Doctrine of practical democracy

This document can be read in two ways. As a person who wants to understand what the International Anti-Corruption Assembly (IACA) believes in and what it actually does. And as a partner or donor who wants to see the system, the figures, and the proof that the model is already working. We wrote it so that both readings are true.

Eleven years ago, a small civic initiative emerged in Ukraine — a group of people who believed in a simple idea: corruption cannot be defeated by fear of punishment alone. It can only be defeated when integrity becomes the natural, more advantageous, and more comprehensible choice for a person than deceit. From this conviction grew the International Anti-Corruption Assembly — and over eleven years that conviction did not remain mere words. It became a university, cartoons watched by children in six languages, a documentary series on real court verdicts, a network of over 800 participants in communities around the world, six children’s help centres open every Sunday despite the war, and a festival of gratitude that brings Ukrainians together in Prague every year.
This Doctrine is not a blueprint for the future. It is a description of what has already been built, tested in practice, and is ready to be strengthened, documented, and scaled together with international partners. That is why the logic of this document moves not from theory to practice, but in the opposite direction — from eleven years of real-world work to the system of principles that this work has confirmed.

________________
WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU TO TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT. WE ARE SHOWING WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE.

How This Doctrine Is Structured
The document has an internal logic that is worth keeping in mind when reading each subsequent section:

WHAT WE BELIEVE  →  WHAT WE HAVE CREATED  →  WHAT WE ARE ALREADY DOING  →  WHAT RESULTS THIS PRODUCES  →  WHY IT CAN BE SCALED

• Sections I–IV set out the philosophy and values of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly — the foundation of all subsequent decisions.
• Section V presents Corruptiology — IACA’s own intellectual school, which explains why prevention is more important than punishment.
• Section VI describes the practical model “Territory Without Corruption” — how values are transformed into the architecture of a community.
• Section VII is the heart of the document: a living ecosystem of over twenty initiatives already implemented by IACA.
• Sections VIII–IX present the institutional structure and results in figures.
• Sections X–XII address the international dimension, performance indicators, and the role of a partner.

Before creating projects, the International Anti-Corruption Assembly formed a worldview. Everything described later in this document — the university, the cartoons, the court monitoring, the humanitarian centres — grew precisely from these convictions, not the other way around.

The Human Being Is the Supreme Social Value
At the centre of the philosophy of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly stands the human being. Not the state, not a party, not an official, and not an economic interest. If a system formally functions but a specific person remains rightless and dependent, with no means of self-protection — such a system cannot be considered democratic. Therefore, protecting human dignity is not one direction of IACA’s work. It is the foundation on which everything else rests.

Democracy Is Not a Day of Elections, but a Way of Living Every Day
Elections are an important instrument of democracy, but democracy is not exhausted by them. It exists every day — in how people treat one another, whether a person can be heard, whether they have access to information, whether they trust their neighbour. For the International Anti-Corruption Assembly, democracy is a culture of social relations, not merely a political construction.

Freedom and Responsibility Are Two Sides of the Same Coin
A person has the right to think, speak, choose, associate, and demand justice. But this right is realised only in conjunction with respect for the rights of others and the rule of law.

_____________________
FREEDOM WITHOUT RESPONSIBILITY BREEDS CHAOS. RESPONSIBILITY WITHOUT FREEDOM BREEDS UNFREEDOM.

Corruption Is a Consequence, Not a Cause
This is the main dividing line between the approach of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly and many other anti-corruption programmes. Corruption is traditionally combated through punishment — new laws, new oversight bodies, high-profile exposés. But punishment only answers the question: “What happened?” IACA asks a different question: “Why did this happen, and how do we ensure it does not happen again?”
Corruption arises where a person lacks integrity, knowledge of their rights, trust in institutions, and the sense that the honest path is also the advantageous one. Therefore, in IACA’s view, the fight against corruption must begin not only with oversight of officials, but with building a culture of integrity in society — from childhood, through education, and through personal example.

Knowledge Is an Instrument of Freedom
It is impossible to demand active civic engagement from a person who does not know their rights and the mechanisms for influencing social processes.

KNOWLEDGE  →  UNDERSTANDING  →  CAPACITY  →  ACTION  →  RESULT

The Citizen Is a Subject, Not a Spectator
The philosophy of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly does not recognise the passive citizen — merely a voter, a taxpayer, or an observer. The citizen is a subject of social development: they have the right to ask questions, oversee authority, associate, create initiatives, and influence decisions.

Power Is Responsibility, Not Privilege
An official receives powers not for personal gain but to fulfil a public function. Therefore, authority must be lawful, transparent, accountable, and oriented towards the public interest. Civil oversight in this context is not hostility towards the state — on the contrary, professional civil oversight enhances the quality of public governance.

