15 years ago, a group of young dreamers decided to make their knowledge an instrument to promote integrity, justice, transparency and the fight against corruption. Their unwavering conviction to participate in the construction of a free and democratic country motivated them to create the Center for Public Integrity (CIP), a Mozambican civil society organization.

Mozambique, as an independent country, was born on the rainy night of 25 June 1975. Its history, over time, was characterized by wars that created inerasable (negative) marks on society. The country lived a long period of one-party politics in the political sphere, a situation that led to all sorts of violations of the precepts of freedom and democracy.

It was necessary to look at the advances that were taking place around the world: the end of the Eastern bloc, the establishment of democracy as the most advanced form of political organization of States; respect for freedoms (of press and expression), equality of rights, among others, to rethink the country. Here was one of the foundations for the creation of the CIP.

There are those who are restless and see the CIP as an organization obsessed with seeing corruption in all government action. However, it should be noted that despite the significant presence in national daily life and the social, economic and political importance of the issue, what is called corruption in Mozambique, before the emergence of the CIP, had not received attention from the social scientists who produce about the theme in the country. Experience has shown that the very international organizations that financially support the Government of Mozambique had the CIP as their closest and reliable source to understand the intricacies of corruption in Mozambique.

A quick diagnosis of the production in social sciences in Mozambique immediately shows us that the issue of corruption does not present itself as one of the legitimate objects of analysis in the hierarchy of issues and problematics historically privileged by this field of knowledge. Today, when talking about or debating the phenomenon of corruption in Mozambique, the CIP is an unavoidable actor, because this organization is at the center of this debate, having produced the largest number of researches on the phenomenon of corruption in Mozambique.

Far from playing the role of opposition, as some people have been saying, the CIP has shown itself through its work of excellence and capacity to analyze and expose the structural problems that the country presents by providing free consultancy work to the Mozambican Government.

Fifteen years after its creation, relevant actors in the country's political economy – such as the Assembly of the Republic, public ministries and institutes, the private sector – gradually begin to change their understanding of the work of this organization and begin to have it. as an important partner, whose accumulated knowledge can be used to positively influence processes, procedures, proposed laws and even public policies.