'When corruption becomes pervasive, it exacerbates inequality, stunts development and breeds moral indifference'

In the early days of my career, a mentor would often use the aphorism – ‘if you are not part of the solution, then you are part of the problem’. This, to me, just means that in the working world and in politics especially, there is little space for neutrality. 

In today’s world, there is no excuse not to recognise that every person on a team or as a citizen contributes to the success or failure of the entity you are a part of. Today, we have so many well-known names – business and political - being exposed for their involvement in corruption, bribery, unethical practices and scandals. Their names make it to news headlines and feed the imagination and interest of the public in the short term, but in the long run, it erodes something very critical in the fabric of society; it shakes the very fundamentals of moral values and goodness. 

In a world that is predominantly focused on materialism, acquisition and external growth, there is a certain callousness in how we conduct our businesses and politics; it’s no longer based on values of shared prosperity and national development, it is about greed, power and personal gain. 

Globally, the World Economic Forum has estimated that the cost of corruption is about US$2.6 trillion a year. The impacts of corruption disproportionately affect the most vulnerable in society. Corruption deters investment, weakens economic growth and undermines the rule of law. When corruption becomes pervasive, it exacerbates inequality, stunts development and breeds moral indifference.

We know good leadership is possible and good things can happen if the leadership is right. We have those examples too. It’s just that they are too few in numbers. In the matrix of life, it is time we show real engagement as responsible citizens, it is time to rebuild and restore; to contribute and to take action and stand up for something useful, meaningful and positive. 

Integrity is a choice. These are challenging times for humanity, you can either show up or remain a mute spectator to the decline that is happening around you and thus actually contribute to the deterioration. Will it matter, you may ask. Yes, it certainly will; in the end, it all adds up.