Dialogue Instead of Confrontation
In the view of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly, criticism of authority should be directed not at dismantling the state, but at correcting problems.

IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM  →  INVESTIGATE  →  PROVE  →  PROPOSE A SOLUTION  →  ENGAGE IN DIALOGUE  →  MONITOR THE RESULT

Trust Is Social Capital
No democratic system can be sustainable without trust. Trust arises where rules are the same for everyone, decisions are comprehensible, and authority is accountable. The International Anti-Corruption Assembly regards trust not as an emotion, but as a strategic resource for social development: the higher the level of trust, the stronger the society.

Youth Is Not the Future of the Fight Against Corruption. It Is Its Present
A democratic culture formed in childhood and youth has a far longer-lasting impact than combating already-entrenched adult behaviour. That is why work with children and young people occupies one of the central places in IACA’s system — as described in detail in Section VII.

Ukraine Is Not the End Point, but the Testing Environment
Real social challenges — war, reconstruction, and reforms occurring simultaneously — have transformed Ukraine into an environment in which the International Anti-Corruption Assembly has repeatedly tested its approaches under the most demanding possible conditions. What works in Ukrainian conditions — among the most extreme in the contemporary world — will work virtually anywhere. That is why Ukraine in this Doctrine is treated not as the boundary of IACA’s operational model, but as its pilot environment — the territory where the model is formed, proves its value, and prepares for international scaling.

The International Anti-Corruption Assembly does not merely declare values — it implements them through concrete activity. Each value in this list has a practical continuation in the form of an action, instrument, or institution described later in this document.
The value system on which the model of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly is built encompasses: human dignity, freedom, equality, justice, the rule of law, human rights, responsibility, transparency, accountability, integrity, citizen participation, solidarity, tolerance, dialogue, peaceful coexistence, and international cooperation.

From Value to Action

• Dignity → protection of the person in every IACA decision.
• Freedom → opportunity for participation and free expression.
• Rule of Law → legal culture and genuine access to mechanisms of protection.
• Transparency → access to information and open data.
• Accountability → civil oversight and monitoring of state institutions.
• Integrity → an anti-corruption culture that begins in childhood.
• Knowledge → education — from cartoons for preschoolers to university training of specialists.
• Civic Participation → community work and the “Territory Without Corruption” network.
• Professionalism → Corruptiology as a new science and profession.
• International Solidarity → cooperation and scaling of the model to other countries.

The Chain of Democratic Value
The values of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly do not form a separate list, but a sequential chain in which each link rests on the previous one:

PERSON  →  DIGNITY  →  RIGHTS  →  FREEDOM  →  RESPONSIBILITY  →  INTEGRITY  →  TRUST  →  PARTICIPATION  →  ACCOUNTABILITY  →  JUSTICE  →  RULE OF LAW  →  RESILIENT SOCIETY

____________________
DEMOCRACY IS NOT MERELY A FORM OF GOVERNMENT. IT IS A SYSTEM OF VALUES THAT BECOMES PART OF A PERSON’S EVERYDAY LIFE.

For whom does the entire system exist? The answer of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly is simple: the system exists for a specific person — and it is through that person that everything else is built.

STRONG INDIVIDUAL → ACTIVE CITIZEN → STRONG COMMUNITY → STRONG CIVIL SOCIETY

Every person has the right to know their rights and possibilities, to develop personal integrity, to participate in civic life, and to join others in resolving shared problems. Young people in this context are regarded not as passive objects of upbringing, but as agents of change who are already capable today of proposing their own solutions — it is on this principle that, for example, the “Anti-Corruption Vaccination” project is built (Section VII).

The Path from Individual to Society

KNOWLEDGE  →  AWARENESS  →  CIVIC CAPACITY  →  PARTICIPATION  →  SELF-ORGANISATION  →  CIVIC INITIATIVE  →  OVERSIGHT  →  ACCOUNTABILITY  →  TRUST  →  RESILIENT DEMOCRATIC SOCIETY

• Individual — bearer of dignity and rights.
• Citizen — bearer of responsibility and participation.
• Community — the space of practical democracy, where a person daily encounters authority, the budget, public services, and the risks of corruption.
• Civil Society — the mechanism of self-organisation and oversight.
• State — the institutional form of ensuring public order.
• International Anti-Corruption Assembly — the infrastructure of knowledge, professionalism, and civic capacity that connects all these levels.

