View allAll Photos Tagged Accountable
On 17 September, the EBRD’s Project Complaints Mechanism (PCM) team played host to around 40 colleagues from similar mechanisms at 15 other international financial organisations, as well as to NGOs and civil society representatives, at a one-day Open Symposium on the Practice of Independent Accountability Mechanisms
Op 9 juni 2017 vond in de Tweede Kamer in Den Haag de tweede editie van Accountability Hack plaats, een hackathon waar met open data de prestaties van de overheid in kaart worden gebracht. Accountability Hack is een initiatief van de Algemene Rekenkamer en de Tweede Kamer samen met het CBS en de ministeries van Binnenlandse Zaken, Buitenlandse Zaken, Financiën en Infrastructuur en Milieu. De hackathon werd georganiseerd in samenwerking met Open State Foundation. Kijk voor meer informatie op accountabilityhack.nl/
The Inspection Panel is completing 25 years in its role, as an accountability mechanism of the World Bank. As you are aware, the Bank’s failure to comply with its operating policies was seen by the entire world in the Bank’s financing with the Sardar Sarovar Dam project on River Narmada. The tenacity of massive grass-roots uprisings from our communities in the 80’s and the sustained hard work of our social movements along with our resoluteness to link it with international coalitions to question the hegemony of the Bank, subsequently led the Bank, for the first time, to commission an independent review of its project. The Independent Review Committee (Morse Committee) constituted by the Bank in 1991 to review the social and environmental costs and benefits of the dam, after years of consistent struggle by Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada Movement) and its allies led to a demand from the civil society around the globe for the creation of a grievance redressal system for project-affected communities, which ultimately pressurized the Bank to constitute the Inspection Panel in 1993. We expected this might be a crucial backstop and an opportunity for us to raise our issues of livelihoods, economic loss, displacement from our lands, alienation from natural resources, destruction of environment and threat to our biodiversity and cultural hotspots, where Bank invested in large, supposedly ‘development’ projects like mega dams, energy and other infrastructure projects. Yet, the outcome we expected rarely delivered sufficient remedy for the harm and losses people have experienced over the years.
A number of accountability mechanisms over the next couple of decades in several development finance institutions were formed following the model of World Bank, commonly known as ‘Independent Accountability Mechanisms’[IAMs]. Each year the number of complaints rise which is an indication of the increasing number of grievous projects happening around the world. While IAMs of most MDBs are advertised to provide strong and just processes, many of our experiences imply that the banks are accommodating practices which suit their own needs and their clients, which are borrowing countries and agencies, and not the people for whom the IAMs were built to serve.
Many a time, we have been disappointed by these mechanisms, since these are designed by the banks who are lending for disastrous projects in our lands. And as a result, the already existing narrow mandate of IAMs is further restricted.
In our efforts to hold the lending bank accountable, the communities are always presented with the arduous process of learning the complex formalities and detailed procedures to initially approach the IAMs and get our grievances registered. Our many years’ time and energy then is channelised into seeing through the various cycles of these complaint handling mechanisms, that our entire efforts go into this process, and often our complaint gets dropped off in midst of the procedural rules of the IAMs. People are made to wait many months to clear procedural levels and our cases with the IAMs get highly unpredictable. Further, we face intimidation and reprisals from the state and project agencies for having contacted the IAMs who themselves do not possess any authority to address the violations hurled out to us when we seek dignity, fair treatment and justice from them. There are many of us who feel a loss of morale after long years of struggling with lenders when we fail to see concrete benefits or changes in our circumstances, by which time considerable irreplaceable harm is already done to our lives, environment and livelihoods.
In this manner, our immediate and larger goal of holding banks for their failure to consult with and obtain consent from communities before devising action plans for our lands, water and forests is deflected in the pretext of problem-solving and grievance hearing offered to us in the name of IAMs.
With over 50 registered complaints sent to different IAMS from India in the past 25 years, many more left unregistered due to technical reasons and only a few got investigated, assessed and monitored at different levels, we have a baggage of mixed experiences with the IAMs. A few of the prominent cases from India apart from Narmada project are Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project [WB’s IP], Tata Mega Ultra-01/Mundra and Anjar [IFC’s CAO & ADB’s CRP], India Infrastructure Fund-01/Dhenkanal District [IFC’s CAO], Allain Duhangan Hydro Power Limited-01/Himachal Pradesh [IFC’s CAO] and Mumbai Urban Transport Project (2009) [WB’s IP].
As we now know, what is being witnessed recently is an influx of approved and proposed investments majorly in energy, transport, steel, roads, urban projects, bullet trains, industrial zones/corridors, smart cities, water privatization and other mega projects in India. This has been financed from different multilateral and bilateral sources, foreign corporations, private banks as well as Export-Import Banks (ExIm Banks). It has become a brutal challenge for communities, social movements and CSOs, with lenders and governments constantly shutting their eyes and ears to us who demand accountability for their actions. A compelling and timely need has arisen among diverse groups amongst us to gather together and critically analyze the various trajectories of our engagements with accountability mechanisms of MDBs in order to bring together past 25 years’ learning, insights and reflections of various actors of this accountability process. This urging demand is also an attempt to define the collective experiences in India among our social movements, projected-affected communities and CSOs with IAMs and lending banks, especially appropriating the global political opportunity of Inspection Panel celebrating its 25 years this year.
