THE TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL VANUATU Board of Directors will, unfortunately, have to let go of the few staff that have remained ever since the organisation begun facing funding cuts early this year 2016, only staff members that work to disburse information and establish external relations will remain in the office for a few more months.
As of Wednesday the 27th of July 2016 Transparency International Vanuatu will have limited staff in the office after almost fifteen years of extensive networking, advocacy, lobbying, researching and reporting on corruption.
This means that as of Wednesday next week the widely implemented Civic Education Program will cease to be conducted in the outer islands except the island of Efate.
Regrettably, the distribution program of Free Bislama Vanuatu Constitution Books will have to stop on Tuesday the 26th of July, 2016.
Fortunately, all radio shows that broadcast opinions and discussions by Transparency International Vanuatu will continue including the weekly articles on the Transparency Page that is published every Friday in the Vanuatu Daily Post. This also includes the blogsite www.tivnews.wordpress and facebook, YouTube and twitter accounts that has gained over four thousand followers.
In light of this, the Chairperson of Transparency International Vanuatu Dr. Willie Tokon, on behalf of the Board of Directors as well as the staff, would like to offer a grateful and heartfelt acknowledgment to the Vanuatu Daily Post for continuing to be a very supportive media partner.
Further acknowledgement goes to Radio Vanuatu, to Capitol FM 107 and 96 Buzz FM and the Media Association of Vanuatu. Transparency International Vanuatu has always utilized the media in its efforts to advocate against corruption and to deliver to the people the necessary information that they need in order that they can make the right decisions.
Also, acknowledgements also go to VANGO, the NGO, and the Civil Society community and also to the Government of Vanuatu and the numerous people that have interacted with TIV. Transparency International Vanuatu also appreciates the work that former the Board of Directors including the former staff have invested in the organisation.
“Despite this unfortunate turn of events we have not lost hope yet, we believe that we will continue to fully operate again, maybe soon, maybe later, only God knows,” Dr. Tokon
says. “We have witnessed our hard work throughout the islands of Vanuatu take foothold in many lives” explained Dr. Tokon. He further added that “we have seen how much citizens appreciate the free services that we provided them, it is therefore sad that we will have to stop those services.”
“However, the organisation will continue to operate for a few more months but it will be very limited to project based activities. But until then, we would like to let all our partners and the public know that the office will function in a very limited capacity until a further notice is made to announce future operations,” concluded Dr. Tokon.
Transparency International Vanuatu’s Advocacy and Legal Advice Centre (ALAC), a TIV project that provides free legal service, had already closed down in March 2016.
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