___________________
DEMOCRACY BEGINS WITH THE INDIVIDUAL, BUT DOES NOT END THERE.

One of the convictions that the International Anti-Corruption Assembly has consistently upheld for eleven years: civil society is not an adversary of the state.

______________________
CIVIL SOCIETY IS AN INDEPENDENT SOCIAL PARTNER, OVERSEER, AND SOURCE OF DEVELOPMENT FOR DEMOCRATIC INSTITUTIONS.

The state must be institutionally strong, but at the same time accountable to society. Public authority is a delegated mandate, not a personal privilege. The independence of civil society enables it to cooperate with the state on equal terms while retaining the right to critically evaluate it.

Two Logics of Interaction
The model of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly contrasts two logics of social organisation:
“AUTHORITY GOVERNS — THE CITIZEN OBEYS”
↓  replaced by  ↓
“AUTHORITY SERVES — THE CITIZEN PARTICIPATES — SOCIETY OVERSEES”

STATE  →  LAWFUL MANDATE  →  CITIZEN  →  CIVIL SOCIETY  →  CIVIL OVERSIGHT  →  ACCOUNTABILITY  →  SOCIAL TRUST  →  SUSTAINABLE DEMOCRACY

Partnership Without Dependence
The International Anti-Corruption Assembly consciously builds its model on a balance: independence, transparency, accountability, participation, and oversight are combined with a readiness for constructive dialogue with state institutions. This is a principle that in practice is implemented, for example, in the long-standing monitoring of the State Labour Service of Ukraine and in the human rights work of IACA (Sections VII–VIII).

___________________
STRONG STATE + STRONG CIVIL SOCIETY = SUSTAINABLE DEMOCRACY

Criticism is not anti-state activity. Oversight is not hostility. Partnership is not dependence. Authority is not a privilege, but a responsibility. It is precisely this system of convictions that underlies how the International Anti-Corruption Assembly builds its relations with authorities, partners, and donors.

For over a century, humanity has been fighting corruption: new laws, new oversight bodies, high-profile exposés. And yet corruption does not disappear. This means one thing: the problem runs deeper than an individual crime or an imperfect law. It was from an awareness of this regularity that Corruptiology [Ukrainian: Коruptsiolohiia — an original academic discipline coined and developed by IACA] was born.
Corruptiology is not yet another oversight system, nor a variety of law-enforcement activity. It is a new way of thinking. Its central question is not “How do we punish the corrupt?” but “How do we create a society in which honesty is the natural choice for a person?”
Corruptiology does not set itself in opposition to criminal law or state anti-corruption bodies — it complements them. If law is responsible for justice, and state institutions for compliance with the law, then Corruptiology is responsible for forming the person who voluntarily chooses to live within the legal framework.

FROM REACTION  →  TO FORMATION
FROM FEAR  →  TO RESPONSIBILITY
FROM CONTROL  →  TO SELF-CONTROL
FROM COMPULSION  →  TO CONSCIOUS CHOICE

The Three Foundations of Corruptiology: Honesty, Responsibility, Trust
Corruptiology proceeds from the premise that a sustainable society cannot exist solely by means of laws and punishment. Any legal system acquires real force only when it rests on the internal values of the person. These three foundations form a single system — akin to three pillars of a structure: the loss of even one weakens the entire edifice.

I. Honesty — the Beginning of Inner Freedom
Honesty begins not in relations with others, but in honesty with oneself. Only a person capable of honestly evaluating their own decisions and acknowledging their mistakes can build honest relations with others.

II. Responsibility — Honesty in Action
Honesty acquires social value only when it manifests in responsible action — the willingness to accept the consequences of one’s own decisions and to act in the interest of the common good.

III. Trust — the Result of Honesty and Responsibility
Trust cannot be established by decree, purchased, or obtained by virtue of a position. It forms gradually and is confirmed over time. In a society with a high level of trust, institutions are strengthened, communities function more effectively, and the economy develops more actively.

HONESTY  →  RESPONSIBILITY  →  TRUST  →  SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

The Core Principle: “Begin with Yourself”
Any systemic change, in the conviction of Corruptiology, begins with the inner choice of a specific person.

INDIVIDUAL  →  FAMILY  →  COMMUNITY  →  STATE  →  WORLD

____________________
THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF CORRUPTIOLOGY IS NOT MERELY THE REDUCTION OF CORRUPTION. ITS HIGHER GOAL IS THE FORMATION OF A CIVILISATION OF TRUST.

