Oxfam as CONGO

John Minto

email:jbminto@xtra.co.nz

1 June 2002

Until recently I was a regular contributor to Oxfam (May 14 Listener) – in fact a foundation contributor – and have helped organise fundraising activities to support its work. However I have been utterly dismayed at recent developments in Oxfam’s approach. Instead of campaigning vigorously against the vicious financial policies of international organisations which have deepened poverty in communities around the world Oxfam has in short become a CONGO (Co-Opted Non-Governmental Organisation)The World Bank, IMF and WTO are key players in what is referred to as the “Washington consensus” which has as its goal the opening up of the world to global trade, investment and speculation where the major multinationals have open access to every economy and can use and abuse the global community at will. This is their plan and every key development they initiate has this as its end goal. If one were to use the word "evil" in relation to those who use their power to manipulate, exploit and impoverish whole communities, it is these organisations which would wear the label.For several years now they have had a serious image problem as their plans have wrought misery from one end of the earth to the other and have faced massive community protests around the world. Faced with this public relations nightmare they have employed a number of strategies to try to get back on the front foot. One of these is trying to change their public image. These organisations now say "We are listening" and "We want to bring people out of poverty through trade". Given their unchanged policies these can only really be described as weasel words designed to hoodwink an increasingly less gullible global public.  
Another strategy is to co-opt those of the "enemy" that are able to be co-opted so as to put a more reasonable human face on their actions. It is a common practice in all corporate politics and in fact in politics generally. Oxfam has slipped into this role beautifully. For example these organisations along with governments around the world now quote regularly from a recent Oxfam report to justify "open markets" and “free trade” policies as a way to “bring an end to world poverty” sic. It is a report which will be quoted forevermore by the advocates of free trade but not by those who suffer its consequences.  Still another strategy is to allow a few crumbs to fall from the table. Just what does this billion dollar commitment to education from the Word Bank mean when it takes hundreds of billions each year from these very same countries??? It will be the cheapest international publicity they have ever received and what’s more they have an NGO partner working with them to give it added credibility.Oxfam's role has changed from a direct challenge to the corrupt policies and politics of these organisations to essentially that of appeasement. This is a view endorsed by a wide range of internationally respected commentators, writers and community activists. It is clear that Oxfam is now effectively helping to blunt the international movement to oppose destructive globalisation.
I've no doubt that Oxfam will continue to be welcomed into the inner circles of these organisations. It is one of the best things they have going.

Yours sincerely,
John Minto

email:jbminto@xtra.co.nz