Displaying items by tag: Corruption

In November Prayer Alert drew attention to Oxfam dismissing 22 employees over sexual abuse allegations, and you prayed for all that is hidden to be revealed in its management of overseas networks. See In 2015/16 Oxfam, the fourth biggest fundraiser in the UK, saw £553,479 go missing to fraud and corruption. It is tackling problems of sex assaults and sexual exploitation among its workforce, and a number of investigations into deaths of people driving or struck by its delivery vehicles overseas. Pray that the current scandal will not mar the public’s confidence to give to needy causes, through established charities (during 2016/17 Oxfam provided emergency support for 8.6 million people hit by conflict and natural disaster).

In 2017 anti-Putin rallies attracted thousands in remote regions where people opposed Kremlin-run politics and called for credible opposition to be allowed to stand in elections. Alexei Navalny planned to face President Putin in March’s Presidential election, but was banned after dubious fraud accusations. On 28 January he was freed from a twenty-day jail term for organising anti-Putin protests, but was re-arrested the same day. Thousands protested against government corruption outside the Kremlin and across Russia, calling the election a farce and urging people not to vote. Kremlin-controlled media are not covering the protests. Putin is expected to win, but his main concern is getting enough people voting to make the election appear credible. For INSIGHTS into unethical, corrupt elections due in 2018 click the ‘More’ button.

Six months ago, 93% of Venezuelans said their income was not sufficient to buy the food they need. 75% reported suffering weight loss, averaging 9 kg. The price of food is fifteen times the minimum wage, and prices continue to rise. The director of a Caracas-based health and nutrition charity said, ‘Malnutrition in Venezuela is a problem of corruption, not a lack of money’. Government price controls and other policies have crippled domestic production, and after the oil price drop caused imports to decrease dramatically, insufficient food is available for the over 30m Venezuelans. Meanwhile President Maduro’s efforts to consolidate power amid a deepening economic and humanitarian crisis have drawn widespread international condemnation. There are severe food and medicine shortages, soaring crime rates, and an increasingly authoritarian executive. 70% of the population is Roman Catholic and 29% percent Protestant. See

Many the articles in this week’s Prayer Alert have depicted an aspect of corruption in different countries. The International Anti-Corruption Conference (IACC) is the world’s premier global forum for bringing together heads of state, civil society and the private sector to tackle the increasingly sophisticated challenges posed by corruption. Established in 1983, the IACC takes place every two years in a different region of the world, and hosts between 800 and 2,000 participants from over 135 countries. It advances the anti-corruption agenda by raising awareness and stimulating debate, and fosters networking, cross-fertilisation, and the global exchange of experience that is indispensable for effective advocacy and action, on global and national levels. The 18th IACC will take place in October 2018; we can begin to pray now for the delegates that God intends to participate, that He will prepare each one of them spiritually and physically for the event.

In a few days protests spread across Iran, with demonstrations different in size, leadership and objectives from those in 2009. The protests started in Mashhad, when religious hardliners voiced legitimate economic grievances to score points against the Rouhani government. They lost control of events when corruption and falling living standards prompted political slogans against the Islamic Republic. Next, there were demonstrations praising Rouhani, but the core demonstrators chanted uncompromisingly anti-regime slogans. Many believe these protests are powered by people who tend not to vote, believing the system cannot be reformed. A spokesman for the Revolutionary Guards said that anti-government protests were over, but offered no evidence of how they had been defeated beyond arrests. His comments appeared to be a warning against more rallies. The BBC and Al Jazeera say that protests are still happening.

In this fallen world people in positions of authority break laws. The following are corruption instances in a three week period. Four Baltimore police detectives distributed heroin. A congressional staffer organised fraudulent money laundering schemes. A deputy secretary of state committed perjury. A Detroit deputy chief of police committed bribery and conspiracy. A Navy comptroller accepted illegal gratuities. A state judge dismissed cases in exchange for personal benefits. A Philadelphia judge and a witness made false statements to the federal election commission. Audio evidence in a federal investigation was tampered with for financial gain. A construction company paid $1 million in bribes for Atlanta contracts. A Drug Enforcement Administration special agent obstructed justice, committed perjury and other crimes; a former Task Force officer was also charged. A Pine Bluff man stole $1 million intended to feed hungry children. A Vigo County sheriff’s deputy committed fraud. Corruption damages the economy, reputations of businesses and of those fighting for justice.

President Nicolás Maduro won a controversial election for a new Constituent Assembly with the power to rewrite Venezuela’s constitution,  allowing him to replace the current National Assembly with an assembly of 545 members nominated by his administration. The impoverished nation - wracked by an economic crisis, hyperinflation, food shortages, medicine shortages, starvation, skyrocketing infant mortality, civil unrest and street violence - has endured months of anti-government protests with many violent deaths. Maduro said his new Assembly ‘would bring peace to a polarised country, with all branches of the government falling under the political movement.’ Two of Australia’s major trade unions pledged support for the socialist dictator of Venezuela and his Bolivarian Revolution Socialist Government while America has imposed sanctions and the international community are discussing ways to stabilise the country after allegations of election ballot fraud. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/aug/02/venezuela-voting-fraud-corruption-allegations-protests.

Churches must be officially registered with the authorities. A recently passed new law  guaranteed religious freedom, but vague legislation banning religious activity that could ‘harm social order and/or national unity’ appears to give authorities freedom to crack down on religious freedom where it is deemed to be against the interests of the state. Vietnam’s communist government considers Christianity an opponent to the one-party state. Christians are facing harassment and violence. Gangs of nationalist youths have terrorised a Christian community in Song Ngoc, attacking a church and homes and targeting Christian business owners. Weeks of intimidation and low-level violence carried out in an orchestrated manner is being ignored by police. Church leaders helping impoverished local fishermen in a legal case following a marine pollution disaster have appealed to the authorities. Pray for church leaders to have strength as they stand against the government for the rights of poor fishermen.

After only six months, Romanian prime minister Sorin Grindeanu has been forced from power, losing a no-confidence vote in parliament by 10 votes to 241. His left-wing Social Democrat party (PSD) had accused him of failing to carry out necessary economic reforms. He had also been involved in a power struggle with party leader Liviu Dragnea, who was barred from office after a conviction for voter fraud. The decision by his own party and its allies to oust him was seen as a first, even for Romania's turbulent politics. The PSD won elections in December, but within weeks protests erupted across the country over a decree seen as weakening anti-corruption measures in one of the European Union's most corrupt member states. Although Mr Grindeanu withdrew the decree, the crisis weakened his government and soured relations between himself and Mr Dragnea. In its most recent report, the EU's executive praised Romania's anti-corruption agency (DNA), but warned that the fight against corruption was under serious threat from political and media attack.

South Africa needs change, and churches there have just completed fifty days of blessing the nation through prayer (16 April to 4 June). Human Rights Watch reports that ‘public confidence in the government’s willingness to tackle human rights violations, corruption, and respect for the rule of law has eroded’, and ‘an estimated half-million children with disabilities have no access to basic education’. The government continues to fail to combat the high rate of violence against women and the continued under-reporting of rape. The national police commissioner is deemed unfit to hold office, and xenophobic attacks on businesses and homes of refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants increase. We can stand with the South African Church and declare, ‘IT IS TIME FOR CHANGE’. Pray for an end to the spiritual drought over South Africa. Pray for God to rain down His righteousness on His Church and drench His people with power. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s power to flow like a river through the streets, families, police, commerce, industry and government. See also