vision for Ukraine’s future and policy changes necessary to strengthen Ukraine’s business climate and drive growth.
Sankhitha Gunaratne, Deputy Executive Director at Transparency International Sri Lanka, joins Barada Regmi, Asia Program Officer, and Emma Yingst, Asia Program Associate, to discuss the latest anti-corruption efforts in the country, including a law that was recently certified and the launch of a government diagnostic report. Sri Lanka faced its most severe economic crisis since gaining independence in 1948 due to widespread corruption, leading to the Aragalaya protest movement in 2022. Gunaratne explains the economic causes of corruption and the roles and influence of her organization and others, including the International Monetary Fund. This podcast is brought to you by CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center.
Acclaimed Russia expert Jill Dougherty examines the history of Ukraine and Russia and offers her thoughts on the future. Based on her experience as a former CNN Moscow Bureau Chief and Georgetown University professor, Dougherty discusses the global implications of Russia's brutal aggression and how Ukraine continues to inspire.
Marcin Nowacki, President European Enterprise Alliance shares his bold ideas to help strengthen Ukraine’s economy. As a leading figure in Poland's business community, Nowacki is spearheading initiatives to address supply chain challenges and open opportunities for Ukrainian companies. Tune in to learn how Ukraine’s economic entrepreneurial spirit is helping to fuel the economy.
Justin Snyder and Meissy Sabardiah of Indonesia’s Kemitraan, join Gabrielle Cervone, ACGC Program Associate, to discuss their research into sextortion in Indonesia, and explain why it’s a unique problem in the country. They share lessons learned from recently completed case studies funded by USAID’s Integritas initiative. Findings from the case studies should be applied by everyone working on sextortion Snyder and Sabradiah argue.
Feeding Ukraine’s Future features a discussion with Andrii Dykun, Chairman of the Ukrainian Agrarian Council. The agriculture sector has been a main engine of Ukraine’s economy since before the war. This podcast provides a stark look at everyday life for the country’s network of farmers, considered some of the country’s most important small business owners. Some have been imprisoned by the invaders and others are being forced to sell their crops below cost.
Dr. Maximilian Burger-Scheidlin, Executive Director of the International Chamber of Commerce in Austria, specializes in finding new ways to encourage individuals and businesses to adhere to global anti-corruption standards and legal frameworks through business incentives and practical ways to resist bribery and other forms of corruption, especially in difficult environments. Burger-Scheidlin joins Anna Kompanek, Director for Global Programs, to provide an overview of his innovative anti-corruption training program, its target audience, the role branding plays in the success of the program, and its overall approach. Burger-Scheidlin also discusses the sustainability of the program in years to come and plans to further scale up and spread its global reach.
What will it take to revitalize Ukraine’s economy amidst conflict? Dimitar Bogov, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Lead Economist for Eastern Europe and Caucasus discusses economic recovery strategies, investment climate reforms, and long-term growth prospects.
Kateryna Glazkova, head of Ukraine’s largest business union, shares how entrepreneurs are driving resilience and renewal. Learn how strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and improving the business climate can accelerate growth during rebuilding.
Gary Kalman, Executive Director of Transparency International U.S., explains why Beneficial Ownership Transparency is one of the most effective tools for exposing corruption. Beneficial ownership laws reveal the real owners behind companies, even shell companies, so criminals can't anonymously enable financial crimes. Kalman, who oversees efforts to combat illicit finance, discusses the utility of building coalitions amongst business allies and other diverse stakeholders to make progress. This episode is hosted by Johannes Tonn, a Senior Anti-Corruption Advisor to CIPE for Beneficial Ownership Transparency, and Richard Christel, a former program officer at CIPE.
How can Public Banks in the Global South strengthen democracy and governance? Thomas Marois, a global expert on public banks and a political economy specialist, draws from his background working with numerous public financial institutions around the globe. Marois, a recent Reader in Development Studies at SOAS University of London and a Professor in Political Science at McMaster University, where he is working towards creating a new global center for public banking, explains how public banks can and are already helping countries around the world, notably in Vietnam, achieve their sustainability goals. Jennifer Anderson, Program Director of CIPE's Asia and Pacific Team, hosts the podcast.
Invisible Trillions is the title of a new book by Raymond Baker, Founding President of Global Financial Integrity. Baker asserts that democracy and capitalism have progressively decoupled over the last few decades, making it easier for illicit money to flow around the globe. Baker shared specific examples and recommendations on CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast, addressing key issues such as increasing corruption and “golden visa” programs that give high-net-worth individuals residence permits in foreign countries. Eric Hontz, Director of CIPE’s Center for Accountable Investment, hosts the conversation and shares his insights.
