The UN’s International Anti-Corruption Day on 9 December 2024 highlighted the importance of the work of organisations like Whistleblowers of America, as Andy Walker reports.
Corruption has been in the headlines this week with the UN’s International Anti-Corruption Day taking place on Monday 9 December 2024. To mark the day, FIDIC, the International Federation of Consulting Engineers, hosted a webinar on the global fightback against the scourge of fraud and corrupt practice in the construction industry.
One of the speakers at the webinar was Jacqueline Gerrick, president and CEO of Whistleblowers of America (WoA), who outlined some of her experiences as a whistleblower that had led her to set up her organisation which provides support and advice to people around the US.
WoA, a nonprofit organisation that relies on donations and grants to undertake its valuable work, assists whistleblowers who have suffered retaliation after having identified harm to individuals or the public. Garrick herself is someone who has suffered for her whistleblowing, effectively being locked out of the labour market due to speaking out against corrupt practices. She says that this is not an uncommon experience as many people have been similarly victimised for standing up and taking a stand and it only highlights the need for support mechanisms, like those provided by WoA.
The focus of the organisation is to foster whistleblower mental health and resilience through peer support. “WoA aims to provide justice, courage, integrity and sympathy for anyone who has suffered from retaliation and to provide a voice for employees who fear speaking out against violations due to retaliation,” says Garrick.
According to WoA, whistleblowers are everywhere and can be any employee who sees wrongdoing and speaks out to stop it. However, it is often a lonely and confusing legal process, with many whistleblowers feeling isolated and often victimised for speaking out. WoA provides a vital support network and access to advice that can give those speaking out the confidence to do so and to feel supported as they do.
WoA also offers the annual Workplace Promise Institute conference, a two-day event that focuses on spreading awareness and networking within the safe workspace and whistleblowing community. With a variety of high-profile attorneys, social workers and congressional guest speakers who are spearheading the movement, as well as whistleblowers, the event is a must-attend for all those interested in the subject.
The main purpose of the conference is to spread awareness of whistleblower mental health and related issues. The conference is for whistleblowers who want to learn more about their rights and protections and be part of a peer support network. Those who attend the conference share with other whistleblowers and survivors about their lessons learned and strategies for coping and resilience. They will hear from attorneys, government officials and advocates about the current status of laws, programmes and policies that affect them and have an opportunity to influence those practices.
WoA is also seeking sponsorship support for the event as well as presenters. Details of the 2025 conference, which takes place in Washington DC from 3-5 September, and how to support it, can be found at https://www.workplacepromiseinstitute.org/
Garrick is keen to highlight the importance of young people being more corruption aware as they will be the industry leaders of the future. “We ask people to ‘be like a giraffe’, by standing tall and sticking your neck out, even when it might be scary to do so,” she says. Underlining this approach, Garrick’s book, Be a Giraffe, the proceeds of which raise much-needed funds for WoA, has become a valuable teaching tool. “The book, which is written in a graphic novel style, can be a teaching tool for business ethics or provide perspective for psychosocially safe workspaces,” says Garrick.
WoA is doing important work and supporting people who would otherwise be isolated. Its mantra of ‘Everyone has a right to be heard’ is a worthy one and the organisation deserves the support of the engineering, construction and infrastructure sector.
Click here to find out more about Whistleblowers of America.
