I live in a country with a sensitive political situation, many of us do! Recently I was invited by a high-ranking opposition politician to have coffee. This is not particularly unusual in my job, but the content of the meeting was enough to leave me reeling. I was being invited to get involved in a campaign. Political campaigning is something that has always interested me and since I was given a full set of The West Wing on DVD I have become a bit obsessed with the concept!
After further research I found that the approach I had received was not unusual for many expats. Often we as individuals, or our companies, are seen as vital sources of money for political campaigns. In our home countries our companies or sectors may involve themselves in lobbying (political campaigning by another name) or contributing to campaigns of candidates who represent our views.
One difference is that many western countries have rules that govern lobbying and contributions, and while these rules may be leaky and sometimes open to abuse, they do at least exist. In other countries that is not always the case. Of course many multi-national companies have their own rules about this type of activity, and are closely monitored based on their codes of conduct. However one only needs to look at Rio Tinto’s situation in China to see how complex and risky the overlap of business and politics can be.
For small companies and individuals the risk is, in my view, even greater. Here I know of many small companies that have been asked to contribute to various levels of political campaign. Some have agreed, usually because they believe that the current incumbent is someone they can work with and there would be significant value in keeping them in their post. But what if your candidate loses or you are invited to support the opposition? Part of the history of the current problems in Zimbabwe is based on the decision by some white farmers to support the creation of a viable opposition. The backlash to this decision is well-known and continues to resound around the world.
For me, declining the invitation I received was a relatively easy decision to take, a less easy one to then communicate to the politician in question, who remains in a powerful position in respect of the daily workings of my company. Merely the act of being asked had put me in a difficult position. For others the decision may be less clear-cut, but it is important to ask yourself if you really understand the political situation in the country where you live and work. You may have a basic grasp from what you read in the papers, but do you really know what’s going on behind the scenes? Even in our own countries political u-turns, and decisions which seem inexplicable or unpredictable to the casual observer happen on a regular basis. However, we are usually able to understand the cultural aspects that underlie these decisions and perhaps guess at what causes them. This is much harder to do in another country, in another culture.
There is a great deal of risk associated with being involved in politics in another country. The outcomes are unpredictable, and even if guarantees are given it’s unlikely that your involvement will remain secret. Even if you are supporting the “winning side” you have little leverage over what they choose to do with your support because you are not a voter. As an outsider you are also likely to be the most politically expedient person to blame if things go wrong, and the most dispensable supporter. In short, you have no rights in the political arena, so you should try your best to ensure that you have no responsibilities either.
The easiest way to protect yourself in situations like this is for your organisation, however small, to have some form of code of conduct. Transparency International and many local and international business associations have ones they use and that you can adhere to for free or copy the content of for your own situation. These can also be a useful tool for limiting campaigning in the workplace if that is a concern. If nothing else, the code of conduct, framed and displayed on your office wall provides something to point to when you turn down the request for support – you can’t help, much as you might want to, because you are not allowed to.
By BeiraChick - Guest Writer.