In recent years, Armenia’s government has put in place a robust anti-corruption infrastructure to counter what had been the country’s historically high levels of corruption. Hasmik Tigranyan, the Head of the Anti-Corruption Policy Development and Monitoring Department at Armenia’s Ministry of Justice, joins CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast to discuss the progress that has been made to date. Listen now to hear Tigranyan elaborate on the government’s planned initiatives, as well as what this all means for the country’s business community. This episode is co-hosted by ACGC Director Frank Brown and CIPE’s Head of Office in Armenia, Luiza Ayvazyan.
How can associations and business membership groups stay ahead of the curve in these challenging times? Bill Pawlucy joins the Democracy that Delivers podcast to discuss his new book: The Essential Handbook for Nonprofit Leaders. Listen now to hear Pawlucy draw on decades of experience working with business associations worldwide, covering everything from sustainable revenue and governance strategies to advice on how to harness technology and navigate emerging trends. This episode is hosted by Stephen Rosenlund, CIPE's Middle and North Africa Deputy Regional Director and leader of the organization's Associations Working Group.
The episode is part of the CIPE Policy & Program Learning Department's Association Frontiers series, which focuses on sharing the newest challenges and opportunities in chamber and association leadership around the world.
By many measures, Armenia has made significant strides in the fight against corruption since the Velvet Revolution of 2018. Eric Hacopian, a political analyst and the host of the online show Insights with Eric Hacopian, joins CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast to discuss the noticeable reduction of petty corruption in Armenia and how that transition came to be. Listen now to hear Hacopian elaborate on how certain Armenian industries, most notably the information technology sector, led the business community’s push for increased anti-corruption efforts, and describe the impact on the private sector as a whole. This episode is co-hosted by ACGC Director Frank Brown and CIPE’s Head of Office in Armenia, Luiza Ayvazyan.
What really happens when a country is “grey listed” by the global Financial Action Task Force (FATF)? CIPE examines this with Muazu Umaru, Director of Policy and Research at the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering (GIABA) in West Africa. The discussion follows announcements that Nigeria is among the new adds to the FATF’s “grey list” of countries with deficiencies in their structural abilities to counter money laundering and terrorism financing.
CIPE’s Nigeria Country Director and anti-corruption expert Lola Adekanye hosts a discussion with Umaru to analyze the ruling’s impact on financial sectors and the economy, one of Africa’s largest. The two also talk about recommended measures the country must take to address key issues flagged by the FATF.
A CIPE partner is among those leading crisis efforts on the ground in southern Turkey, where massive February earthquakes leveled entire communities and displaced millions. TÜRKONFED (Turkish Enterprise and Business Confederation) was one of the first organizations to respond after the quakes, mobilizing its vast network of associations and federations to assist with immediate relief efforts. The groups are now supporting longer-term business rebuilding efforts amid the grief and despair.
It is considered one of the worst natural disasters in recent history for a region already under great strain, due to war and a growing refugee population. TÜRKONFED’s work is one example of how business organizations around the globe are stepping in to assist governments and fill critical gaps in times of urgent need.
CIPE is spotlighting this growing trend in a new Democracy that Delivers podcast series on “Association Frontiers” hosted by Stephen Rosenlund, who leads CIPE’s internal Associations Working Group and serves as Deputy Director of Middle East and North Africa (MENA) Programs. In the inaugural podcast, he talks with TÜRKONFED Secretary General Ardu Batu and MENA Senior Program Officer Babak Yektafar about current efforts by the business community to assist earthquake victims and help restore lives and livelihoods.
Much anti-corruption work focuses on identifying corruption that already exists. A different approach proves more preventive: helping enhance efficiency, transparency, and accountability in organizations. That is the method used by Erry Riyana Hardjapamekas, who joins CIPE’s Anti-Corruption & Governance Center podcast to discuss the award-winning work being done by the Private Sector Collective Action Coalition Against Corruption (KAKI), launched in September 2020 in partnership with CIPE.
A former commissioner with Indonesia's world-renowned Commission for the Eradication of Corruption (KPK), Pak Erry shares his vision for KAKI. KAKI’s aim is to function as a unique platform that helps the private sector and government prevent corruption. Listen now to hear Pak Erry explain how KAKI provides companies with anti-bribery and anti-fraud expertise and raises integrity standards to avoid facing corruption investigations by the KPK down the road. This episode is co-hosted by ACGC Director Frank Brown and Cynthia Gabriel, CIPE’s Senior Anti-Corruption Advisor based in Kuala Lumpur.