Corruptiology as an Academic Discipline
Corruptiology is an interdisciplinary field of knowledge at the intersection of law, ethics, sociology, psychology, pedagogy, political science, public administration, and economics. Its object of study is the social relations connected with the formation of integrity, responsibility, trust, and legal culture — the individual, the family, educational institutions, communities, institutions, and the business environment.
The core theoretical thesis of Corruptiology: corruption is predominantly a consequence, not a root cause. The root cause is a deficit of integrity, responsibility, legal culture, and trust. Therefore, a sustainable reduction of corruption is possible only through the simultaneous development of the individual, the community, and institutions.

EDUCATION  →  INTEGRITY  →  TRUST  →  COOPERATION  →  DEVELOPMENT  →  PROSPERITY

This very theory underlies every practical instrument described in Section VII: from cartoons for preschoolers to the documentary series on court verdicts. Corruptiology is, metaphorically speaking, the brain of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly. All other projects are its hands.

The Corruptiologist — a New Profession
The development of Corruptiology as a science required the training of a new type of specialist — corruptiologists capable of researching, teaching, and implementing preventive mechanisms at the level of communities and institutions. It was precisely for this purpose that in 2019 the International Anti-Corruption University was founded — an educational platform whose training model combines theoretical study with two years of practical placement in an affiliated organisation.

If Corruptiology is the theory, then “Territory Without Corruption” is the architecture in which that theory is brought to life in a specific community.
This is not a call to fight or to dismantle existing structures. It is a proposal for an evolutionary transition to a governance model in which corruption becomes systemically impossible — not because it is punished, but because the environment itself rejects it, as a foreign element.

____________________
GOVERNMENTS FIGHT CORRUPTION FROM ABOVE. THE INTERNATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION ASSEMBLY CULTIVATES INTEGRITY FROM BELOW. BOTH APPROACHES ARE NECESSARY.

Three Levels of the Model

Level 1 — Architectural (Technologies and Systems)
Digitisation of public administration, artificial intelligence for identifying corruption risks, open registers and transparent procurement, partnership with technology platforms (including YouControl — over 50 state registers). An environment that rejects corruption of its own accord.

Level 2 — Educational (From Child to Adult)
A complete educational cycle covering a person’s entire life: “Leo’s Advice” — basic values for children up to 7 years of age; “Zaplutailo” — critical thinking for children up to 10; “144 Codes of Destiny” — vocational guidance as corruption prevention; the International Anti-Corruption University with Corruptiology; the “Anti-Corruption Vaccination” series — teaching students using real cases. A person in the right role has no need of bribes — that is the foundation of the entire system.

Level 3 — Social (Community as a Living Laboratory)
The territorial community becomes the first link in the transformation. The “Territory Without Corruption” platform unites over 800 participants worldwide; the International Union of CSOs “Territory Without Corruption” is a legally registered network in which local activists, lawyers, educators, and technologists together build an ecosystem of trust.

The Integrity Chain: How It Works in Practice
At the heart of the model lies the formula with which the International Anti-Corruption Assembly presented its doctrine at international fora, including the Ukraine Reconstruction Summit in Washington D.C. in September 2025:

____________________
“BEGIN WITH YOURSELF. LEARN TO LIVE WITHIN THE LAW — DO NOT GIVE, AND NO ONE WILL HAVE ANYONE TO TAKE FROM”

• Step 1 — myself. I decide to live within the legal framework: I do not give bribes, I do not take them.
• Step 2 — my family. I raise my children and loved ones by the same principles.
• Step 3 — my neighbour. I lead by personal example, rather than imposing by words.
• Step 4 — my city. People who live by the principles of integrity naturally join together and elect honest leaders.
• Step 5 — planet Earth. If a sufficient number of people choose to live differently — the system changes. Not through revolution. Through evolution.

Two Parallel Paths
The model of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly operates on two time horizons simultaneously, and both directions complement each other:

Connection with UN Sustainable Development Goals

• SDG 16.5 — substantially reduce corruption and bribery in all its forms;
• SDG 16.6 — develop effective, accountable, and transparent institutions;
• SDG 16.10 — ensure public access to information and protect fundamental freedoms;
• SDG 4.7 — education for sustainable development and global citizenship;
• SDG 17 — partnerships for the goals.

The legal foundation of the model is the United Nations Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC), Article 13 of which has been inscribed in every IACA membership certificate since 24 September 2015.

Ukraine — a Global Case Study
Ukraine has undergone one of the greatest stress tests of governance integrity in modern history: a country simultaneously at war, rebuilding, and reforming. It is a unique laboratory for testing any governance model. What works in Ukrainian conditions — among the most extreme in the world — will work virtually anywhere.

____________________
OBJECTIVE: TO TRANSFORM UKRAINE INTO A GLOBAL CASE STUDY OF SUCCESSFUL EVOLUTION OF PUBLIC GOVERNANCE, REPLICABLE TO ANY POINT IN THE WORLD.

