Anti-corruption lawyer Bill Steinman joins the Anti-Corruption & Governance Center (ACGC) podcast to discuss cases of companies cutting deals with terrorist organizations in dangerous foreign markets. The lively discussion starts with the now infamous Lafarge enforcement action, announced by the U.S. Department of Justice in October 2022. It involves a French multi-national cement firm that pled guilty for "conspiring to provide material support and resources" to both ISIS and Al-Nusra Front in Syria in 2013 and 2014. Listen now to hear the similarities and shocking differences between Lafarge's decision-making and parallel cases in Colombia and the Niger Delta, the rationale behind a zero-tolerance U.S. legal standard for payments made to known terrorists, and how Lafarge executives ended up providing U.S. authorities copies of agreements signed on ISIS letterhead. The podcast is co-hosted by Lola Adekanye, CIPE Program Director for Africa, and Ben Schmidt, Program Officer with ACGC. 

350: Dirty Cement Deals on ISIS Letterhead: Comparing the Lafarge & Chiquita Cases

The Democracy That Delivers podcast is about democratic and economic development and the intersection between the two. Through their personal stories, guests share how their work is helping build stronger democratic institutions in countries all over the world and how they are tackling some of the major governance challenges that many countries face today. The weekly discussion covers a wide range of topics including entrepreneurship, governance, rule of law, and the role of the private sector in democratic processes.

Business

Investing

Careers

Management & Marketing

Business News

Shopping

News

Politics

Between July 2024 to January 2024, CIPE supported a new project, “Democracy: A Digital Story for Young Generations” through the Kurdistan Economic Development Organization (KEDO). As part of the Free Enterprise and Democracy Network (FEDN) Small Grants initiative, they created a new website to educate youth on the importance of democratic values and institutions. In the second episode of the FEDN small grants series, join Program Officer Tamari Dzotsenidze in a conversation with FEDN Member and General Director of KEDO Hussam Barzinji and Public Relations Officer Mustafa AbdulKareem on extending beyond the digital realm and finding hope under difficult circumstances.

399 - FEDN Small Grants- Democracy, A Digital Story for Young Generations Project

Episode Description  Last year, Poland held extraordinarily consequential parliamentary elections where the conservative Law and Justice party (PiS) lost its majority for the first time since 2015. Against this backdrop, CIPE supported a new project, “The Rule of Law – Our Future” through the Institute for Private Enterprise and Democracy (IPED) based in Warsaw between July 2023 to January 2024. As part of the Free Enterprise and Democracy Network Small Grants initiative, the project educated voters about the importance of the rule of law and encouraged youth participation in the election.    In this podcast, Program Officer Tamari Dzotsenidze from CIPE Policy and Program Learning is joined by FEDN Steering Committee member and president of IPED Mieczyslaw Bak and Director of Program Strategy Anna Szczesniak in a discussion on lessons learned over the course of the project and perspectives on engaging with youth.

398 - FEDN Small Grants- The Rule of Law, Our Future

 Episode Description  The Ruggie Framework is a three-pronged approach that includes the obligations of corporations to uphold human rights, the responsibility of the state to protect those rights, and the provision of effective remedies for any infringements.    In this CIPE Anti-Corruption and Governance Center (ACGC) podcast, Luis Fernando de Angulo, Senior Advisor to the Center for Responsible Business and a member of the Institute for Human Rights and Business, joins Michele Crymes and Angela Maria Velez of CIPE as they analyze the experience of Colombia’s private sector in upholding the Ruggie Framework. They discuss the private sector’s successes, challenges, and potential areas to improve the support of human rights going forward. Crymes is ACGC Deputy Director and Velez is the Program Director for CIPE Colombia.     More Information  In 2008, the United Nations Special Representative, John Ruggie, introduced a framework to the United Nations Human Rights Council to address the relationship between human rights and business activities. This framework, known as the Ruggie Principles, was a three-pronged approach that included the obligations of corporations to uphold human rights, the responsibility of states to protect these rights, and the provision of effective remedies for any infringements. In 2011, the United Nations Human Rights Council unanimously approved and endorsed the Ruggie Framework, otherwise known as the United Nations’ Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.    Our special guest, Luis Fernando de Angulo, joins this podcast to analyze the Colombian private sector’s experiences of upholding the Ruggie Framework. Specifically, we will discuss the private sector’s successes, challenges, and areas to improve the supporting of human rights in the future.  

397 - ACGC - Upholding the Ruggie Principles in Colombia's Private Sector

Anticorruption Taskforce Sudan, ACT-Sudan, is a newly established coalition of local Sudanese civil society organizations dedicated to identifying and combating corruption in Sudan to achieve the ultimate goal of ending the war and bringing justice to the people of Sudan. The task force aims to address corruption through advocacy campaigns, investigative research, and public mobilization. Omayma Gutabi, Executive Director of the Sudan Democracy First Group and founding member of ACT-Sudan, joins Staci Samuels, Program Officer for CIPE's Anti-Corruption and Governance Center, in discussion on why tackling corruption issues is key to ending the war and restoring peace to Sudan. This podcast is brought to you by CIPE's Anti-Corruption and Governance Center.

396: Combatting Corruption in Sudan: A New Coalition Emerges

One year after devasting earthquakes in Türkiye, Erhan Arslan of TÜRKONFED joins Babak Yektafar, CIPE Program Director, and Stephen Rosenlund, Deputy Director of CIPE's Middle East and North Africa Team. TÜRKONFED, a CIPE partner, is an independent business confederation representing 30 federations and 300 associations with more than 60,000 company members across Türkiye. Arslan, TÜRKONFED’s Deputy Secretary General – Project Development and Coordination, discusses his organization’s mobilization of business associations to assist with recovery, the collective action of the private sector in rebuilding communities, and their new report that highlights supply chain resilience for economic recovery.

350: Dirty Cement Deals on ISIS Letterhead: Comparing the Lafarge & Chiquita Cases

Download our free app to listen on your phone