Once democratic elections are held, the foundations of peace and democracy must be maintained and strengthened. One place The Carter Center assists is Jamaica, where, in a recent survey, Jamaicans said corruption was the second greatest threat to democracy, more so than drugs and poverty.

Prime Minister P.J. Patterson, a member of the Center's Council of Presidents and Prime Ministers of the Americas, turned to The Carter Center to help him fight corruption in his country. When the Center began its transparency work in Jamaica, his administration had just drafted both an act aimed at preventing corruption and a freedom of information law.

"There were a number of concerns relating to the first draft of the corruption prevention act," said Laura Neuman, senior program associate of the Center's Americas Program. "For example, under the law finally passed, civil servants are required to submit an annual asset declarations, and a fine is imposed if corruption is indicated. The initial draft law called for an event larger fine against the media if they published a copy of the corrupt asset declaration or information from it. The law essentially muzzled the media."

Similarly, concerns were raised about the access to information act: who could request information, what information was available to the public, and whether the appeals process would allow for an independent review.

The Americas Program complied papers analyzing similar laws around the world into a booklet called Combating Corruption in Jamaica: A Citizen's Guide. All 1,000 copies were taken in a matter of weeks, and the information was listed on the Web site of the largest Jamaican newspaper.

"The Parliament debated for eight months, and more than 40 amendments were made to the Corruption Prevention Act to strengthen it-many suggested by The Carter Center," Neuman said. "The grassroots pressure for change, combined with new knowledge shared by the Center, was a win-win combination for Jamaica."