Speakers:
Thomas Franco, Former General Secretary, AlI India Bank Officers’ Confederation
Arun Kumar, Eminent scholar, Former Professor Jawaharlal Nehru University
C.P. Chandrashekar, Economist, Professor Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Sucheta Dalal, Managing Editor, Moneylife
Soumya Dutta, National Convener, Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha
Dunu Roy, Hazards Center, New Delhi
Medha Patkar, Senior Activist, Narmada Bachao Andolan
Tani Alex, Centre for Financial Accountability
M J Vijayan, Activist and Political commentator
Joe Athialy, Centre for Financial Accountability
Anirudha Nagar, Accountability Counsel
Madhuresh Kumar, National Alliance of People’s Movements
A J Vijayan, Chairperson, Western Ghats and Coastal area Protection Forum
Meera Sanghamitra, National Aliance of People’s Movements
Vimal bhai, Matu Jan Sangathan, Uttarakhand
Daniel Adler, Senior Specialist, Compliance Advisor Ombudsman
Joe Athialy, Centre for Financial Accountability
Birgit Kuba, Operations Officer, Inspection Panel
Anuradha Munshi, Centre for Financial Accountability
Bharat Patel, General Secretary, Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan,Gujarat
Awadhesh Kumar, Srijan Lokhit Samiti
Amulya Kumar Nayak, Odisha Chas Parivesh Surekhsa Parishad, Odisha
Dr. Usha Ramanathan, Legal Scholar
Manshi Asher, Himdhara Environment Research and Action Collective, Himachal Pradesh
On 17 September, the EBRD’s Project Complaints Mechanism (PCM) team played host to around 40 colleagues from similar mechanisms at 15 other international financial organisations, as well as to NGOs and civil society representatives, at a one-day Open Symposium on the Practice of Independent Accountability Mechanisms
Governor Hogan Signs an Executive Order Regarding School Accountability Initiatives. by Joe Andrucyk at Governors Reception Room, 100 State Circle, Annapolis MD 21401
The Inspection Panel is completing 25 years in its role, as an accountability mechanism of the World Bank. As you are aware, the Bank’s failure to comply with its operating policies was seen by the entire world in the Bank’s financing with the Sardar Sarovar Dam project on River Narmada. The tenacity of massive grass-roots uprisings from our communities in the 80’s and the sustained hard work of our social movements along with our resoluteness to link it with international coalitions to question the hegemony of the Bank, subsequently led the Bank, for the first time, to commission an independent review of its project. The Independent Review Committee (Morse Committee) constituted by the Bank in 1991 to review the social and environmental costs and benefits of the dam, after years of consistent struggle by Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada Movement) and its allies led to a demand from the civil society around the globe for the creation of a grievance redressal system for project-affected communities, which ultimately pressurized the Bank to constitute the Inspection Panel in 1993. We expected this might be a crucial backstop and an opportunity for us to raise our issues of livelihoods, economic loss, displacement from our lands, alienation from natural resources, destruction of environment and threat to our biodiversity and cultural hotspots, where Bank invested in large, supposedly ‘development’ projects like mega dams, energy and other infrastructure projects. Yet, the outcome we expected rarely delivered sufficient remedy for the harm and losses people have experienced over the years.
A number of accountability mechanisms over the next couple of decades in several development finance institutions were formed following the model of World Bank, commonly known as ‘Independent Accountability Mechanisms’[IAMs]. Each year the number of complaints rise which is an indication of the increasing number of grievous projects happening around the world. While IAMs of most MDBs are advertised to provide strong and just processes, many of our experiences imply that the banks are accommodating practices which suit their own needs and their clients, which are borrowing countries and agencies, and not the people for whom the IAMs were built to serve.
Many a time, we have been disappointed by these mechanisms, since these are designed by the banks who are lending for disastrous projects in our lands. And as a result, the already existing narrow mandate of IAMs is further restricted.
In our efforts to hold the lending bank accountable, the communities are always presented with the arduous process of learning the complex formalities and detailed procedures to initially approach the IAMs and get our grievances registered. Our many years’ time and energy then is channelised into seeing through the various cycles of these complaint handling mechanisms, that our entire efforts go into this process, and often our complaint gets dropped off in midst of the procedural rules of the IAMs. People are made to wait many months to clear procedural levels and our cases with the IAMs get highly unpredictable. Further, we face intimidation and reprisals from the state and project agencies for having contacted the IAMs who themselves do not possess any authority to address the violations hurled out to us when we seek dignity, fair treatment and justice from them. There are many of us who feel a loss of morale after long years of struggling with lenders when we fail to see concrete benefits or changes in our circumstances, by which time considerable irreplaceable harm is already done to our lives, environment and livelihoods.
In this manner, our immediate and larger goal of holding banks for their failure to consult with and obtain consent from communities before devising action plans for our lands, water and forests is deflected in the pretext of problem-solving and grievance hearing offered to us in the name of IAMs.
With over 50 registered complaints sent to different IAMS from India in the past 25 years, many more left unregistered due to technical reasons and only a few got investigated, assessed and monitored at different levels, we have a baggage of mixed experiences with the IAMs. A few of the prominent cases from India apart from Narmada project are Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project [WB’s IP], Tata Mega Ultra-01/Mundra and Anjar [IFC’s CAO & ADB’s CRP], India Infrastructure Fund-01/Dhenkanal District [IFC’s CAO], Allain Duhangan Hydro Power Limited-01/Himachal Pradesh [IFC’s CAO] and Mumbai Urban Transport Project (2009) [WB’s IP].