This is the heart of the document. Here there is not a list of ideas, but an account of what already exists, functions, and has dates, figures, and people behind every line. Each initiative was born from the “Genesis” research series and from the convictions set out in the preceding sections.
The initiatives are grouped according to the stage of a person’s life at which they operate: from child to adult professional, from analytics to humanitarian support, from Ukrainian experience to people’s diplomacy in the world.

The Science Behind Everything Else

GENESIS  —  launched: 2020 · ongoing
A series of scientific studies of the International Anti-Corruption University: 12 completed works tracing the evolution of corruption from ancient Egypt to the digital age — how the “virus” mutated in every era and every culture, and what countermeasures humanity invented in response. “Genesis” is not a completed project, but an open study that grows with the world.
Every practical initiative of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly is a result of this research implemented in real life. “Price of Corruption” was born from the understanding that the publicness of verdicts changes societal behaviour. “144 Codes of Destiny” arose from the study that corruption grows from unrealised human potential. “Anti-Corruption Vaccination” — from the understanding that immunity is formed in childhood.
The research continues. The virus has been studied. The antidote is being created.

Education and Prevention: From Child to Adult

“LEO’S ADVICE”  —  launched: 2024 · approximately 50 episodes · 3D animation
Leo is a small jaguar who gives advice to children up to 7 years of age. Not lectures and not rules — living stories in which Leo always finds an honest way out of any situation. A child under 7 absorbs the world like a sponge, and it is at this age that the foundations of personality are laid: no adult moralising works the way a favourite character does when demonstrating by personal example. The animation format allows only the voiceover to be changed — and Leo speaks to the child in their native language, within their culture.
Leo grows with the children of the planet. The project is alive.

“ZAPLUTAILO” [Zaplutailo — lit. “The One Who Entangles”]  —  launched: 2025 · pilot series · ages 7–10
Zaplutailo is an appealing, non-frightening anti-hero who offers children easy paths, quick solutions, and sweet lies — the very things they will later encounter in real life. Through the cartoon, children learn to recognise manipulation before they actually meet it, and see that the honest path always proves more advantageous. The “from the opposite” method is one of the most effective pedagogical approaches: a child who has already experienced Zaplutailo’s manipulation in a cartoon will recognise it in reality. [Translator’s note: “Zaplutailo” is a proper name functioning as a brand name and is therefore transliterated rather than translated.]
Zaplutailo loses. Always. The project is alive.

“144 CODES OF DESTINY”  —  launched: 2026 · 144 profiles completed · 6 languages
144 unique psycho-professional personality profiles — an answer to the central question of youth: who to become? Not which profession is prestigious, nor what parents want, but what is embedded in a person by nature. Each profile shows where a person’s talent flourishes and where they “burn out”, and includes a section “Immunity from Corruption” — under what conditions this person will never become corrupt. The idea for the project was born from three hearts: a 14-year-old teenager, a primary school teacher with nine years of experience, and an anti-corruption expert who had seen the system from within.
The underlying conviction: corruption more often stems not from greed, but from unhappiness — a person in the wrong role seeks in a bribe a “bonus for enduring” the daily ordeal. A person in the right role never takes bribes. Never.
144 profiles completed. The audit of the future has begun. The project is alive.

“ANTI-CORRUPTION VACCINATION”  —  launched: 9 December 2016
The International Anti-Corruption Assembly became the first organisation in Ukraine to declare 9 December — International Anti-Corruption Day — a day of youth anti-corruption action. Every student or senior pupil could hold an anti-corruption workshop in their city, film a video and publish it; the IACA team personally travelled across all of Ukraine and presented awards to the winners — entirely at the organisation’s own expense. The key point here is not the awards, but the fact that young people themselves sought their own “antidote” to corruption — an idea born from within, rather than imposed by adults, does not disappear.
Youth is building. Together with us. The project is alive.

Analytics and Civil Oversight

“PRICE OF CORRUPTION”  —  launched: 2024 · 6 languages · 15 pilot cases completed
A public documentary series on real court verdicts in corruption cases — without names, without sensationalism, only facts: what happened, how much was received, how it ended. The problem this project addresses: journalists cover the arrest of a corrupt official as a top news story, and then — silence, leaving people with a sense of impunity, even though convictions do in fact exist. “Price of Corruption” shows a different picture: real sentences, confiscations, destroyed careers — both for society and for those still pondering whether to take that path, and for the investigators and prosecutors whose unpublicised work finally becomes visible.
Every case has a price. Every publication is a mirror. The project is alive.

