Extra Extra! World Bank and IMF Abolish Themselves!

So read the headline of the farcical newspaper produced by the Mobilization for Global Justice for today, April Fools day. The paper was full of articles, classifieds and advertisements that mocked the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. The lead article reported that out of outrage over the installation of Paul Wolfowitz as president of the World Bank most of the staff of the had left. Facing a crisis of people power the Group of Seven, or G-7, which is the group of seven wealthiest countries took time to reflect on the usefulness of both the World Bank and IMF. “Given that both the World Bank and IMF are controlled by us, the G-7 and not by the masses whose lives are most effected by the policies of the institutions we feel it necessary to step down as the architects of the global economy. We recognize the need for localized and community based solutions to poverty and that it is our greed and misguided and corrupt reliance on capitalism that has created the poverty and environmental degradation that now threaten the earth and the earths people.” states the article written by “Owen Monny”. Another article proclaims that the World Bank and IMF will pay all back property taxes to the city of Washington DC; an amount that in reality is around $1.2 billion. The paper, titled the Global Gazette “News the Global 6 billion Can Use” had a price of “reparations” and was sold by MGJ organizers dressed up as old Click on image for a larger version
time “newsies”. They stood out on street corners by the World Bank, IMF and busy metro station this morning rush hour yelling “Extra, extra read all about it! World Bank and IMF abolish themselves!” and “Get your Global Gazette here, all the news the g-6 billion can use, price reparations for 500 years of exploitation!” In actuality the papers were free to whoever would take one. Many passer bys took the paper with amusement; other seemed a bit weary of the energetic newsies.

“We came up with the idea after talking about how we could creatively get the energy up for the April 15th and 16th protests of the World Bank and IMF spring meetings.” Said Lia Giles of MGJ “it seemed perfect, April fools day is 16 days out from the protests and sort of presented itself as a kick off action day. When asked about the effectiveness of a joke paper for getting the word out about the real effects of the World Bank and IMF policies Keith Johnson said “Look, the truth about the World Bank is so absurd that it seems like lies. The articles in the paper just point to that absurdity and put a hopeful spin on it.” He went on to say that he also felt that creative protest adds to the growth of the movement. “People want to engage, but they don’t want to just be talked at by a speaker. Something like this offers a creative way to show your dissent.” Activists selling the “Global Gazette” certainly showed their creativity. Many put a lot of effort into their costumes and stayed in character even while being interviewed. “Hey lady you gonna buy a paper or not?” asked one incredulous newsie. “Your killin my business, today’s a big news day, I’m gonna make a bundle on this headline!” He continued with a huge smile.

Events to counter the meetings of the World Bank and IMF are plentiful. Things really get started the week of April 11th. There will be a teach-in on the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) and debt on April 13th followed by a vigil across the street from the World Bank. On the 14th there will be a workshop on the effects of the World Bank reconstruction plan for the countries affected by the Asian Tsunami, and a concert featuring M-1 of Dead Prez, Head Roc and others as a benefit for the Mobilization for Global Justice, the group organizing the largest events of the week happening on April 15th, 16th and 17th.

On April 15th the Group of Seven (G-7) will be meeting at the US Department of Treasury. It is here where the agenda for the World Bank and IMF meetings will be set and any substantive decisions will be made. It is the G-7, the group of wealthiest seven countries, who control the World Bank and IMF. MGJ and other organizations are organizing a picket in front of Treasury to begin at noon. It will include street theater based around the mobilization’s theme, “A Better World is Under Construction”. “The G-7, World Bank and IMF are all built on a foundation of illegitimate debt,” said Tia Swett of MGJ, “The idea is we are going to come and inspect the foundation and issue a 24 hour notice for the G-7 to cancel the debt without harmful conditions”. 24 hours from this noon time rally will be the main rally of the week. At noon in front of the World Bank and IMF at 18th and H St. NW MGJ is organizing a rally with speakers and music and as one organizer put it “loads of puppets, construction themed props and general awesomeness”. The construction themed props come again from the theme of the mobilization. “Every day around us people are faced with unbelievable hardship and stress inflicted on them by this global system of capitalism, which at the local, national and international level is making life worse for the majority of the worlds people” said Jon Scolnik of MGJ “yet we organize, we create, we reclaim our communities”. MGJ has been spending its weekends building props like oversized hammers and screwdrivers for the events of the week. At 1pm the rally will turn into a march to Dupont Circle where more music is planned as well as “construction projects”. Set up around the circle organizers are going to have supplies and props for people to “build their better world” however they can with cardboard, markers and crate paper. The days events are capped off with a radical folk music show from the music collective Riot Folk. Information about these events and more that MGJ is planning can be found at there web site www.globalizethis.og.

This year’s protests of the spring meetings of the World Bank and IMF mark the 5-year anniversary of the first mass demonstration against the institutions in the US on April 16th 2000. Twice a year the World Bank and IMF meet, in secret. At least one of those meetings happens here in Washington DC at the institution’s Foggy Bottom headquarters. Prominent in people’s minds this time around is the selection of Paul Wolfowitz for World Bank President. Wolfowitz is considered one of the most hawkish members of the Bush administration and chief architects of the war in Iraq. Many say that his selection is a main reason for coming in April to protest the World Bank. Also at the front of people’s minds is the proposal currently in the G-7 for 100% debt cancellation for poor countries using the World Bank and IMF’s own resources. This is a demand of MGJ as well as many other groups working on global economic justice issues. “The proposal is by no means perfect. It will most likely come with lots of harmful conditions like privatization and trade liberalization and it does not include all the countries that should get debt cancellation.” Said Hope Chu “But it is a step in the right direction.”

Today’s April Fools newspaper action signals the start of World Bank/IMF season for activists. It is clear by the spunk of these newsies that the protest this year will have at least as much if not more of the creativity that has characterized mobilizations against the World Bank and IMF in the past. You can view the April Fools addition of the Global Gazette at www.globalizethis.org