Financial Transparency Coalition

A new online game, “Angry Anna” takes the popular smartphone game “Angry Birds” and replaces the titular birds with Indian corruption crusader Anna Hazare.  Created by an India-based group, the game features Hazare and other anti-corruption figures being launched with a slingshot in an attempt to topple corrupt politicians.

While the piece is largely intended as some light-hearted fun, it may well turn out to be something more than a way to pass some time on the internet.

It can sometimes be hard to illustrate the importance of the issues the Task Force deals with, especially because these issues are hard for the public to learn about.  While reality TV stars arrested for money laundering may make national headlines, the role money laundering can play in terrorism garners much less attention.  This isn’t necessarily surprising, as illicit financial flows are complex processes that rarely make for glamorous headlines.  Usually, these issues reach widespread audiences only in the most monumental of occasions, like the quest to recover Qaddafi’s stolen money.

This game offers a new way to shed light on these issues.  As the game is emailed, tweeted, and linked by people around the globe, people’s curiosity will be piqued.  Some will decide to Google who Anna Hazare is, and learn more about how corruption impacts not only India, but the world as a whole.  Armed with a better understanding of the situation, people become more aware of how those issues are reflected in their own lives.  Hopefully, the American officeworker playing Angry Anna behind his desk will later care more about, for example, attempts to defend a strong FCPA, support tighter rules to stop corrupt governments, or efforts to end tax haven secrecy.

Obviously, no silly online game is going to be the solution to the fight against illicit financial flows, but it is refreshing to see such an innovative and humorous way to spread aware