ICW activist wins Honesty Oscar

Jakarta, 9 March. Indonesia Corruption Watch (ICW) deputy director Sely Martini won the 2014 Honesty Oscar in the Best Activist in a Leading Role category over several other nominees from all around the world.

“Thank you for your support, which meant Sely has received recognition to her active role in combating corruption,” the ICW said in statement released on Sunday.

“This award is a proud achievement, not only for ICW, but also for the anti-corruption movement in Indonesia in general. We hope this international appreciation will boost our spirits and bolster our persistence in the fight to eradicate corruption.”

The Honesty Oscar is organized by ONE.org, an international non-partisan organization co-founded by Bono, the vocalist of Dublin-based rock band U2.

Sely took 54 percent of the 6,700 votes in her category, voting ran for less than a week.

Other categories included Best Visual Effects, Best Activist Anthem, Best Director and Best Picture.

“We wanted to use the momentum in the run up to the Academy Awards to put the spotlight not on Hollywood, but on the creative campaigning work of NGOs and passionate individuals who fight global corruption,” ONE states on its website.

The ICW is one of the most prominent anti-corruption NGOs in Indonesia. It has provided advocacy to counter-corruption efforts, such as protecting whistle blowers, promoting clean and transparent governance and combating efforts to weaken the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK).

Many high-profile graft cases in the country were first uncovered by the ICW. (nvn)

News source: www.thejakartapost.com

Original news here. Published date: 9 March 2014.