Sanctuary for Whistleblowers + Anti-Corruption Champions
RECOVERY REGENERATION
RE-ENTRY
The Integrity Fellowship and Sanctuary provides a temporary safe haven, protection and support for international whistleblowers and anti-corruption activists in extremis.
OUR MISSION
The driving force behind the fight against global autocracy, countless whistleblowers and anti-corruption activists have changed the course of history for the better. They hold businesses, institutions and governments more transparent and accountable. But many of these individuals face imminent threats, ineffective legal systems and long-lasting trauma, often without adequate support or guidance.
Founded on years of experience, the Integrity Fellowship and Sanctuary (IFS) provides a temporary safe haven for whistleblowers and anti-corruption activists who are under imminent threat for loss of life, limb or livelihood and do not have access to the rule of law. IFS’s objective is to support each fellow in recovery, regeneration and re-entry, along with building a public profile and an international network of like-minded people—with an ultimate goal for fellows to return to their home countries to continue the anti-corruption mission.
HOW WE WORK
IFS is a charitable and educational organization formed to counter corruption for the betterment of civil society. Through a small cadre of dedicated professionals, IFS provides a temporary safe haven, protection and support for whistleblowers and anti-corruption activists who fight corruption actively and publicly.
Founded in 2022, IFS offers participants with protections such as safety and security, access to legal support and advice, healthcare, and local food and housing stipends. IFS programs include education and enrichment such as workshops and training by experts, guidance in developing and managing civil society organizations, and exposure to a community of like-minded activists and professionals.
IFS programs focus on three phases:
The Integrity Sanctuary (Recovery)
IFS offers logistical support in the form of travel to/from IFS headquarters located in Toronto, Canada; accommodation for the Integrity Fellow and eligible family for one year, with possible extension for another year; a monthly stipend; and health insurance. Counseling and other mental health services, as well as other emotional support, may be provided on a case-by-case basis as appropriate.
The Integrity Fellowship (Regneration)
IFS anticipates partnering with a prestigious university in Canada to deliver the Integrity Fellowship, where Fellows can contribute their knowledge and experience as relevant to various disciplines, and where they can audit or otherwise participate in courses and training programs to enhance their knowledge and skill sets for re-entry.
The Integrity Fellowship (Re-Entry)
The IFS approach contemplates Integrity Fellows committing to return to their home countries to resume the fight against corruption. The Integrity Fellow and IFS staff jointly develop a viable re-entry plan. The IFS will assist Integrity Fellows in assignments to organizations that will help them regenerate and re-enter and will help connect them with appropriate support networks. While this remains the core principle, the IFS allows for the fact that some Integrity Fellows may not be able to return home.
TEAM
Board of Directors
James Wasserstrom
James Wasserstrom is a long-time anti-corruption expert and activist. He led the fight against corruption in public utilities for four years as senior staff at the UN Administration Mission in Kosovo, five years in Afghanistan as the U.S. Embassy’s sole Advisor on Anti-Corruption, three years in Ukraine as founder and co-chair of an anti-corruption commission there, and currently at a similar operation in Moldova as founder and co-chair. He is also a whistleblower, having uncovered alleged criminality inside the UN in Kosovo and its concealment by UN headquarters in New York. Retaliation by the UN led to his termination.
James L. Turk
Professor James Turk, Director of the Centre for Free Expression at Toronto Metropolitan University, boasts an impressive academic journey, including degrees from Harvard University, UC Berkeley, and the University of Toronto. With diverse roles such as Knox Fellow at the University of Cambridge and Executive Director of the Canadian Association of University Teachers, he’s contributed significantly to intellectual freedom and academic integrity. Turk’s accolades include the Intellectual Freedom Award and the Milner Memorial Award. A prolific writer and speaker, he addresses topics like freedom of expression and civil liberties. Turk’s recent paper, “Academic Freedom in Canada: Its Origins, Components, and Limits,” underscores his enduring commitment to scholarly discourse.