As we now know, what is being witnessed recently is an influx of approved and proposed investments majorly in energy, transport, steel, roads, urban projects, bullet trains, industrial zones/corridors, smart cities, water privatization and other mega projects in India. This has been financed from different multilateral and bilateral sources, foreign corporations, private banks as well as Export-Import Banks (ExIm Banks). It has become a brutal challenge for communities, social movements and CSOs, with lenders and governments constantly shutting their eyes and ears to us who demand accountability for their actions. A compelling and timely need has arisen among diverse groups amongst us to gather together and critically analyze the various trajectories of our engagements with accountability mechanisms of MDBs in order to bring together past 25 years’ learning, insights and reflections of various actors of this accountability process. This urging demand is also an attempt to define the collective experiences in India among our social movements, projected-affected communities and CSOs with IAMs and lending banks, especially appropriating the global political opportunity of Inspection Panel celebrating its 25 years this year.
Speakers:
Thomas Franco, Former General Secretary, AlI India Bank Officers’ Confederation
Arun Kumar, Eminent scholar, Former Professor Jawaharlal Nehru University
C.P. Chandrashekar, Economist, Professor Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Sucheta Dalal, Managing Editor, Moneylife
Soumya Dutta, National Convener, Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha
Dunu Roy, Hazards Center, New Delhi
Medha Patkar, Senior Activist, Narmada Bachao Andolan
Tani Alex, Centre for Financial Accountability
M J Vijayan, Activist and Political commentator
Joe Athialy, Centre for Financial Accountability
Anirudha Nagar, Accountability Counsel
Madhuresh Kumar, National Alliance of People’s Movements
A J Vijayan, Chairperson, Western Ghats and Coastal area Protection Forum
Meera Sanghamitra, National Aliance of People’s Movements
Vimal bhai, Matu Jan Sangathan, Uttarakhand
Daniel Adler, Senior Specialist, Compliance Advisor Ombudsman
Joe Athialy, Centre for Financial Accountability
Birgit Kuba, Operations Officer, Inspection Panel
Anuradha Munshi, Centre for Financial Accountability
Bharat Patel, General Secretary, Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan,Gujarat
Awadhesh Kumar, Srijan Lokhit Samiti
Amulya Kumar Nayak, Odisha Chas Parivesh Surekhsa Parishad, Odisha
Dr. Usha Ramanathan, Legal Scholar
Manshi Asher, Himdhara Environment Research and Action Collective, Himachal Pradesh
On 17 September, the EBRD’s Project Complaints Mechanism (PCM) team played host to around 40 colleagues from similar mechanisms at 15 other international financial organisations, as well as to NGOs and civil society representatives, at a one-day Open Symposium on the Practice of Independent Accountability Mechanisms
Governor Hogan Signs an Executive Order Regarding School Accountability Initiatives. by Joe Andrucyk at Governors Reception Room, 100 State Circle, Annapolis MD 21401
Jean Yves Maganda-Belalengbi – monitoring, accountability and learning assistant (SOS Kinderdorpen in Bossangoa)
“The kids who come to our child-friendly spaces live nearby, 5 km away at the most. They come by foot, the younger ones assisted by adult caretakers. About half of them are orphans. They all witnessed the horrors of war. Some have seen how their parents were killed. Many of the girls have been abused and violated. A lot of the older boys are former child soldiers.
We have classes for 3 different age groups, from 3 years old up to 17. They come here between regular school hours. This way we make sure they aren’t forced to work. Or don’t run into problems, wandering off all alone. Because that’s when kids are abused or led astray, when they are on their own and adult family members are working in the field.
These kids don’t know each other’s individual stories. But together we dance, we play games, tell fairy tales, play football, act in theatre plays. Younger kids also take extra reading and writing classes, older children are taught languages and arithmetic. We help them discover their bodies, to feel confident and secure, to explore their dreams, thoughts, and talents. We talk about anatomy, about sexuality, about abuse, about human rights, about what is allowed and what isn’t.
Our child-friendly spaces are located in the vicinity of regular schools, because that’s where families with kids live. We work complementary to what formal schools offer. Every day, we give them snacks and drinks. Once a week we offer hot meals.
Some kids are so traumatized they stay silent. They can’t dance. Very delicately, our psychosocial workers and psychologists assist and comfort them.
More than 10% of the children are malnourished. We refer them to the nearest Doctors Without Borders (MSF) hospital. And through the DRA we support parents of severely malnourished children financially, allowing them to buy extra food for their children and to supplement their income. We also offer legal assistance as well as psychosocial support to young single mothers, girls who are victims of gender-based violence and girls who were forced and sold into marriage or who run this risk.
Our community workers are constantly on the look-out for abandoned and abused children and refer them to our child-friendly spaces. We work with parents as well, to make sure kids aren’t sent to the fields as farmers or spend too much time fetching water. We support them in catering and caring for kids they had to abandon. Or we try to find foster care in wider family networks.
We offer this kind of protection to 3000 children and young people who are scarred by war, in five different child-friendly spaces.”
---
Since 2015, the Dutch Relief Alliance, led by Cordaid, reached out to thousands of war-affected people in the Central African Republic. We joined hands with Central African responders to provide shelter, protection, food and livelihood assistance, clean water and cash support.
Larry and I were roommate my Junior year in college. He loved God and created many memories for me. Although we talked a lot about God, we were never accountability partners. I just thought the picture worked well for the blog post for accountability.
