The Yes Men's World Economic Forum action

Last week the Yes Men distributed these to coincide with the World Economic Forum in Davos. The first (fake) press release:

Helmut Limnander, Associate Director, Tel.: +44 (0) 79 4073 9950 – helmut.limnander@we-forum.org, twitter

World Leaders Pledge Strategy To End Poverty Now Selected pre-interview policy statements from notable WEF guests to the 40th anniversary of the Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, drawing leaders from business, government and civil society Klaus Schwab, Founder and Executive Chairman, announces key goals and strategies Key world leaders adopt cogent and actionable set of initiatives to eliminate poverty in the near term: http://www.we-forum.org/initiatives For complete statements click here: http://www.we-forum.org/annualmeeting

Davos, Switzerland, 27 January 2010 – In preparation for the 40th anniversary annual meeting of the World Economic Forum, several key world leaders have pledged to develop, by the end of this year's meeting, a cogent and actionable plan to end global poverty. "In light of the recent tragedy in Haiti, which was already on the brink due to free-market policies, it is clear that taking a new tack to end poverty is morally necessary," saidFounder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab. (See video here.). In a series of pre-recorded policy statements, which can be viewed on the Davos Annual Meeting 2010 website, President Sarkozy of France, Chancellor Merkel of Germany, CEO Patricia Woertz of Archer Daniels Midland, and several other political and business leaders note the failures of a system that has been more intent on using poor countries as supply-houses for raw materials than in bringing them out of poverty. "Today, we are at a moment of societal crisis when dramatic change is inevitable," saidChancellor Merkel. "The only question is: will we help to usher in that change, or will we be its victims?" (See video here.) The leaders support a refreshingly simple plan that will end poverty, protect the environment, and allow developing countries to choose their own futures, unchained from onerous debt obligations and unbalanced trade policies. "Our government is committed to helping end old colonial patterns that continue today, and that have only worsened under neoliberalism," said Queen Elizabeth II, during a pre-taped message issued from Parliament that focused on the similarities between European powers' colonial policies and modern trade policies. "Now is the time to rebuild." (See video here.) "Nobody wants a catastrophe," said Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper. "Canadians don't want that reputation." (See video here.) Above all, the new policy statements are indicative of significant change of direction by some of the most powerful people in the world. The testimonials augur a watershed week during which the leading powers of Davos will be striking at the heart of policies and structures that, while contributing to economic growth for businesses, have created the conditions for poverty and have threatened the very survival of humankind. The Forum's bold change of direction comes after an exhaustive internal survey by the Forum's Leadership Council, as well as extensive consultation with anti-poverty leaders and campaigners in the developing world. Among the statistics presented: In 1820, the gap between the richest and poorest country was 3 to 1. In 1950, it was 35 to 1. Today, it is nearly 80 to 1 (source). In 1970, 434 million people were suffering from malnutrition. Today, that number is approaching 900 million (source). Since 1960, Third World countries have suffered a 70% drop in the price of agricultural exports compared to manufactured imports (source). The developing world spends $13 on debt repayment for every $1 it receives in grants (source). It is estimated that USD$11.5 trillion of untaxed "black money" is being held in global "tax havens" (source), with as much as USD$1 trillion in unmarked Swiss bank accounts (source). The United Nations has estimated the cost of ending world hunger at about USD$30 billion a year (source). The World Bank reports that spreading global economic crisis is set to trap up to 53 million more people in poverty in developing countries, bringing the total of those living on less than $2 a day to over 1.5 billion (source). "We have to look at this year's meeting in the context of what's happening in the world," said Professor Schwab. "We just killed the Copenhagen Summit, we crashed many economies in 2009. Clearly the present system of rampant capitalism is not worthy of salvaging. This is the reason why our Annual Meeting this year is tailored around the need to end poverty once and for all." (See video here.) Professor Schwab noted that the need to end poverty is felt especially strongly this year, with an earthquake-ravaged Haiti foremost on people's minds. A series of protracted pre-conference discussions were held by Forum members in response to the recent gaffe by the International Monetary Fund, in which the Fund's loan to Haiti, bearing a number of onerous conditions, became the target of popular uproar, forcing the Fund to commit the monies in the form of a grant instead. In a refreshing taste of things to come, Forum members resolved to supplement the IMF grant with a much larger, multi-billion dollarunconditional grant to Haiti, to be excised from the more than USD$60 billion that New York's financial sector awarded themselves in bonuses this year. "It is by now universally understood that many of our institutions were directly responsible for the collapse of housing value, not to mention massive unemployment and misery, in the United States and much of the rich world," said Lloyd Blanfein, Chair of the New York Financial Caucus, and current Chief Executive Officer of Goldman Sachs. "But it is equally true that we in the financial sector bear much responsibility for Haiti's poverty, which has made it impossible for them to even begin to deal with the current tragedy," added Blanfein. "The least we can do to repay our moral debt is to immediately lift up the collapsed Haitian economy, and not by making usurious loans through the IMF, either." Notes to Editors Programme and more information about the Annual Meeting at http://www.we-forum.org/annualmeeting List of initiatives for the Annual Meeting at http://www.we-forum.org/initiatives Policy statements at http://www.we-forum.org/statements

