In this episode, I speak with another courageous individual and brave whistleblower, Johannes Stefansson, from Iceland. Johannes is known for being the whistleblower in the famous "Fishrot Scandal", involving alleged corruption and misconduct by one of the largest fishing companies in the world and senior government officials in Namibia.
Johannes’ story shows why we need to carefully scrutinise the dominant narrative, which is carefully crafted by multinational corporations and big businesses, when they claim that they are heading to developing and poor countries to create jobs, alleviate poverty, and facilitate development. The Fishrot Scandal reminds us to examine these claims critically. As per the BBC (2023), "The scandal has also damaged the wider Namibian fishing industry. Jobs have gone and government revenue has been lost - that money should have been used to assist the poorest in one of the most unequal societies in the world".
It's also a story of how local elites in developing countries sometimes participate in the plundering of their country's resources and must be held accountable.
I hope you find this conversation inspiring - it's a story of conviction, bravery, and passion for socioeconomic justice for the people of Namibia.
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