Syrian human rights defenders spoke out at a Human Rights Council side event September 21 to appeal to the international community to work to end the conflict in Syria and to ensure justice and accountability for the victims.
The discussion reinfored the essential role of Syrian civil society in the pursuit of a political solution to the war. The
The event was organized by No Peace Without Justice and the Euro-Syrian Democratic Forum, and co-sponsored by the U.S. and other national delegations to the HRC.
Speakers included: Hussein Sabbagh, Secretary General Euro-Syrian Democratic Forum; Niccolò Figà-Talamanca, Secretary General No Peace Without Justice; Riyad Al-Najem, Hurras, Syrian child protection network; Husam Alkatlaby, The Violations Documentation Center in Syria; Ola Aljounde, Women Now for Development; Diab Serrih, The Day After, Ambassador Peter Matt (Liechtenstein); Ambassador Julian Braithwaite (UK) and Ambassaodr Maurizio Enrico Serra (Italy). Ambassador Keith Harper, U.S. Representative to the Human Rights Council delivered concluding remarks.
U.S. Mission Photo/Eric Bridiers
Syrian human rights defenders spoke out at a Human Rights Council side event September 21 to appeal to the international community to work to end the conflict in Syria and to ensure justice and accountability for the victims.
The discussion reinfored the essential role of Syrian civil society in the pursuit of a political solution to the war. The
The event was organized by No Peace Without Justice and the Euro-Syrian Democratic Forum, and co-sponsored by the U.S. and other national delegations to the HRC.
Speakers included: Hussein Sabbagh, Secretary General Euro-Syrian Democratic Forum; Niccolò Figà-Talamanca, Secretary General No Peace Without Justice; Riyad Al-Najem, Hurras, Syrian child protection network; Husam Alkatlaby, The Violations Documentation Center in Syria; Ola Aljounde, Women Now for Development; Diab Serrih, The Day After, Ambassador Peter Matt (Liechtenstein); Ambassador Julian Braithwaite (UK) and Ambassaodr Maurizio Enrico Serra (Italy). Ambassador Keith Harper, U.S. Representative to the Human Rights Council delivered concluding remarks.
U.S. Mission Photo/Eric Bridiers
On 17 September, the EBRD’s Project Complaints Mechanism (PCM) team played host to around 40 colleagues from similar mechanisms at 15 other international financial organisations, as well as to NGOs and civil society representatives, at a one-day Open Symposium on the Practice of Independent Accountability Mechanisms
New York City Mayor Eric Adams holds a rally with union leaders for mayoral accountability on the steps of City Hall on Monday, May 9, 2022. Michael Appleton/Mayoral Photography Office
“We are pleased that the NYPD is finally disciplining officers who have violated New Yorkers’ civil rights. But you shouldn’t have to be a public official to expect police officers guilty of mistreating you to be disciplined,” NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said. “What about the indignities perpetuated every day on the streets on New York City? This issue is bigger than these individual police officers -- every police officer should get a basic civil rights lesson.”
To get involved, visit the NYCLU at www.nyclu.org.
Governor Hogan Signs an Executive Order Regarding School Accountability Initiatives. by Joe Andrucyk at Governors Reception Room, 100 State Circle, Annapolis MD 21401
Pennsylvania school districts would save an estimated $395 million under Gov. Tom Wolf’s commonsense and fair bipartisan plan to hold charter schools accountable to students, parents and taxpayers. The governor announced the updated savings estimate during a press conference today at G.A.R. Memorial Junior & Senior High School, in Wilkes-Barre, Luzerne County. May 19, 2021 – Wilkes-Barre, PA
This image is excerpted from a U.S. GAO report:
www.gao.gov/products/GAO-23-106098
F-35 Program: DOD Needs Better Accountability for Global Spare Parts and Reporting of Losses Worth Millions
Woot!! Despite the fact that I had friends over to spin on Saturday and they brought crazy amounts of yummy food the numbers went down! Yay!
I'm finding the "loose it" app on the iPhone very helpful. It really does sort of put things in perspective for me and keeps me honest. I know that it's really only a calorie estimate at best, but it's helping me ask the question "Do I really *need* to eat that?"
The Inspection Panel is completing 25 years in its role, as an accountability mechanism of the World Bank. As you are aware, the Bank’s failure to comply with its operating policies was seen by the entire world in the Bank’s financing with the Sardar Sarovar Dam project on River Narmada. The tenacity of massive grass-roots uprisings from our communities in the 80’s and the sustained hard work of our social movements along with our resoluteness to link it with international coalitions to question the hegemony of the Bank, subsequently led the Bank, for the first time, to commission an independent review of its project. The Independent Review Committee (Morse Committee) constituted by the Bank in 1991 to review the social and environmental costs and benefits of the dam, after years of consistent struggle by Narmada Bachao Andolan (Save Narmada Movement) and its allies led to a demand from the civil society around the globe for the creation of a grievance redressal system for project-affected communities, which ultimately pressurized the Bank to constitute the Inspection Panel in 1993. We expected this might be a crucial backstop and an opportunity for us to raise our issues of livelihoods, economic loss, displacement from our lands, alienation from natural resources, destruction of environment and threat to our biodiversity and cultural hotspots, where Bank invested in large, supposedly ‘development’ projects like mega dams, energy and other infrastructure projects. Yet, the outcome we expected rarely delivered sufficient remedy for the harm and losses people have experienced over the years.
