THE TIME OF THE WHISTLEBLOWER Whistleblowing has been around for decades. Various countries recognize whistleblowing and have enacted laws to protect whistleblowers. Each and every individual who has ever passed on an anonymous tip-off to a Crime Stoppers program or law enforcement is a whistleblower and deserves to do so without fear. Whistleblowers are activists of truth. They have a fundamental role in society and without them chaos would prevail. As South Africa prepares to host the 35th Annual Crime Stoppers International (CSI) Conference on African soil for the first time, we observe that this is the time of the whistleblower. Crime knows no borders. Crime does not discriminate. From the United States to Australia, we are bound together by a collective responsibility to put our minds and resources together to root out crime. The buy-in from communities, law enforcement and the media is absolutely critical to achieve our common goal. I recently addressed the London Expo as part of the Homecoming Revolution initiative and we have personally lost some of our finest citizens to the fear that crime instills in families – whether directly or indirectly. Crime costs economies millions. This is especially detrimental to developing countries that more often than not depend on industries, such as tourism, for their livelihood. High levels of crime is not a drawing card for tourists. With the rise of globalization, crime has risen with it. Our communities are becoming more and more vulnerable to criminals that hide behind computers in other countries. Too often criminals are one step ahead of us. They are sophisticated and have an almost endless supply of funds to bankroll their activities. It is time for us to get ahead of the curb. We are dealing with highly organized groups, so we cannot work in silos if we hope to make a dent in crime.Law enforcement agencies cannot be everywhere. That is why the role of communities, non-profit organizations and the media are critical. It’s time to ask ourselves how we can strengthen these relationships. It’s time to break down the challenges that keep these relationships from flourishing. It’s time to put our differences aside and realize that our stake in the world doesn’t stretch as far as our immediate environment, but form part of a bigger picture. It’s my pleasure to welcome you to the 35th Annual Crime Stoppers International (CSI) Conference. We have aimed to offer delegates a comprehensive look at crime globally, but with actions and solutions that you can take home with you. With Cape Town as the beautiful backdrop to this conference, I’m sure we will all have a productive and enjoyable time together. In South Africa we have a beautiful term for what we need to revive among ourselves – Ubuntu. It’s time to revitalize our humanity, make a difference and change the world. Please join us and register now for the conference. Lets red-card crime. Warm Regards, Yusuf Abramjee Conference Chairman Head of Crime Line Lead SA activist
Posted on: Sat, 16 Aug 2014 08:12:45 +0000
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