No, this is not about the world championship football! Although those whistleblowers blow when they see things which simply aren't right!
Let's start with Albert Einstein's quotation on "apathy": "The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don't do anything about it." The whistleblower is not to be mistaken with the "denunciator". Denunciation (Lat. denunciare) is making known the crime of another to one who is his superior. The employment of denunciation has its origin in the Scriptures (Matthew 18:15-17), which I personally feel is often based on jealousy, hate, spite and an inferiority complex.
The whistleblower is a chap like you and me, who believes in the principles of transparency and accountability. One of the recent whistleblowers of fame is Paul van Buitenen, who blew the whistle on fraud and mismanagement in the European Commission in Brussels. It led to the resignation of the whole EU commission under Jacques Santer. Edith Cresson was particularly criticised. Paul van Buitenen is now elected to the European Parliament.
Another famous whistleblower was born in Malta. His name: Stanley Adams. It was Adams who handed over documents about Roche price fixing on vitamins to the European Economic Community.
He was a Roche product manager. The Swiss authorities arrested him and called him a spy. Mr Adams's wife was told that he faced a 20-year jail term for industrial espionage. She committed suicide. In the end, Mr Adams served six months in a Swiss prison. But it took the Maltese-born whistleblower more than 10 years to wheedle compensation from Europe through the courts.
The whistleblower knows that by publishing his knowledge about things that just aren't right he will often face most unpleasant consequences. It may cost him his job, he will lose popularity, he will be seen as exposing the dirty linen or may be called a traitor.
But to return to Einstein: the worst which happens to the world is apathy!
A whistleblower has knowledge about the inside of the engine which produces corruption. He feels this should not continue! He knows without blowing the whistle nothing will happen. So he blows the whistle. Without him there would never be transparency and those who wield power will not be held accountable!
So if you feel that things you notice aren't correct, if you see misuse of power, abuse of children, corruption in your organisation, bullying at school, it takes courage to blow the whistle, but please use the courage you certainly have and blow the whistle!
We need more whistleblowers like our Maltese-born friend!