A number of accountability mechanisms over the next couple of decades in several development finance institutions were formed following the model of World Bank, commonly known as ‘Independent Accountability Mechanisms’[IAMs]. Each year the number of complaints rise which is an indication of the increasing number of grievous projects happening around the world. While IAMs of most MDBs are advertised to provide strong and just processes, many of our experiences imply that the banks are accommodating practices which suit their own needs and their clients, which are borrowing countries and agencies, and not the people for whom the IAMs were built to serve.
Many a time, we have been disappointed by these mechanisms, since these are designed by the banks who are lending for disastrous projects in our lands. And as a result, the already existing narrow mandate of IAMs is further restricted.
In our efforts to hold the lending bank accountable, the communities are always presented with the arduous process of learning the complex formalities and detailed procedures to initially approach the IAMs and get our grievances registered. Our many years’ time and energy then is channelised into seeing through the various cycles of these complaint handling mechanisms, that our entire efforts go into this process, and often our complaint gets dropped off in midst of the procedural rules of the IAMs. People are made to wait many months to clear procedural levels and our cases with the IAMs get highly unpredictable. Further, we face intimidation and reprisals from the state and project agencies for having contacted the IAMs who themselves do not possess any authority to address the violations hurled out to us when we seek dignity, fair treatment and justice from them. There are many of us who feel a loss of morale after long years of struggling with lenders when we fail to see concrete benefits or changes in our circumstances, by which time considerable irreplaceable harm is already done to our lives, environment and livelihoods.
In this manner, our immediate and larger goal of holding banks for their failure to consult with and obtain consent from communities before devising action plans for our lands, water and forests is deflected in the pretext of problem-solving and grievance hearing offered to us in the name of IAMs.
With over 50 registered complaints sent to different IAMS from India in the past 25 years, many more left unregistered due to technical reasons and only a few got investigated, assessed and monitored at different levels, we have a baggage of mixed experiences with the IAMs. A few of the prominent cases from India apart from Narmada project are Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro Electric Project [WB’s IP], Tata Mega Ultra-01/Mundra and Anjar [IFC’s CAO & ADB’s CRP], India Infrastructure Fund-01/Dhenkanal District [IFC’s CAO], Allain Duhangan Hydro Power Limited-01/Himachal Pradesh [IFC’s CAO] and Mumbai Urban Transport Project (2009) [WB’s IP].
As we now know, what is being witnessed recently is an influx of approved and proposed investments majorly in energy, transport, steel, roads, urban projects, bullet trains, industrial zones/corridors, smart cities, water privatization and other mega projects in India. This has been financed from different multilateral and bilateral sources, foreign corporations, private banks as well as Export-Import Banks (ExIm Banks). It has become a brutal challenge for communities, social movements and CSOs, with lenders and governments constantly shutting their eyes and ears to us who demand accountability for their actions. A compelling and timely need has arisen among diverse groups amongst us to gather together and critically analyze the various trajectories of our engagements with accountability mechanisms of MDBs in order to bring together past 25 years’ learning, insights and reflections of various actors of this accountability process. This urging demand is also an attempt to define the collective experiences in India among our social movements, projected-affected communities and CSOs with IAMs and lending banks, especially appropriating the global political opportunity of Inspection Panel celebrating its 25 years this year.
Speakers:
Thomas Franco, Former General Secretary, AlI India Bank Officers’ Confederation
Arun Kumar, Eminent scholar, Former Professor Jawaharlal Nehru University
C.P. Chandrashekar, Economist, Professor Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, Jawaharlal Nehru University
Sucheta Dalal, Managing Editor, Moneylife
Soumya Dutta, National Convener, Bharat Jan Vigyan Jatha
Dunu Roy, Hazards Center, New Delhi
Medha Patkar, Senior Activist, Narmada Bachao Andolan
Tani Alex, Centre for Financial Accountability
M J Vijayan, Activist and Political commentator
Joe Athialy, Centre for Financial Accountability
Anirudha Nagar, Accountability Counsel
Madhuresh Kumar, National Alliance of People’s Movements
A J Vijayan, Chairperson, Western Ghats and Coastal area Protection Forum
Meera Sanghamitra, National Aliance of People’s Movements
Vimal bhai, Matu Jan Sangathan, Uttarakhand
Daniel Adler, Senior Specialist, Compliance Advisor Ombudsman
Joe Athialy, Centre for Financial Accountability
Birgit Kuba, Operations Officer, Inspection Panel
Anuradha Munshi, Centre for Financial Accountability
Bharat Patel, General Secretary, Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan,Gujarat
Awadhesh Kumar, Srijan Lokhit Samiti
Amulya Kumar Nayak, Odisha Chas Parivesh Surekhsa Parishad, Odisha
Dr. Usha Ramanathan, Legal Scholar
Manshi Asher, Himdhara Environment Research and Action Collective, Himachal Pradesh
On 17 September, the EBRD’s Project Complaints Mechanism (PCM) team played host to around 40 colleagues from similar mechanisms at 15 other international financial organisations, as well as to NGOs and civil society representatives, at a one-day Open Symposium on the Practice of Independent Accountability Mechanisms
South Sudan needs to move ahead now and enforce Justice and accountability, the top United Nations Diplomat, Ambassador Samantha Power, said on Saturday September 3, 2016, shortly after meeting with the council of ministers in Juba.
“For as long as armed actors, rape, loot and kill with impunity, for as long as they are not held accountable, it will be very hard for the cause of peace to take hold here,” Ambassador Power told the council of Ministers in Juba.
