Monday morning I attended a breakfast with former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, where she said, “Corruption is the cancer to any society.” She received quiet applause from the thirty or so guests in attendance; executives of large Indian and American corporations, ministers in government, and interns from various affiliated organizations.  The topic was politics in general, but the conversation continued to hinge on the former secretaries impressions on India. The more senior guests wanted to know why predictions for economic growth and development in India had run short in the last decade, why the rapid growth seen in China had not been duplicated in India, and why pro-business policies were seen as anti-poor policies in India. One could have assumed her job was to assuage these leaders and simply encourage them to continue forward.

With each question she heralded a common answer: a government that does not work for the people, will not be trusted by the people. A government that does not have a dialogue in democracy cannot answer the needs of all of its citizens. A government riddled with corruption will beleaguer development. A government that does not address development, does not have the trust of the people, and does not answer the needs of its citizens will fail to function as a government.  She compared many of India’s political problems to America’s own; political gridlock and public mistrust. But it was her criticism of corruption that truly aimed at the heart of a great controversy in India: how can one weed out corruption when it is so inherent in the system?

The topic of conversation at the breakfast was relevant to my work this week. I assisted the American Chamber of Commerce in India on creating the foundation for a guidebook on compliance with Anti-Corruption laws, specifically the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of the United States. Not only was I able to go through several memos relating to how business’s comply with the FCPA, but also was able to talk with business officials on how their company’s work on compliance with the law. The ideas I got from these sources served as the basis for the guidebook and eventual training program for mid-level managers. The idea is to offer American companies coming to India a valuable resource to prepare everyone who will be working in the country on how to deal with corruption. And in a country where the bureaucracy crutches itself with bribes, corruption is an ever looming problem in the business community.

Outside of work, I’ve been able to explore the ins and outs of the city a little more. I visited the Lotus Temple and the surrounding park this week. For the second time since I’ve been here, I felt completely and utterly relaxed. Inside the temple, there was silence, and even when it started to rain, the soft sounds of a summer’s storm only added to the meditative atmosphere. I sat through three tours of the temple, just looking out over the park as the rain cooled off the steamy city. High above, the symbol of the Baha’i faith glowed, and while no photography was allowed, visitors blatantly took out their iPhones and iPads to take a picture.

The next day I ventured north and was able to walk around the Red Fort Area. It’s amazing how many markets and temples are strewn about the city. I was simply wandering from market to temple when the sun went down and before I knew it, the streets became almost dark. With the street lights not working and single bulbs lighting up shops, the entire scene changed. I tried to find my way back the way I came, but Metro construction obscured what I thought would have taken me back to the station. But soon I reached the main street again and found myself among glittering temples and shops. It’s astonishing how one street can be so different from its neighbor.

This was the first week where I haven’t felt culture shock. I’m starting to get the hang of living here, starting to feel more accustomed to the differences. It’s a start that will hopefully carry me through the rest of my time here to make this opportunity the most it can be!