"All aid organisations rely on whistleblowing to find out about corruption and other irregularities; however, significant variations exist in their policies and practices. There is a need to tailor whistleblowing channels to specific contexts, operational environments, and target audiences . while e
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nsuring gender and inclusivity considerations . to improve accessibility. Best practices include engaging with trustworthy local organisations for receiving alerts, and relying on locally trained staff for face-to-face interactions. Whistleblowing management processesemphasise the principles of anonymity and confidentiality, security, and credibility, with a victim-centred approach. Yet, some departments in aid organisations lack independence in handling reports, potentially compromising response capabilities and prioritising organisational interests over individuals. Best practices emphasise a 'speak-up' and anti-corruption culture supported by the top management, as well as an ombudsperson providing neutral ethical advice. The ability of aid organisations to ensure whistleblower protection in recipient countries is limited by diverse legal frameworks and power dynamics. Enhancing whistleblower protection would require securing collaboration with legal authorities and offering guidance to potential whistleblowers." (Main points, page 3)
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"[...] this issue of the Journal features a symposium of communication scholarship with Latin America as its focus. The symposium was suggested and skillfully brought to fruition by Elizabeth Fox, a Washington, D .C.-based communication policy researcher with broad contacts and experience in Latin A
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merica. As Dr. Fox notes in her introduction, this symposium shows how Latin American scholars are “concerned with basic issues of democratization and equality, while searching for new paths of scientific analysis, policy relevance, and social application.” Those values (democracy and equality) and those goals (policy relevance and social applications) are particularly pronounced in Latin American scholarship. But I would argue that they are also well worth some serious thought by all of us who work as communication researchers and who would like to see what we do make a positive difference in the world." (Editor's note)
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