Security Council delegates reiterated that the United Nations and member states remain committed to see an end to violence so that people can begin to recover from years of conflict and alleviate the suffering of the people.
Op 9 juni 2017 vond in de Tweede Kamer in Den Haag de tweede editie van Accountability Hack plaats, een hackathon waar met open data de prestaties van de overheid in kaart worden gebracht. Accountability Hack is een initiatief van de Algemene Rekenkamer en de Tweede Kamer samen met het CBS en de ministeries van Binnenlandse Zaken, Buitenlandse Zaken, Financiën en Infrastructuur en Milieu. De hackathon werd georganiseerd in samenwerking met Open State Foundation. Kijk voor meer informatie op accountabilityhack.nl/
Governor Hogan Signs an Executive Order Regarding School Accountability Initiatives. by Joe Andrucyk at Governors Reception Room, 100 State Circle, Annapolis MD 21401
.
THE OUTSIDER (PART NINE FINALE)
SOME SAY TRUTH IS HARDER THAN LIES
.
Have you ever noticed how a story, no matter how uncomplicated, becomes bigger and bolder as it passes from mouth to ears along a chain, crossing borders, strolling through towns and navigating frontiers, until it reaches the mouths and ears of subsequent generations. I wonder if my story will ever be told, to live on in the annals of history, a growing legend ever more elaborate and violent. Something tells me that the truth of the matter is a little less romantic than such notions of fancy, and just like my bones, my story will be blown away by the winds of time. But you are still journeying with me, awaiting the conclusion of my tale of retribution and mayhem, awaiting my fate just as I do.
I guess you could say that the end has finally come for me, and doubtless none too many of you who read my sorry tale of woe will shed a tear for the passing of one so cruel and heartless, no matter the fact that he saw the error of his ways and tried to change. I guess the old saying stands true this day, once a gun slinger always aa gun slingernd maybe tryin' to run from the reality of your standing in this life is as shallow and futile as runing from a rain cloud as the thunder clap strikes overhead, when in the end, it'll get you by it's very nature. For the killin's I committed there can be no excuses, no vindication, even though some of them sons of desert snakes got what they deserved, and now I face the moment of my death as so many have at my own hands. I wonder, can a man really hope to change his ways when a lifetime of blood and fists have shaped the very pathway on which he treads. Can a black soul truly see the light? Can a broken heart mend? Do we pay a penance for all eternity for sins omitted in this mortal life? If I had the answers to all or any of those questions, I would surely have laid down my guns long ago in exchange for paying crowds waiting on my every breath.
With Frank Curtis screaming in a world full of pain and lyin' in a river of his own blood, and the town doctor powerless to help the dying man, I feel a certain sense of satisfaction as my own life passes before me. My eyes are blurred now, and mind kinda fuzzy as recollections, fact and fiction guide me on a one way ticket to oblivion. Somewhat spoiling the ambiance of the moment, I feel the sharp connection between scuffed leather and the bones of my face as a hired hand plants a boot in the centre of my skull. Head against the wooden wheel, with neither room to move nor chance to brace against the full impact, my nose cracks like dry timber as it shatters under the pressure though strangely only the inconvenience of a faint stinging sensation troubles my dying seconds. I guess I'm beyond pain now as the cold barrel of a handgun sits three inches from my temple. My nose busted and open, blood spewing from the gaping wound like a waterfall in spring. A shaking hand thumbs the hammer as it clicks back into place with a definite resonance, my mind slipping into black and white for the very last time, slow motion as images dance like pretty town girls across my mind.
The doctor, all fingers and thumbs, a barrel of nerves as he fights a lost cause and bows to the inevitable, rises to his feet and pulls his spectacles from his nose, rubbing them incessantly on his shirt to clean the blood spatter away. His bearded skin turns grey as he gestures to the last men standing that their beloved boss is about to dance with the Devil, and he backs away slowly towards the undertaker who has emerged like a spider from it's lair to ascertain the gravity of the situation and ready a wooden box and a mound of earth. Such is the way of life and death in the West. As Curtis breathes his last breath, my revenge is complete and through a hazy fog of dreamlike delirium I swear I can see Elizabeth, Zac and Eli running towards me across a cornfield lush and yellow. Now ain't that just the cutest of sights, hell I must dreamin' again. I gurgle and smile, arms involuntarily stretching out as in the distance, on a tall hill there sits Grey Wolf of the Cheyenne, resplendent in al his Injun finery and daubed facial paint, atop a proud looking Wa Ka Liva who nods his head and stamps a hoof defiantly into the ground. No longer lame, and the years have shed to back in the days when he was strong and oh so beautiful. I do believe I may have a tear pooling in my eye, or maybe it's just the dust as I sit here, I don't know.
