Transparency International Amalia Award

The Transparency International Amalia Award recognises and celebrates professional excellence and impact by the anti-corruption fighters from within the Transparency International movement.

The award is named after Amalia Kostanyan, who was the chair of TI Armenia. She was an anti-corruption hero, who died suddenly in 2010 while engaged in the work that characterised her selfless and fearless contribution to the fight against corruption.

She was just one of the many anti-corruption fighters within the TI family. In 2010, the Transparency International annual membership meeting decided to establish an award that honours them.

The award has two categories:

• Impact - positive change brought about by an action or chapter. The changes affected peoples’ lives or institutional processes and policies that furthered the anti-corruption cause.
• Professional excellence – advancing the mission of a chapter or Transparency International as a whole through demonstrating professional excellence and expertise in an area of anti-corruption work.

For the impact category

I WATCH team, Transparency International’s national chapter in formation from Tunisia

I Watch has demonstrated a strong will and a loud voice in its effort to fight corruption in Tunisia. Despite smear campaigns and intimidation, the team continued to advocate for the whistleblower law, which was passed after five years of pressure. I Watch is an innovator in the fight against corruption: through investigative journalism, arts (rap, poetry, theatre), grassroots mobilisation, legal advocacy. I Watch is a young and active team that has had tremendous impact.
Why the team deserves the award? Because recognising I Watch is showing the way for the future of the fight against corruption!

For the professional excellence category

Bruno Brandão from Transparency International’s national contact in Brazil

Bruno’s hard work and dedication, his strong principles and his dedication to his team, has put Transparency International on the map in Brazil and greatly advanced the fight for justice and democracy. The country is amid a severe political crisis caused by corruption in many guises. With Bruno’s efforts, our quest to re-establish a TI presence in Brazil, supported by TI-S colleagues, has been successful and we now have a national contact there. Congratulations!

For the impact category

Maggie Murphy, Senior Coordinator for Global Advocacy and Policy, Transparency International Secretariat

Maggie has been pivotal in revitalizing TI's advocacy toward the G20. Her unflagging energy, intellectual acuity and eye for the main chance have been a big factor in driving TI's work in this area. It has certainly contributed to TI's visibility and effectiveness on the ground, with the result that the G20 adopted strong principles on beneficial ownership and a 2 year G20 Anti-Corruption Action Plan at the Brisbane summit in November 2015. Maggie's work is a reminder that impact at this level requires firm and persistent coordination from the centre, while being alert to the different national and institutional contexts. Maggie has demonstrated her ability to navigate all these complexities while not losing sight of the main goal. This impact has also been achieved through Maggie's ability to forge strong and durable relationships with civil society organisations, public officials, the business community and other stakeholders.

For the professional excellence category

Mark Pyman, Former Director of the TI UK Defence and Security Programme

When Mark joined TI-UK’s initial work in the sector in January 2004, defence was widely treated as endemically corrupt: prospects of success were minimal. Despite this, Mark – initially single-handedly, and subsequently with invaluable support of key senior former military personnel – created the DSP, TI’s most successful global programme. The DSP’s success could not have been achieved without an individual with outstanding qualities. Mark is confident, fluent and persuasive.