Open Letter on the Internet To James Wolfenson
James Wolfensohn 26 April 2000
President
World Bank
1818 H Street, NW,
Washington, DC 10433
U.S.A.
Dear Mr. James Wolfensohn,
I wrote to you last October about how the local government is harassing our children's center and the evidence of corruption in Bank assisted projects is standing along the National Highway at Upper Kalaklan, Olongapo City. We have had no response as to what the bank can do to right this injustice .
I read an account of your speech on the eve of the Spring meeting of the World Bank and the IMF.I believe that you and most of your employees are sincere and committed to eradicating as much as possible social injustice and poverty.
You are a victim of the indifference of some World Bank officials to the plight of the NGO's like PREDA affected by Bank clients who are harassing the PREDA Children's Home.
In reference to the demonstrators during the recent Washington meeting you said; "It's a bit demoralizing when you see that there's a mobilization for social justice when you think that's what you're doing every day".
Unfortunately the demonstrators do not see it that way perhaps because they know that graft ridden clients of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank are pampered and honored while grass root organizations like us are threatened and harassed by these corrupt officials.
A simple act of solidarity and social justice by the Bank to the likes of us would go a long long way with the NGO community in showing that you do care and you can back it up with action. It's not as if the Bank is entirely helpless to do do justice.
Our Internet campaign against corrupt clients of the Bank and the ADB would be unnecessary if justice was done. Your name, James Wolfensohn, is permanently displayed in a public sign board campaign claiming you bestowed an honor on a local political dynasty, as if endorsing their rule.
The situation where children are endangered because of the power pylon project in Olongapo City was made possible by the money of the World Bank or the Asian Development Bank.
We patiently appeal for the Bank to acknowledge our letter to you last October. We wait for some of that social justice so genuinely promised.
Sincerely
Father Shay Cullen Mssc
President PREDA Children's Rights Center.
Nobel Peace Prize Nominee for 2001.