In and out of consciousness, I catch a glimpse of the kid's face who holds the ridiculously shiny forty five to my head, a bag of tremblin' nerves, affeared of the kill, gulping for air and looking around him all the while for guidance, though in truth most of the fellas he be lookin' for guidance from now lie dead all around him like dogs in a yard. You gotta hand it it to me, single shot kills all and every one of 'em, the stuff of camp-fire legend if I do say so myself. Memories flood back to my tortured mind, of that first face, the look in the eyes of the boy I killed in his ill fitting Confederate uniform on the battlefield in the great war. No more'n thirty years reached between the two of us, spouting rhetoric we little understood, fighting for principles we couldn't even spell. Families divided, brother on brother, murdering for a bunch of ideals and a handful of glory. When I shot that boy, barely recognising his dirty skin and red eyes of angry blood-lust as those of my own cousin, I unleashed forces beyond my control, and embarked upon a journey of self destruction towards the very gates of oblivion at which I now find myself standing. Killin' is killin' and blood is blood, and the false hopes and shallow deceit of war don't make it any easier to swallow. Except that in my case, I lived for the kill. The moment when the eyes of your victim glaze to a hazy white and the life done drained clean outta them, the actual second when you can see and feel their soul rise right outta their bones and drift slowly onwards to wherever it's final destination lies. To me, a form of poetry. That really does you in, don't it? That a man could enjoy killin' so. When the town preachers tells us of the precious gift of life, all the while they live in the shadow of the gun and the pockets of the corrupt who run the place. Well, I ain't lied to you so far, and I ain't about to start now.
Perhaps I haven't been quite honest with you throughout my story, and maybe for getting this far with me, I owe you the truth, seein' as I'm about to die and all. See, if you're still searching for a reason for me to have turned out the way I did, if you're thinking that my upbringing had a part to play in the debauchery of my miserable life, then I guess you'd be right, though it pains me to say. A twelve year old boy fed up to the gut with a drunken father's beatings, and a mother who turned a blind eye for fear of her own life, attending church every Sunday with a swollen face and pride, placing money in the box and smiling at the preacher who turned a blind eye on account of my daddy's social standing in the town and the money he donated to church causes, and my mom still believing in the good in even the blackest of souls. And my father lived a life of two men, the one that the townsfolk new and loved, and the real man behind the mask. Tommy lee, my bestest friend when I was no more'n a nipper, well, Tommy lee was me. And his father was mine. In truth I never had no friends from my childhood, just running from the beatings my papa gave me when he wasn't running the saloon bar and acting all fancy with the townsfolk. I killed that son of a bitch one day when I found him standing over my mamma's bruised and bloodied body, laughing at her and finding amusement in her crumpled body as she cowered like a little child. He calmly turned around and told me:
" You gotta learn from this son. They will test you some, and they will push you to your limits unless you show them who is the boss, who decides what is right and what is wrong. You gotta be strong, and beat the bad right outta their hides ". Something inside'a me snapped and years of abuse at the hands of a monster came to a violent head. My mamma tried to apologise and took a hold of his bleeding hand which had inflicted so much hurt and pain, and for her efforts he began punching her with his fists, like she was a genuine threat when the reality of the situation was a woman with a kind heart the likes of which you cannot imagine. That cut me inside for all the lies she'd told to cover his guilt. I hit him with a shovel, stone cold knocked him unconscious with the first strike, though the blows continued until I was exhausted of limbs and I could no longer see nor recognise that bastards facial features. Taking his gun, it took all of my strength to cock the hammer, and fire. It was then that, for the first time in my life I truly saw a person's life fade away before me, and after that it was never so hard to kill again. And my mother, God rest her sadly deluded soul, cried at his burial and mourned his loss like a dutiful wife aoghtta, as I fled to the comforts of the civil war and violent ways which would shape my life forever more. There, now you know. Once you've killed yer own kin, a line has been crossed and there ain't no goin' back, ever. I never saw my ma again, using the civil war as cover to disappear and start a new life away from my past. I sent her money once I was earning for my violent ways, and I visited her grave where she was laid to rest next the rotting corpse of the man she still loved, the man she had always loved. Ain't that the darnedest thing you've heard? I guess I'll never understand women.
Grey wolf taught me that death was an end to life on this earth, and yet the start of life for the soul in whatever was the next world inhabited by spirits, and that the journey would be long and painful, as the soul moves Westwards along the sky path for those who have not lived a decent and righteous life. And here I am, a lifetime of sin and no prayer feathers to tie around my forehead, no yucca suds to bathe my flesh, no belongings other than my guns and the pocket watch I gave my eldest boy, no feathered prayer sticks. I look up at the kids face again, standing over me with his gun poised to put me out of my misery. Can you God damn believe it, I ain''t even got the chance to tell how I was put out of everyone else's misery by a mean son of a bitch from the hallowed legends of the wild west. I'm going to be snuffed out by a pimple faced nobody who's just about to piss his own britches on account of me being his first kilin'. Life just ain't fair now, is it? I try to lift my head and look at the kid. “ You just gotta believe in yourself boy, and squeeze that old trigger slow and gentle, like gently touching the skin on a lady. You've been with a lady haven't you boy”. He nods his head and swallows hard. He pulls his left hand round to cup the gun and steady his nerves, the barrel swinging in the breeze enough to completely miss me should he thumb that ole' trigger any time soon. I can see the impact as the trigger is pulled and the hammer strikes the shell, a flash of light igniting in the barrel as the bullet is propelled at breakneck speed. It slices through my skull, but I feel no pain. Muffled voices sound in my ears as the bullet ricochets inside my brain. My vision deserts me, replaced by a light that grows in strength and brightness, brilliant white as a soothing feeling washes over my body and I'm left standing in that cornfield with Elizabeth walking towards me. I reach out and for the first time make contact with her, able to feel her warmth, her skin and bones against mine as we embrace and kiss. She smells so sweet and fragrant, just like she always did, just like I remember.
