How do our youth respond to corruption?
18/06/2012
I Fiji wants to know what our youth think about corruption, and how they might respond when faced with corrupt activities. So they’ve recruited 20 energetic and enthusiastic volunteers to travel around the nation with a list of 19 questions to ask over 1,000 young people in face-to-face interviews. They’ve been given two months to undertake this "Youth Integrity Survey" and TI Fiji anticipates that survey results will be available before the end of the year.
Survey questions will challenge participants to think about integrity and corruption, and answer questions that include "Have you been confronted with corruption in the last 12 months?" and "If you happen to be confronted with a corrupt act (for example, a professor asks you for money in order to pass an important exam), would you be ready to report it?"
To prepare the volunteers for their work, TI Fiji is hosting a four day workshop from Monday 18 June to Thursday 21 June. The volunteers will learn about TI Fiji’s Youth Integrity Promotion Programme, and they will be guided through the survey questions and tips on how to deliver the questions, before taking the survey into Suva for a test run.
Ms Una Valenitabua, TI Fiji Programme Officer, says that the volunteers are key to the success of the Youth Integrity Survey. Ms Valenitabua said "The volunteers need to be able to approach strangers and build their trust. Some of the questions are sensitive and it is very important that the respondent feels comfortable and confident in giving honest answers. The volunteer needs to be able to assure the respondent that all information remains confidential and individuals remain anonymous."
TI Fiji is one of four countries in the Asia Pacific region that is undertaking the Youth Integrity Survey this year, with the other countries being Sri Lanka, Indonesia and South Korea. The survey was developed by the Transparency International Secretariat (based in Berlin) and aims to build an understanding of young people’s knowledge and perceptions on integrity, and their practices in relation to corruption.
Mrs Koila Kabu, TI Fiji Executive Officer, said "The Youth Integrity Survey will not only raise public awareness about the issue of youth and anti-corruption, and build an understanding of their perceptions, but it will assist NGOs, educators, policy makers and youth workers across Fiji to develop and implement targeted anti-corruption policies, initiatives and programmes for our young people."
Related media coverage:
- "20 for youth survey", page 41, Fiji Sun, Saturday 16 June 2012 (PDF, 1,242kb)
- "Youth survey for Fiji", page 21, The Fiji Times, Saturday 16 June 2012 (PDF, 293kb)
- Survey Administrators' Training session on Fiji One news, 21 June 2012
Ms Una Valenitabua, Acting YIP Programme Coordinator, talks with FBC
