Integrity Icon Nepal has been identifying such individuals and highlighting them since 2014. Every year, 5 amazing government officials are highlighted among over a thousand nominations from the public. And the winning 5 are absolutely inspirational. Take last year’s winners for example. Manamaya Pangeni was one of the very few female Chief District Officers in Nepal and was respected as a strong and inclusive leader by the people in the places she worked, not bowing down to anyone’s unethical pressures. Lok Bahadur Lopchan was passionately working towards preserving the languages in the verse of extinction and strongly advocated for languages of ethnic minorities to be taught in the schools. Shila Sharma, whose leadership as a covid focal person in providing efficient services at Bheri Hospital situated in one of the covid hotspots is impeccable. Chandrakant Chaudhary has been successful in raising the living standards of farmers by supporting them with loans and ensuring they get the prices they deserve for their produce through community cooperatives. And Sumitra Gautam, who was able to completely change the face of Bhaktapur Hospital from a run-down old hospital to one of the best serving government institutions in the country. But, what’s important isn’t who wins or who is the best. It’s the conversation that it creates around integrity in Nepal - about what it means to be honest within a corrupt system. Nepal’s bureaucracy has been known to be mired in inefficiency, lack of accountability, and corruption. People’s hope in the public service had increased after the 2017 local elections but said hope didn’t take long to die out. Audits of the fiscal year 2021/22 show exorbitant arrears in the local units. Corruption has been a part of our public system for decades while the citizens and law enforcement have been trying to put an end to it by pointing out the wrong-doers. But, Integrity Icon has shown that fighting corruption isn’t all about enforcement and locking people up. It’s not about enforcing rules on its own because if those rules don’t correspond to the way that people interact, the way that they organize society, then they can’t be enforced. Instead of putting corrupt officials behind bars, Integrity Icon put honest officials in front of cameras. Instead of prosecuting the bad-doers, Integrity Icon celebrated the do-gooders. And in the eight years that it has existed, Integrity Icon has highlighted 40 outstanding government officials in Nepal, with the program being replicated in 17 other countries. The key isn’t just to catch people doing the right things. It’s bringing them together and helping them collectively push back against the negative dynamics. Through Integrity Alumni, the Icons continue to connect, engage and brainstorm ideas to build integrity within the institutions they work around the country. The network doesn't just comprise the Icons - it’s a hive of unlikely networks of business leaders, journalists, change-makers, activists, academicians, and philanthropists who all support and push each other to bring positive reforms in Nepal’s public service. This has helped create a virtuous circle of reforms. One’s efforts are being replicated in other areas. Shila’s leadership during the covid pandemic inspired many others in the health sector to work day and night in Nepalgunj Sub-metropolitan City. Manamaya’s grit and leadership have inspired many female officials to stand up against the patriarchy and their corrupt supervisors. Youths are the most critical part of this process. Over 50 percent of Nepal’s population is under the age of 30. They are more energetic and more connected than ever before. Integrity Icon helps this generation to stand up for their values and build integrity before they get sucked into the corrupt systems that exist. The older generation has been in power so long that they can’t be part of the change that needs to happen. Therefore, creativity around these issues is necessary. Through Integrity School, young and passionate government officials are brought together to discuss the challenges in their workspaces, learn from the practical experiences of honest government officials, and co-create solutions to navigate difficult and corrupt working environments. The school builds a network of fun-loving, dynamic, and like-minded young government officials who are striving toward building integrity within the bureaucratic system through creative ideas and innovative tools. Integrity Fellowship is a similar part of the campaign where young graduates outside the government are given the opportunity to work with and learn from the Integrity Icons. This facilitates the exchange of knowledge between young Nepalis and Integrity Icons and provides an immersive experiential inter-generational learning opportunity for young Nepalis in accountable and transparent government systems. The other end of the bargain offers key government reformers with committed and creative youth to support them in their efforts to build integrity in governance systems. These fellows are also exposed to the government sector which helps change their negative perceptions of Nepal’s public service. Through these initiatives, the young and bright youth of Nepal are constantly being mentored and molded into becoming honest, moral, and accountable public leaders in the future. This has brought creativity to the whole possess. People have started performing theater plays around the importance of integrity. Young people have displayed their understanding and need for integrity through art and poetry. The media is also slowly moving towards reports on success stories of government and organizations, and the amazing work they do, proving that the citizens' perceptions are now changing. The citizens, who are constantly conducting silent rallies and writing blogs around the value of integrity have been empowered to hold their government accountable through positive approaches. Hundreds of students painted bright pictures of Nepal’s gloomy bureaucracy in art competitions as well. Still, the core value of Integrity Icon isn’t that corruption or lack of accountability shouldn't be called out. It doesn’t mean that justice isn't essential, rules aren’t enforced, and intuitions aren’t set up. But what it means is that the people doing the right thing should be supported even more. They have to be celebrated and encouraged to move forward. They have to be connected and supported with voices and provided with the tools they need to step up as role models. If the Integrity Icon has done anything, it has given the people hope. Hope that things can change, because individuals like the Integrity Icons are everywhere. They just need the recognition and motivation like the Integrity Icons have received. For that, the campaign needs support - to identify these amazing people, to spread the word, and to continue having conversations around the value of integrity. This can change the way people look at the world and give hope for a different kind of future that everyone can help to build.