Monitoring of the State Labour Service of Ukraine  —  long-standing systemic practice

An example of consistent civil oversight of a specific state institution — combining civil monitoring, legal assessment, and formal response. The model illustrates the principle of Section IV: criticism and oversight are not hostility to the state, but an internal mechanism for improving governance quality.

Community as Laboratory: “Territory Without Corruption”
The model is described in detail in Section VI. Here it is important to record the practical scale: the platform unites over 800 participants worldwide, and the International Union of CSOs “Territory Without Corruption” is a legally registered network of civil society organisations in which local activists, lawyers, educators, and technologists are active members.

Humanitarian and Social Responsibility

CHILDREN’S HELP CENTRES  —  launched: 2022 · 6 centres · open every Sunday
Six children’s help centres established by the International Anti-Corruption Assembly where assistance is least accessible — not in large cities, but in villages and small towns: two centres in Zakarpattia Oblast, and one each in Volyn, Odesa, Poltava, and in Okhtyrka in Sumy Oblast. Every Sunday from 10:00 to 14:00, without exception, for children from birth to 18 years — clothing, toys, stationery. The idea is simple: to systematise aid where it is most needed, and to work there continuously, without intermediaries — from person to child.
Six points of warmth on the map of war. They are functioning. The centres are alive.

“CHILDREN FOR CHILDREN”  —  launched: 2022 · thousands of participants each year
A campaign in which children help children: schoolchildren and preschoolers collect clothing, toys, and stationery at home, bring them to schools and kindergartens, and the International Anti-Corruption Assembly delivers the collected items to the six children’s help centres, together with drawings and good wishes from the children who donated. A child who gives learns more than a child who receives: empathy, responsibility, and the understanding that one’s own action changes someone else’s life are born in the giver.
Children help children. The chain is unbroken. The campaign is alive.

“GIVE A LITTLE PIECE OF WARMTH”  —  launched: 2022
A natural continuation of “Children for Children”: adults organise collections of items in entrance halls, residential blocks, and entire neighbourhoods, and deliver them to the children’s help centres. This is a horizontal, neighbourly movement — not “top-down” from organisation to people, but from person to person. It is “Territory Without Corruption” in its humanitarian dimension: people unite not out of fear or self-interest, but out of love for their neighbour.
Warmth is passed on. From person to person. The campaign is alive.

“BADGE OF HONOUR”  —  launched: 2023 · approximately 300 recipients
A unique international award of IACA — “The World’s Gratitude from the Ukrainian People for the Humanitarian Dimension of Victory”, made from the brass of spent cartridges donated by Ukrainian defenders. Each badge bears an individual number and a registered certificate within the Open Awards System. The metal of war is transformed into an award for those who saved lives — a physical link between the front line and the person who extended a helping hand from the other side of the world. Those recognised are not prominent names but ordinary people who quietly and daily do the impossible; the story of each volunteer becomes part of a living chronicle of humanity.
The cartridge became an award. The award became a memory. The badge is alive.

“ART OF TRANSFORMATION”  —  launched: 2024, Prague
An exhibition project: children from a boarding school for the hearing- and visually impaired hand-painted spent cartridges. The works were presented at a charity ball in Prague — an exhibition and auction — and the funds raised were returned to the same school in the form of an Easter celebration and gifts for the children. A dead metal object, born to cause death, becomes a living work of art — a literal, not metaphorical, transformation of pain into beauty.
War is transformed into art. Art transforms hearts. The project is alive.

People’s Diplomacy: Ukraine that the World Wants to Hear

UA EVENT PROJECT “THANK YOU”  —  launched: 2022 · personal mission of IACA’s founder
A large-scale people’s diplomacy project — the mission of Vyacheslav Sayenko, founder of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly. The aim is to show the world Ukraine not through state budgets and official delegations, but through living art, culture, and a sincere human “Thank you” — from person to person. The project unites UkrFest “Thank You”, the Anthem “Thank You”, “Art of Transformation”, exhibitions, concerts, and masterclasses. Participation for attendees is free of charge, and administrative costs are covered by IACA’s own funds and donor support, accepted exclusively on the condition that the project’s full independence is maintained.
Ukraine speaks. The world listens. Hearts open. The project is alive.

UkrFest “THANK YOU”  —  launched: 2024 · annual from September 2027
An international festival of the Ukrainian people’s gratitude to the world — through art, music, dance, and embroidery. The first festival was held on 1–2 June 2024 in Prague on the occasion of Children’s Day: over two days 350 participants appeared on stage — displaced persons from across Ukraine who had found one another through creativity. The second festival was held in August of the same year on the occasion of Independence Day, funded entirely by IACA’s own resources. A decision has been taken: the festival becomes annual and international.
“Thank you” has been said. “Thank you” has been heard. The festival is alive.

