December 29, 2021
On December 28, 2021, The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI) attended the graduation of a new batch of Certified Anti-Corruption Managers (CACM) for military and civilian Lebanese in Beirut, Lebanon. The ceremony was under the auspices of the LAF Commander General Joseph Aoun at Fouad Shehab Command and Staff College. The remarkable cooperation between Lebanon Certified Anti-Corruption Managers (LCACM) – lcacm.org – and Fouad Shehab Command and Staff College led to such exceptional achievements in the region.
L. Burke Files, President of The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI) addressed General Joseph Aoun and the audience via a recorded video message (watch below).
It is not every day that we meet a leader in the sense of The AACI. For us, a leader communicates successfully with stakeholders by using the word “we” rather than “I.” He or she accepts responsibility for his or her judgments and holds himself or herself accountable for the outcomes of the decisions while maintaining a clear line of authority and corresponding responsibility for each one involved.
L. Burke Files, President of The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI)
The effective leader engages everyone involved in discouraging, preventing, and detecting any type of corruption. He or she encourages his or her subordinates, employees, vendors, and anyone to talk to him about any suspected or actual corrupt acts in the organization. A leader invests in the anti-corruption knowledge and skills of the executive management and oversees the design and implementation of the organization’s communication strategy with stakeholders engaging them in the commitment to fight corruption.
While Leaders make good and bad decisions, they accept responsibility for their judgments. When a leader takes full ownership of his or her results transparently, he or she ensures that the organization’s culture encourages employees to accept and learn from failure in fighting corruption instead of being dominated by fears of failure.
General Joseph Aoun, ladies, and gentlemen. We highly regard the anti-corruption initiative at LAF and commit ourselves to support LAF and other Lebanese institutions in coordination with Lebanon Certified Anti-Corruption Managers (LCACM) and related parties.”
General Joseph Aoun, Commander of the LAF, delivered a remarkable speech where he stressed the principles of transparency, integrity, justice, and equality in the LAF. General Joseph Aoun’s anti-corruption tone, as set forth in the speech, is remarkable in principle and practice. The following are excerpts from General Joseph Aoun’s speech:
LAF has repeatedly ranked first among the armies of the region in combating corruption, and is working on maintaining the values of integrity and transparency, and on training its members to respect these values, regardless of the challenges.
General Joseph Aoun, LAF Commander
In conclusion, I would like to thank the “Lebanon Certified Anti-Corruption Managers” for honoring me, and I highly valued its efforts to expand the range of awareness sessions in this field, as there is a need to work to combat multi-sectorial corruption, and we, as a military institution, combat this scourge with all our means, and we encourage our officers to participate in these courses that have a positive impact on their work as well as on the performance of the institution, which was and will remain an example to be followed. Many thanks to “Lebanon Certified Anti-Corruption Managers”
General Joseph Aoun and the audience were also addressed by Mr. Mike J. Masoud, Senior Director of The AACI in the Middle East and Africa.
Corruption is the cancer of nations. It jeopardizes national security and stability. Corruption is undeniably one of the key reasons for Lebanon’s governmental institutions’ present deterioration. We believe that the effective fight against corruption should adopt the Ten Principles of Fighting Corruption promulgated by The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI)… On behalf of The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI), we thank Lebanon Certified Anti-Corruption Managers (LCACM) and Fouad Shehab Command and Staff College leader General Hassan Jouni.”
Mike J. Masoud, CACM, CFE, MBA
The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI) recognized General Joseph Aoun, Commander of the LAF, with the Leadership Award for his exemplary and genuine professional and patriotic initiatives in the battle against corruption.
Mrs. Gina Chammsa, President of Lebanon Certified Anti-Corruption Managers (LCACM) – lcacm.org – recognized General Joseph Aoun’s anti-corruption efforts and initiative.
Mrs. Gina Chammas, President of LCACM, and Mr. Mike Masoud delivered the CACM certificates to the graduates.