Claudia Escobar
Claudia Escobar is a Guatemalan lawyer and a former magistrate of the Court of Appeals. When running for a second term, the head of the Guatemalan Congress conditioned her election upon an exchange for a judgment that would favor the political party and the Vice President. Ms. Escobar resigned and denounced interference against judicial independence. Consequently, the congressman received a 13-year prison sentence for bribery and influence peddling. Due to threats and intimidation, Ms. Escobar relocated to the United States. She is the Executive Director of Be Just, and she is a Distinguished Visiting Professor at the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University’s Terrorism, Transnational Crime and Corruption Center.
Drago Kos
Drago Kos is the Chair of the OECD Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan and member of the Independent Anti-Corruption Advisory Committee in Moldova. He serves on various boards, including the International Anti-Corruption Academy International Academic Advisory Board in Austria and Advisory Board of the International Institute for Ethical Governance and Accountability in South Africa. Kos has held pivotal roles, including Chair of the OECD Working Group on Bribery and Chair of the Council of Europe’s Group of States against Corruption. His influence extends to Ukraine, participating in selection commissions for key anti-corruption positions. Kos served as International Commissioner and Chair of the Joint Independent Anti-Corruption Monitoring and Evaluation Committee in Afghanistan, International Commissioner and Co-Chair of the Defense Corruption Monitoring Committee in Ukraine and International Commissioner of the International Anti-Corruption Advisory Board (Ukraine), marking a distinguished career combating corruption worldwide.
Alexandra Wrage
Alexandra Wrage is president and founder of TRACE, the global non-profit business association dedicated to anti-bribery, compliance and good governance. She is the author of several books on corruption and the host of the training video Toxic Transactions: Bribery, Extortion and the High Price of Bad Business, produced by NBC. Ms. Wrage is on the Advisory Committee of the Vancouver Anti-Corruption Institute. She was named one of the “Canadians Changing the World” by the Toronto Globe & Mail and awarded the Women in Compliance “Lifetime Achievement Award for Service to the Compliance Industry.” Ms. Wrage studied law at King’s College, Cambridge University. She has provided anti-bribery consulting or training in over 140 countries.
Martin Kreutner
Martin Kreutner is an International Counsel in Anti-Corruption, Int’l Affairs & the Int’l System. Furthermore, he is the spiritus rector and Dean Emeritus of the International Anti-Corruption Academy (IACA) and its fmr Executive Secretary of IACA’s Assembly of (States) Parties. He also is/was: President of the CoE/EU network European Partners Against Corruption (EPAC/EACN); head of the Austrian Federal Bureau for Internal Affairs; member of, inter alia, INTERPOL’s Int’l Expert Group on Corruption (IGEC), the Executive Committee of the Int’l Association of Anti-Corruption Authorities (IAACA), the Legal Symposium Advisory Committee of the European Forum Alpbach, the Advisory Council of TI (Austria), and the Int’l Advisory Board of the Malaysia Anti-Corruption Academy (MACA). Both in 2014 and 2015, Mr. Kreutner was recognized by Ethisphere (USA) as one of 100 Most Influential People in Business Ethics.
Executive Management
Grant McLeod, Executive Director
Grant McLeod has a 17-year track record of successfully developing and implementing governance structures to establish, transition, and improve organizations. He has been General Counsel and corporate secretary for several publicly traded and private companies and recently led a complex family office restructuring including multi-sector business holdings. Grant has provided strategic governance advice to high-ranking officials, including the Prime Minister of Canada, Cabinet, parliamentary committees, members of the U.S. Congress, ambassadors, and other high-ranking diplomats. He has participated as a governance expert on projects in Afghanistan, Vietnam, Cambodia, Ukraine, Kenya, Europe, and the United Arab Emirates. Grant received his Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary. Grant is a proud member of the Manitoba Metis Federation.
SUPPORTERS & DONORS
Expressions of Interest
Referrals for the program will be generated from recognized international anti-corruption organizations that examine the nominee’s circumstances. The IFS Board will make the ultimate selection at its sole discretion.
For inquiries related to donating or supporting IFS, please contact Grant McLeod at gmcleod@integirtysanctuary.org.
CONTACT
