From:
Matt Berkley
4 April 2001
To: info@brettonwoodsproject.org
Subject: For Alex Wilkes: World Bank publicity misrepresenting Wolfensohn
Hello - I thought this might be of interest to you. I
am also looking for advice on how to approach the World Bank - or who to
write to - given the nature of the communication I received
yesterday.
The lead story on the World Bank website, on Jim Wolfensohn's speech in Berlin,
quotes him out of context. He called for a campaign on the
International Development Goals, but the story and the press release, which is
almost identical, give the clear impression that he wanted a campaign to halve income poverty.
This causes me great concern because this goal on its own provides a disincentive to helping
the poor survive. Personally, I'd rather be alive with a low
income even if this meant the goal being missed by one person.
At the end of this email are my message to Caroline Anstey at the Bank about the
accuracy of the press release, and her reply. I found out after sending
my message that she is the chief spokesperson in Washington.
I thought her reply might be of interest to you if it sheds light on what's
happening at the Bank. Unless this is an isolated incident, it suggests
to me that Media Relations may be playing more of a harmful role than others in
the organisation. She seems to be thinking rather less clearly than I
would expect. I'd be interested to know whether you've found any
other instances of messages being changed.
In her reply she mentions lack of space in the headline, whereas I wrote to her
about the content of the press release. She does not give a reason
for quoting Mr Wolfensohn's remark about a campaign out of its context.
She also makes a gross factual mistake: according to her, "it"
(presumably the press release) said that "a number of the health and
education goals will be met at the country level". But the
text of the speech, like the press release, makes no reference to any health
goals being met in any countries. In the speech he says it is likely that
a considerable number of countries will reach education and gender equality goals.
(Incidentally, the education goal, like the income goal, cannot humanely
be separated from the one on child mortality - the education and
income goals are in terms of proportions of the population, so progress will
appear slower if more uneducated children survive). I would
have expected someone in her position to know enough about the poor not to make
the mistake of thinking survival or health outcomes are going according to
plan.
Given all this, it's touching that she apologises for "any
confusion". I hope she's not a friend of yours !
I would like to do something further about this. I thought of writing
direct to Mr Wolfensohn, but there may be a more productive way.
Many thanks.
Matt Berkley
Oxford
To: Canstey@Worldbank.Org
Subject: Correction to press release
Dear Ms Anstey
Your press release of 2 April on Jim Wolfensohn's speech does not seem to be
quite accurate, in a way that seems rather important for understanding of the
International Development Goals by politicians and the public.
Your release says, "James Wolfensohn called on politicians to
help launch a
global campaign to meet the international development goal of reducing the
proportion of people living in extreme poverty by half by 2015. " Never
was
there a better time for such a campaign"."
However, on the web page for the text of his speech, he is quoted as saying:
".....none of the IDGs on health and education - namely, a two
thirds decline
in infant and under-five mortality, a three-fourths decline in maternal
mortality, and universal primary education for all by 2015 - are likely
to be
achieved at the global level without a more concerted powerful campaign.
Never was there a better time for such a campaign. "
So the campaign he would like includes these targets. In fact the targets
cannot sensibly be separated: the income target and the child mortality
target, especially, are statistically interdependent. The
mathematics is
clear - if more of the poorest children survive, then we have
to accept
that progress towards the income target will look slower.
The income target on its own is vulnerable to misunderstanding, since it is
not about raising incomes, but reducing the proportion of people at a low
level of income.
The International Development Targets were intended as a package, and Mr
Wolfensohn is clearly very aware of this. Politicians and the
public may
not be, and need to understand that unless the targets are worked on as a
package, apparent progress towards the income target can be made with
policies that are not, as a whole, good for the poor.
Matt Berkley
Oxford, UK
Subj: Re: Correction to press release
Date: 03/04/01 20:16:21 GMT Daylight Time
From: Canstey@worldbank.org
To: MattBerkley@aol.com
I don't think there is a need for a correction. The goals are all outlined in
the speech - to which the reader is referred. You are right he also mentioned
health and education. But there obviously was not room in the headline of the
press release to mention all the goals. A headline saying he called for a
campaign to meet the IDGs would have confused people even more. Hence the fact
reason it was written as it was. It also pointed out that a number of the
health
and education goals will be met at the country level, the issue is how to reach
them at the global level.
I apologizxe if there was any confusion.