Reaching a Broader Audience

According to Transparency International, El Salvador is perceived to have one of the highest levels of corruption worldwide. This rating not only damages the country’s international image, it undermines a healthy business and investment climate, and increases the cost of negotiations, thus detracting from valuable resources that should be utilized elsewhere. The bottom line is that corruption weakens democratic institutions.

Corruption is present at all levels which is why the Democracy Strengthening Program (DSP) aims to involve all sectors in the fight against corruption. In order to reach a broader audience, the DSP supported the Sub-Secretariat of Transparency and Anticorruption in the design, production and presentation of 5 video spots on access to information, accountability, corruption, citizen participation, and ethical principles and values.

In producing such video spots the DSP hopes to create as much awareness as possible through messages that are clear and easy to access. These video spots will be shown through broadcasting mechanisms such as movie theaters, banks, government offices, and even in both inbound and outbound commercial airline flights.

Many institutions supported this initiative by placing their logo at the end of the video spots. Such the institutions are the Sub-Secretariat of Transparency and Anticorruption, Ministry of Public Works (MOP), Roads Preservation Fund (FOVIAL), Governments Ethics Tribunal, Salvadoran Chamber of Construction (CASALCO), National Foundation for Development (FUNDE), Social Initiative for Democracy (ISD), Francisco Gavidia University, Foundation for Law Enforcement Studies (FESPAD), Salvadoran Chamber of Consulting Companies (CAMSEC), LIDERA Foundation, Supreme Court of Justice, Transparency International, Salvadoran Chamber of Commerce, Universidad Tecnologica de El Salvador, Nueva San Salvador University, Parliamentary and Ex Parliamentary Women Association (ASPARLEXAL), and the Salvadoran Journalist Association (APES).

Initially these spots were gradually uploaded to Politica Stereo’s Facebook profile, a social network that promotes community debate. During the first several days the video spots were uploaded on this Facebook page, there were already 18,000 hits.