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Incorporated as a foundation in 1971, and based in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum is impartial and not-for-profit; it is tied to no political, partisan or national interests. (http://www.we-forum.org)

The follow-up:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 28, 2010

Scurrilous Videos Besmirch, Enrage Forum, Leaders, World
Videos threaten very existence of WEF

• Close examination of fake website reveals outrageous, elaborate subterfuge
• Videos may be viewed here or downloaded
• Lefty filmmakers mainly to blame
• Contacts: scurrilous@theyesmen.org, 310-780-4008

In a series of diabolically stupid video manipulations, a cabal of anti-poverty filmmakers have performed an elaborate slander of the World Economic Forum, showing its "leading lights" taking a dramatic departure from the litany of meaningless pledges they usually make at the annual gathering in the Swiss resort town.

In response, WEF spokesperson Adrian Monck could barely contain himself. "The only defense to satire is common sense!" he sputtered, before racing back into the WEF war room to deal with the burgeoning crisis.

Fortunately for the WEF, few media outlets picked up on the WEF's fantastic but fictional approach to world poverty ("World Leaders Pledge Strategy to End Poverty Now"). Instead, the media was dominated by coverage of a real WEF press release warning of "Over Regulation of the Financial Sector" (sic).

The forged videos showed eight of "leading lights of Davos" outlining a few clear strategies to end poverty.

The CEO of Archer Daniels Midland, the world's largest agribusiness conglomerate, spoke of "agriculture's role in today's economic savagery, and the broader long-term issues of robbing whole groups for the greed of the food industry," before calling for "universal justice and agriculture's reform" via Food Sovereignty. "We want to undo the injuries of global capitalism," added a much-improved "Klaus Schwab," founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum.

"The source of our financial treasure was violence towards the colonies of the global South," admitted "Queen Elizabeth II" most refreshingly, before pledging to sell her lands and use the proceeds to improve the lot of the world's poor. "We have caused this disaster," added "Prince Harry" with a stalwart giggle. "Nobody wants a catastrophe," Canadian Prime Minister "Stephen Harper" chimed in most helpfully.

"Haiti was a house of cards that we built through a history of exploitative economic policies," said a tired-looking "Bill Clinton." Now we have a chance to rebuild a more independent society by ending exploitation, forgiving their debt and bringing back real sustainability."

The perpetrators included a prominent film director, several Hollywood voice actors, at least one disaffected member of the World Economic Forum itself, and thirty-four of the Yes Men.

"Yes, these are real talking heads," explained Robert Diaz Leroy, a Hollywood film producer who was one of those behind the action. Another co-conspirator, film director Philippe Diaz, went into greater detail.

"We did this out of frustration with the fact that each year in Davos, the wealthy and powerful figure out ways the global economy can continue to benefit them," said Diaz, who directedThe End of Poverty?, which opens this Friday in New York. "Even this year, they're still talking about economic growth and de-regulation as the solution to poverty. That's especially obscene in light of this year's economic crisis, which resulted from those exact policies and has disproportionately affected the poor."

Despite the WEF's annual posturing, neoliberal policies have proven to be a massive failure for the vast majority of the poor, said Diaz. "When a disaster strikes a poor country like Haiti, our culpability becomes graphically clear."

Diaz explained that growth has by and large benefited only the wealthiest fraction of the population. "Our economic system depends on the resources of the global South that we have plundered since 1492. Only the tools have changed: nowadays we rarely use guns or armies, we mainly use economic instruments. But the damage is just as real." (See the fake press release for some real statistics to that effect.)

"What you won't hear in Davos is anything about the structural factors at the root of global poverty," said Beth Portello, who produced The End of Poverty?. "Poverty is created: it's the byproduct of centuries of exploitation of human and natural resources maintained into modern times by unfair trade, tax and land policies, and odious debt."

"Unlike the lip-service solutions from Davos, the proposals on our fake WEF site would actually end poverty," said Diaz. "We're going to do everything we can to make them happen. The film is just the beginning."

"Poverty isn't an accident, and it won't end by accident, either," added Portello.

In a dramatic bit of irony, it was revealed that the fake Queen Elizabeth II was played by boy actor James O'Keefe, who was recently arrested for feloniously attempting to tamper with the phone line of U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, not long after being honored by House Republicans for his "ACORN pimp" role last year.

"Oh that queen," said Andy Bichlbaum of the Yes Men. "Who knows what trouble she'll get into next."

***

The End of Poverty?, a film with some real solutions to global poverty, is currently playing in US theatres. If you happen to be in New York City this weekend, come meet Philippe and Beth at screenings this Friday (1/29), Saturday or Sunday matinee at Cinema Village in lower Manhattan. Phillipe, Beth and Andy are all available for interviews in NYC or by phone: conta ctpress@cinemalibrestudio.com or 310-780-4008 to arrange.