Quid Clamabo? (June-July 2017)

What Do I Cry Out?

What do I Decry?

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Everything fades.

Everyone in mortal.

God’s truth is forever.

Isaiah 40:6

Image from Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index 2016.

The redder the worse. But every country falls short.

In a time of universal deceit—
telling the truth is a revolutionary act.

George Orwell

Frauds!

Leave them; they are blind guides.
If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.

Your task is to be true, not popular.

Jesus Christ (MT 15: 7, 14; LK 6:26 The Message)

This Update continues the call for assistance from the people and organizations affected by the Nordic Capital Investment KB fraud (NCI). Those “affected” refers to investors-victims, organizations-ministries, staff-leaders, and any others who received/lost money in this scheme or were somehow involved. It also refers to the thousands of people who are or were part of these organizations-ministries and who have a moral responsibility to call their leaders to account: to disclose, conduct independent reviews, and where there are “net positive” gains, to return money to victims.

Resources

Here are four recent resources to help you promote integrity and confront corruption. We encourage you to read them, discuss them, and apply them. 

--Learning from social psychology
Fact or Opinion? Why We Believe Alternative Facts
American Psychologist, May 2017, pp. 36-38
"People are capable of being thoughtful and rational, but our wishes, hopes, fears, and motivations often tip the scales to make us more likely to accept something as true if it supports what we want to believe."

--Learning from the corporate world

How Leaders Can Stamp Out Bad Behavior and Create a Culture of Integrity

Kellogg Insight, 6 March 2017

“Practical tips to reign in an unethical boss and encourage employees to do the right thing.”

--Learning from the United Nations

Failure of the UN to Provide Whistle-Blower Protection

UN Special, January 2017 (pp. 26-27)

“Whistle-blowing is increasingly precarious in the UN system, according to Caroline Hunt-Matthes, a former UNHCR staff member who reported irregularities in the UNHCR Inspector General’s Office in 2003 including interference in a rape investigation of a refugee by a UNHCR staff member.”

--Learning from Transparency International

Corruption Perception Index 2016 (Executive Summary)

“Let's get straight to the point: No country gets close to a perfect score in the Corruption Perceptions Index 2016. Over two-thirds of the 176 countries and territories in this year's index fall below the midpoint of our scale of 0 (highly corrupt) to 100 (very clean). The global average score is a paltry 43, indicating endemic corruption in a country's public sector.”

Did you know?

Swedish court documents (released in 2010 and 2011) indicate that it was primarily Christians, Christian organizations, and Christian ministries that were affected by NCI? Some of the main ones were part of Youth With A Mission (YWAM), including Mercy Ministries, Le Rucher, and Mercy Ships. Youth For Christ Switzerland was used as an address for one of the main NCI promoters for NCI activities and Crossroads Church in Ferny-Voltaire, France had many members who heard about and invested in NCI.  

Quid clamabo?

Cry out and decry this: NCI, and the lack of response to it by those in the church-mission community (CMC), have seriously damaged many peoples’ lives. It has also seriously compromised the reputation and witness of the CMC. Getting accurately informed and calling for action are essential. Doing nothing is inexcusable and seriously damaging. Truth matters. Live in integrity.

For more NCI background, specifics, and updates, see the previous weblog:
April 2017: Cui bono?—Who is benefiting, and getting hurt, by dong nothing?

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You can make a difference.

Join with others around the world by signing and sharing the petition below.

Shine the Light--Together!

An international petition calling for integrity and action to confront corruption in the church-mission community and in particular the international NCI et al. fraud.

Read it, sign it, share it!
http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/shine-the-light-together/

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PETRA People Network

PETRA People Network was set up in 2010. We are committed to promoting peace, transparency, and accountability in all sectors of society and especially in the international Christian community. Our general focus is on preventing and confronting corruption and on promoting personal and organizational integrity. Our specific focus is on the Nordic Capital Investments KB fraud (NCI).