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Help Dismantle False "Development" Solutions

Mobilization by Belgian members of the campaign in Brussels, March 2015

Protest against the World Bank’s Doing Business ranking in Brussels.

As an independent think tank — working alongside small farmers, pastoralists, and Indigenous communities — the Oakland Institute is the one to sound the alarm when top-down “development” plans threaten the lands and livelihoods of our partners. Dismantling false solutions does not happen overnight — it requires years of determined research and advocacy. This year, thanks to the individual donors who power our work, we secured several monumental victories, which have been years in the making.

We Secured Wins

But Our Work Is Far From Finished

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Landmark Victory for Our Land Our Business Campaign

In September, the World Bank announced it had discontinued the Doing Business Report (DBR) after revelations of significant data manipulation by its own staff. The end of the DBR is a major victory for people and the planet. The ranking orchestrated a race to the bottom between countries as they made themselves more ‘attractive’ to investors by lowering corporate taxes and slashing social, environmental, and labor standards. Since 2014, the end of the DBR was a key demand of the Our Land Our Business, a multi-continental campaign coordinated by the Institute with 280 partner organizations. Dozens of reports and advocacy materials that we produced provided critical analysis on the impact of the DBR on communities around the world. Our steadfast advocacy generated petitions and mass protests from Washington D.C. to Lima.

Following this major win, we remain vigilant as the World Bank continues to leverage its influence and pressure countries to prioritize reforms that benefit corporate interests instead of the major shifts needed to tackle the challenges of our times.

Historic Mobilization Against the Corporate-led UN Food Systems Summit

After sounding the alarm around the appointment of the President of the Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) to lead the 2021 Food Systems Summit, we coordinated the call by 176 organizations from 83 countries to reject the corporate take-over of the summit. The mobilization grew to a historic level in 2021, with hundreds of organizations challenging the summit — leading to a widespread boycott and counter mobilizations. The Institute was a key player in actions that mobilized millions around the world. From Nigeria and the Philippines to Zimbabwe and Peru, calls for a radical shift in our food and agriculture system made the summit moot.

We continue to deliver in-depth research to dismantle false solutions and myths of “development” to advocate for a better way forward. Your tax deductible donation is what allows us to commit to these long-term struggles. I hope you will give as generously as you are able to this year. We are counting on you!

In Solidarity,

Anuradha's Picture Anuradha's Signature

Anuradha Mittal
Executive Director