Can a man be forgiven for the deeds of a life lived on the dark side of what's right? I truly thought I could walk away from my sins, to begin afresh and bathe in the love I shared with my family. I guess in the end we all have to pay the price, we're all accountable, and I can't expect forgiveness for what I've done. As the light burns my eyes, Wa Ka Liva strides towards me and bows his beautiful head as I climb up into the welcome leather of my favourite saddle. Gently taking the reins, I pull to the left and we are back home on the ranch, Grey wolf and my sons on the distant hill. My horse and I gallop together, roping cattle and stirring up the dust.
I am home now, I am free and my kin and me will be together always.
.
THE END OF 'THE OUTSIDER'
.
Written January 6th 2009
Photograph taken on the Halaupai ranch on the West rim of the Grand Canyon, Arizona, USA on September 24th 2008
NIKON D300 50mm 1/250s f/5.6 iso200
Nikkor AF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6G ED IF. UV filter
Panel 1: Can Shareholders Save Democracy?
(From left to right): Moderated by Ciara Torres-Spelliscy, with panelists William T. Allen, Robert Jackson, John Coates, Jennifer Taub.
The Brennan Center for Justice held a day-long symposium on Accountability After Citizens United at the Greene Space at WNYC in New York City.
Op 9 juni 2017 vond in de Tweede Kamer in Den Haag de tweede editie van Accountability Hack plaats, een hackathon waar met open data de prestaties van de overheid in kaart worden gebracht. Accountability Hack is een initiatief van de Algemene Rekenkamer en de Tweede Kamer samen met het CBS en de ministeries van Binnenlandse Zaken, Buitenlandse Zaken, Financiën en Infrastructuur en Milieu. De hackathon werd georganiseerd in samenwerking met Open State Foundation. Kijk voor meer informatie op accountabilityhack.nl/
Two pounds down! As much as I don't really give the numbers that much credit I have to admit that it was very nice to see! I feel like I'm really trying to make better choices. I'm drinking a ton more water and althought it's tough since I often don't get back from yoga class until after 7:30pm I'm trying not to eat too much after 6pm. I've amped up the yoga practice too with my home practice. Just remind me not to do the crazy 30 min. "weight loss" vinyasa flow I did yesterday morning in the morning again. I'm still sore!
Cadet Natasha S. Parowski, University of Tennessee at Knoxville, receives the Military Officers Association of America Award July 10 at the 4th Regiment Advanced Camp graduation. Cadets earn this award for best demonstrating superior dedication to duty through applying self-accountability and leadership fundamentals. Fort Knox, Ky. Photo by Hope Nelson
Art and messages adorn the perimeter of the Minneapolis Police Third Precinct building, one year after the killing of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers. The precinct was a focal point during the widespread protests and unrest that followed Floyd's death. The artwork and signage reflect calls for justice, accountability, and healing in the community.
This image is part of a continuing series following the unrest and events in Minneapolis following the May 25th, 2020 murder of George Floyd.
“We are pleased that the NYPD is finally disciplining officers who have violated New Yorkers’ civil rights. But you shouldn’t have to be a public official to expect police officers guilty of mistreating you to be disciplined,” NYCLU Executive Director Donna Lieberman said. “What about the indignities perpetuated every day on the streets on New York City? This issue is bigger than these individual police officers -- every police officer should get a basic civil rights lesson.”
To get involved, visit the NYCLU at www.nyclu.org.
Down 1.5 lbs.
I can't freekin' believe I actually lost anything considering the weekend I had. The spin in could have been disastrous enough (everyone brings a dish to share and OMG do they bring good stuff) but then I went out with friends for brunch on Sunday and that was not good for the food intake either. I guess being fairly good the rest of the week counted for something.
I probably won't be able to post next week unless my hotel room has a scale. We'll see what 5 days on the road does to me.
It's been quite a while since I've done one of these! I've been sort of casually keeping track of my pregnancy weight gain, but decided on a whim today to weigh myself for accountablility wednesday.
On June 17, I weighed 136. I was counting my pre-pregnancy weight as 137, and had weighed 138 the previous week, so I'm guessing that was a fluke.
Today I weigh somewhere around 148, which puts my total weight gain at 11 pounds. I am 25 weeks pregnant. My first pregnancy, I had gained 19 pounds at 25 weeks. I am thrilled to be gaining more slowly, and definitely credit the fact that last time I was gaining weight when I got pregnant (from quitting smoking) and this time I was losing weight. It seems that my body likes to keep doing whatever it is doing.
(By the way, I am certain the actual numbers on the scale are wrong. However, I think the difference between them is correct or close enough.)
The Moreton Bay Regional Council and its Major, Alan Sutherland, praise themselves for using environmentally paper in the publication of their "Moreton Living" and the "Major's Newsletter". Granted making environmental savings is a good thing.
Accountability would dictate that they disclose how many dollars they spent in the design, printing and distributuion of the 2 newsletters.
It would also be very interesting to know: how many tonnes of carbon emissions were produced with these newsletters; and how much water and energy was used.
Smiley knows that would be too much accountability for our council fathers to tolerate.............and Smiley also knows, that I will keep fighting on for what is right.
Republican Accountability Project TRUMP'S 91 FELONY CHARLES Billboard at Times Square along 7th Street between West 47th and West 48th Street jn NYC on Sunday night, 2 September 2023 by Elvert Barnes Photography
Visit Republican Accountability Project website at accountability.gop/
1 - 4 September 2023 NYC Labor Day Weekend Project
Elvert Barnes September 2023 docu-project at elvertxbarnes.com/2023
Published at www.searchlightmagazine.com/2023/11/trump-indictments-poi...