1. Read the situation:

State Anti-Corruption Committee conducts a closed multi-disciplinary conference, featuring historians, psychologists, sociologists, legal experts and law enforcement authorities. Roots of corruption in modern society are discussed, together with the best ways to fight it.

2. Choose your role:

Role 1. The Head of the Anti-Corruption Committee and Chairman of the conference.

Role 2. A member of the Anti-Corruption Committee.

Role 3. A well-known historian.

Role 4. A well-known sociologist.

Role 5. An international legal expert.

Role 6. A representative of law enforcement authorities.

3. Study your role and get ready to present it:

Role 1. You are The Head of the Anti-Corruption Committee and Chairman of the conference. In your opening address welcome the participants. Express the organizer’s expectations and good wishes for:

• the active participation of the audience in the discussions;

• promoting exchange of personal experience;

• the generation of new ideas;

• getting professional satisfaction from the meeting;

• an enjoyable stay in the city.

Then give the floor to other participants. Be ready to sum up the main ideas at the end of the conference.

Role 2. You are a member of the Anti-Corruption Committee. Make a report on areas of corruption.

The following ideas can be helpful:

Today all areas of government are corrupted: people give bribes to get an assignment for a child to a kinder garden, to avoid army service; it has roots up to the highest ranks of the governmental spheres. Corruption is an ordinary part of life for all social levels. Areas that are mostly subject to corruption are:

• customs;

• medical organizations;

• motor licensing and inspection;

• judicial bodies;

• tax bodies;

• law enforcement bodies;

• bureaucracy: to get necessary papers, permits etc.;

• anti-corruption movements: is actually a cover to divide and steal the funds given to fight corruption;

• higher education institution;

• credit approvals;

• control over licensing rules observance;

• supervision of hunting and fishing activities;

• release from army service;

• forming party electoral lists; etc.

Dwell on examples of corruption in those areas.

Role 3. You are a well-known historian. In your report speak about the historical aspects of corruption in Russia.

The following ideas can be helpful:

• Russian people’s distrust of law in general, the depth of which may be clearly illustrated by some common Russian proverbs regarding law and courts: Law is a pole of a cart, you can handle it as you like ; Wherever there is law, there is also insult; Even if you go to a court, you cannot find justice there; We don't fear a trial, but fear a judge; Like a duck’s stomach, it is difficult to fill up a judge’s pockets.

• Distrust of justice and the police is also historically deep-rooted in Russia.

• For a long time, the corruption of officials in Russia was legal: up to 18th century, government officials had lived through "кормления" ("feedings" - i.e. resources provided by those interested in their area of business).

• Since 1715, accepting a bribe in any form became a crime, as officials began to receive fixed salaries. However, the number of officials under Peter the Great had increased so much that salaries came to be paid irregularly, and bribes, especially for officials of lower rank, again became their main source of income.

• Soon after the death of Peter, the system of "Кормление" was restored and fixed salaries only returned with Catherine II.

• The salaries of civil servants were paid in paper money, which in the beginning of the 19th century began to depreciate greatly in comparison with metallic money. Insecurity within the bureaucracy again led to increased corruption.

Role 4. You are a well-known sociologist. In your report speak about the impact that corruption has on the poorest.

The following ideas can be helpful:

• Corruption is both a major cause and a result of poverty around the world.

• It occurs at all levels of society, from local and national governments, civil society, judiciary functions, large and small businesses, military and other services and so on.

• Corruption affects the poorest the most, whether in rich or poor nations (Prove this statement).

Role 5. You are an international legal expert. Dwell upon the impacts that multinationals’ corrupt practices have on the developing countries.

The following ideas can be helpful:

• They undermine development and exacerbate inequality and poverty.

• They disadvantage smaller domestic firms.

• They transfer money that could be put towards poverty eradication into the hands of the rich.

• They distort decision-making in favor of projects that benefit the few rather than the many.

• They also

• Increase debt;

• Benefit the company, not the country;

• Bypass local democratic processes;

• Damage the environment;

• Circumvent legislation;

• Promote weapons sales.

Role 6. You are a representative of law enforcement authorities. Speak about the problems of corruption detection.

The following ideas can be helpful:

• Bribery may be pervasive, but it is difficult to detect.

• Many Western companies do not dirty their own hands, but instead pay local agents, who get a 10 per cent or so “success fee” if a contract goes through and who have access to the necessary “slush funds” to ensure that it does.

• Until recently, bribery was seen as a normal business practice. Many countries including France, Germany and the UK treated bribes as legitimate business expenses which could be claimed for tax deduction purposes.

Unit 9. Storing and Managing Economic Information

Role play “Security Audit in Google Corporation” Exercise 13, page 74.