The Center for Advanced Defense Studies (C4ADS), in partnership with the Media for Democracy Foundation (MFD), conducted a two-day workshop on “Using data tools to expose corruption and environmental crimes” in Panamá City, Panamá. The training event brought together journalists as well as environmental and transparency advocates to learn how to utilize new data tools and advanced investigative techniques to expose corruption such as mismanagement of public funds, money laundering, as well as illegal phishing and mining.
During the workshop, participants shared best practices on collaborative journalism and on accessing and analyzing public records to expose illegal activities in Panamá and beyond. Participants also used case studies to learn how to use several data repository platforms created by C4ADS such as Seamless Horizons and Triton, a tool which can be used to identify the beneficiaries of fishing vessels.
This is the second workshop conducted in Panamá as part of the C4ADS project “Strengthening Governance, Transparency and Accountability.” The initiative is aimed at supporting civil society organizations in their work exposing corruption and demanding accountability to individuals and/or organizations involved in illicit activities in the country.
The program is implemented in partnership with the Media for Democracy Foundation (MFD), a non profit organization dedicated to support media freedom through the promotion of democratic values. MFD supports the creation of coalitions involving news organizations and civil society advocates to build an enabling environment for a free and independent press. MFD builds information resilience and media leadership.
C4ADS is a non profit organization based in Washington, D.C. that uses public information to expose illicit transnational networks affecting our world. C4ADS works with a variety of partners to detect, disrupt, and dismantle these networks. Some collaborations with news organizations include the 2022 article published by the New York Times about the war crimes in Russia and Ukraine, a 2023 article published by Mongabay on the trends to capture wildlife animals, and the 2024 collaboration with the Organized Crime and Reporting Project (OCCRP) creating a consortium of 72 media outlets in 70 countries to report on the use of the real estate business in Dubai by transnational criminal networks.