Corruption is a topic that is often present in public debate but rarely explained in a way that is close to young people. It erodes citizens’ trust in institutions, affects the quality of democratic processes and is part of everyday life, yet young people have few opportunities to learn about it. A survey by the Centre for Democracy and Law Miko Tripalo showed that 40% of young respondents said there is no anti-corruption education in schools and universities, and a further 39% said there is too little. For this reason, within the project “Corruption Compass: Strengthening CSOs in the Fight against Corruption”, the Centre created two publicly available tools: the Corruption Map of Croatia and the Corruption Compass educational guide. The project is funded by the Netherlands Helsinki Committee through its Catalyst of Change programme, and its main goal is to strengthen civil society organisations and young people so that they become relevant actors in preventing and fighting corruption.
The Corruption Map of Croatia is an interactive map that presents prominent cases of corruption (48 in total) from different parts of Croatia in a clear and accessible way. It was designed as an educational and communication tool intended primarily for young people, civil society organisations and the wider public. Its visual presentation of the cases helps users better understand the different forms of corrupt behaviour and see that corruption is not an abstract notion but a phenomenon present in different communities and in everyday life. The Map is also a prompt for discussion about how corruption affects citizens’ trust in institutions, and about the importance of transparency, accountability and active citizenship.
The Corruption Compass educational guide gives a complete, structured introduction to anti-corruption topics. To make the key messages of the Corruption Compass accessible to everyone, a shorter, visual youth brochure was produced at the suggestion of the partner organisations. It keeps the essentials: what corruption is, its seven forms, what the numbers say, what young people can do, how to report it and how whistleblowers are protected.
For those who want to go deeper, the full educational guide offers a complete, structured introduction to anti-corruption topics. It covers the forms corruption takes, from bribery and embezzlement to nepotism and conflicts of interest, and presents the international framework (UNCAC, the OECD Anti-Bribery Convention, the Council of Europe and GRECO). It also explains whistleblower protection, including the role of the Ombudsperson as the external reporting body. With its questions, recommended reading and discussion tasks, it works both for independent learning and for work with young people.
The Centre shared its knowledge of the Map and the Guide with the Croatian Youth Network, D-Kolektiv and Association Delta at workshops in Rijeka, Zagreb and Osijek, and the tools were also presented at the final conference “Corruption in Croatia – What Next?”. They were brought to young people through a joint social media campaign, with carousels based on the brochure, which also explain how to read and use the Map, and videos in which experts, including university professors, answer questions and debunk myths about corruption. The partners will integrate the materials into their own educational work, and the guide and brochure will also be offered to secondary schools and other organisations working with young people, so that they remain in use after the project ends.