ANTHEM “THANK YOU”  —  premiere: 7 January 2026
The original anthem of the “Thank You” project — lyrics by Vyacheslav Sayenko, the video was edited by the IACA team from photographs and festival footage and published on YouTube. The anthem lives between festivals, so that gratitude does not fall silent: it opens and closes every UkrFest.
The words were born from the heart. Music gave them wings. The anthem soars.

____________________

EACH OF THESE PROJECTS IS A SEPARATE STORY. TOGETHER THEY ARE ONE ECOSYSTEM.

An individual initiative can solve a specific problem. But for practice to become sustainable, it requires an institution, a professional team, a partner network, and governance mechanisms. That is why over eleven years, around the International Anti-Corruption Assembly there has formed not a single organisation, but a system of interconnected institutions, each responsible for a separate area.

Why Not One Organisation, but an Ecosystem
The human rights and judicial track, represented by the National Bar Association of Ukraine — TWC, makes it possible to combine civil monitoring, legal assessment, and judicial mechanisms — that is, to move civic activity from problem identification to professional legal response. The media communication track ensures access to information and public awareness. The cultural track broadens the very understanding of democracy — it is not only political procedures, but also the preservation of cultural memory and responsibility towards future generations.

Integrity Begins from Within
An organisation that publicly advocates transparency must apply these standards to itself as well. The International Anti-Corruption Assembly operates under: a description of its governance system, a Code of Conduct, a conflict-of-interest policy, a risk management policy, a procurement policy, whistleblower protection mechanisms, financial procedures, and anti-corruption compliance standards.

Partnerships Already in Operation
The model of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly has not developed in isolation. The organisation’s documents record cooperation with EUACI, the National Technical University of Ukraine “Igor Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute”, the YouControl technology platform, and other representatives of the civil, academic, business, and state environments. International fora and events with IACA’s participation have been held, inter alia, in Kyiv, Lisbon, and Milan, and the “Territory Without Corruption” doctrine was presented by the organisation at the Ukraine Reconstruction Summit in Washington D.C. in September 2025.

Figures do not replace the philosophy set out in the preceding sections. But it is precisely they that show partners and donors that this philosophy has already been translated into real, measurable work.

Behind these figures lies not activity for activity’s sake, but a principle which the International Anti-Corruption Assembly consciously applies to the evaluation of its own work: what matters is not the number of events held, but the change they bring about.

____________________

FROM THE QUESTION “HOW MUCH HAVE WE DONE?” — TO THE QUESTION “WHAT HAS CHANGED AS A RESULT OF WHAT WE HAVE DONE?”

Corruption, a deficit of trust, and weak civil society are not exclusively Ukrainian problems. These are challenges of an international character. That is why the experience formed by the International Anti-Corruption Assembly is regarded not as exclusively Ukrainian, but as a model with the potential for international exchange, adaptation, and scaling.

____________________

THE IACA MODEL WAS CREATED ON THE BASIS OF UKRAINIAN EXPERIENCE, BUT IS DEVELOPED AS A UNIVERSAL SYSTEM THAT OTHER STATES CAN ADAPT TO THEIR OWN CONDITIONS.

The Scaling Principle

• First, do it and show the result — then invite partners.
• Unite like-minded professionals — not words, but deeds.
• Adapt the model to local culture, preserving global principles.
• Train local specialists through the International Anti-Corruption University.
• Verify the result through the organisation’s international network in 15 countries.

The core values of the model remain the same across all contexts. The mechanisms of their implementation are adapted to the specific country, legal system, and culture. This is a fundamental distinction from the mechanical transfer of the Ukrainian model “as is” to other states.

Democratic Resilience Through Eight Elements

• Values — human rights, dignity, freedom, honesty.
• Education — formation of a competent citizen.
• Critical thinking — the capacity to resist manipulation.
• Civic participation — practical involvement of people in the life of their community.
• Transparency — access to information and open data.
• Accountability — civil oversight and monitoring.
• Social solidarity — the capacity of society to support the vulnerable.
• International partnership — the capacity of societies to interact and learn from one another.

INDIVIDUAL  →  COMMUNITY  →  NATIONAL SYSTEM  →  INTERNATIONAL NETWORK  →  INTERNATIONAL MODEL  →  GLOBAL EXCHANGE OF EXPERIENCE

The Doctrine of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly is not a declaration of intentions for the future. Its provisions have been formed and verified by years of practice. Therefore, the implementation mechanism is not the beginning of work, but the systematisation, improvement, measurement, and scaling of an already-formed practice.

