Recently, an esteemed mentor suggested we add a section to the website where citizens could upload photos or videos to document instances of VIPs misusing their privileges. We respectfully declined. 

At Zen Citizen, we focus on working around broken systems. No whistleblowing, no lobbying for policy changes, no signature campaigns, marches, or protests. There are others doing this important work. We’re just taking a different route.

On the surface, it might look like we’re applying a band-aid, fixing bugs on government websites or giving detailed application tips. But our deeper goal is to address the root issue of petty corruption by quietly empowering people. If someone who normally gives up after five failed attempts to get a certificate without a bribe has to hold out only for three now, that’s a shift. If they know what to expect, what obstacles might come up, and how to work around them, they’re more likely to resist a bribe, or at least question it.

That’s the kind of change we’re working toward.