RESEARCH  →  DECISION  →  APPLICATION  →  MONITORING  →  EVALUATION  →  IMPROVEMENT  →  DISSEMINATION

Five Levels of Implementation

• Human dignity, freedom, rule of law, integrity, transparency, accountability, participation, solidarity — are practically tested through the behaviour of people and the work of organisations.
• Effectiveness is measured not by the number of events, but by changes in knowledge, attitudes, and readiness for civic participation: child → youth → student → specialist → citizen → civic leader.
• The “Territory Without Corruption” model transforms the community into a field for the practical testing of the democratic model.
• Transparent, accountable, open to citizens, and capable of responding to risks — that is precisely what IACA’s civil monitoring and human rights practice is directed towards.
• International network. Representative offices, members, affiliated organisations, fora, and partnerships — from individual practice to an international network model.

Activity Indicators versus Result Indicators
For the International Anti-Corruption Assembly it is a matter of principle to distinguish between activity and result:

• The number of seminars held is an activity indicator. A change in the level of participants’ knowledge is a result indicator.
• The number of monitoring exercises is an activity indicator. Identified and eliminated risks are a result indicator.
• The number of network participants is a scale indicator. The capacity of the network to independently implement the model is a sustainability indicator.

The “Before — Action — After” Evaluation Model
Each instrument described in Section VII is evaluated according to the principle of evidence: the state before the intervention is recorded, the action is documented, the change after it is measured. This makes it possible to distinguish real impact from formal reporting on events held — and it is precisely this approach that IACA proposes to use for the joint evaluation of scaling results with partners.

The Scaling Pathway

PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE  →  SYSTEMATISATION  →  EVALUATION  →  ADAPTATION  →  PILOTING  →  RE-EVALUATION  →  SCALING

The International Anti-Corruption Assembly is not offering partners a concept yet to be created. What is on offer is experience already formed by eleven years of practice.

___________________
NOT TO CREATE WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN CREATED. TO STRENGTHEN WHAT IS ALREADY WORKING.

A significant part of IACA’s practical activity has been implemented with the organisation’s own resources and those of its participants — without waiting for external funding. International partnership is therefore regarded not as a resource for building the system from scratch, but as an instrument that makes it possible to:

• strengthen already-created instruments and expand their reach;
• conduct additional research and assess long-term impact;
• improve methodology and prepare methodological materials;
• adapt instruments to the conditions of other countries;
• conduct international pilot programmes;
• create new partner networks and scale proven practices.

Mutual Accountability
The International Anti-Corruption Assembly provides the partner with its own practical experience, methodology, formed instruments, team expertise, accumulated cases, and the opportunity for practical testing. The partner, in turn, can strengthen the model with resources, international expertise, new technologies, research capabilities, and access to international networks.

Who Can Become Part of This Model

• International organisations and European institutions — as partners in the adaptation and verification of the model.
• Donors — as investors in the strengthening of already-tested instruments, not in building the system from scratch.
• Universities and research centres — as co-authors of further “Genesis” research and of Corruptiology.
• Communities and civil society organisations — as participants in the “Territory Without Corruption” network.
• Professional networks — as a platform for training a new generation of corruptiologists.

Participation is possible through several pathways: becoming a participant or partner of the “Territory Without Corruption” platform, becoming a member of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly (four-stage selection), studying at the International Anti-Corruption University, or establishing a “Territory Without Corruption” in one’s own community.

Eleven years ago, the International Anti-Corruption Assembly began with the conviction that corruption cannot be defeated by fear of punishment alone. Today that conviction has a face: the face of a child watching Leo’s cartoon in six languages; the face of a student filming a workshop on 9 December; the face of a volunteer who opens the doors of one of the six children’s help centres every Sunday; the face of a displaced person who, for the first time since the war began, again felt at home on the stage of UkrFest in Prague.
This Doctrine is not a call to believe in the future. It is an account of the past and present that have already occurred, and an invitation to a future that can be built together.

DEMOCRACY is not merely a form of state governance.
ANTI-CORRUPTION ACTIVITY is not merely a struggle against violations.
CIVIL SOCIETY is not a counterweight to the state for the sake of opposition.
INTERNATIONAL PARTNERSHIP is not dependence.

____________________

THIS IS A SUSTAINABLE, PROFESSIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS SOCIETIES TO BE HONEST, RESPONSIBLE, AND FREE.

The mission of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly is to be a bearer of practical experience and a platform through which that experience is transmitted to other societies that strive for the same: integrity, trust, and a life of dignity for every person.