PHM-Exch> Exposing think tanks' deception campaigns

[Claudio Schuftan]

*PHM Global proposes an international writing campaign to expose
machinations of think tanks like IPN (International Policy Network)*



*PHM South Africa has been involved in an important drive to unmask the role
of conservative think-tanks in misinforming the public. It is time for PHM
Global to rally support against them and we propose using our global
networks to mobilise an international writing campaign. ***



IN SOUTH AFRICA, the drive has been centred on an article by J. Mchangama
published in Business Day (a business friendly daily newspaper in South
Africa). The article debunked and undermined the right to health and other
social and economic rights*. *
http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=90598



Conservative think tanks/lobby groups --IPN is certainly not alone-- are
closely connected to each other; they form a highly co-ordinated global
network whose main aim is to influence public opinion in favor of capital
and the market.



One of their main strategies is posting articles in influential mainstream
newspapers around the world.



*This campaign is in reaction to the following:***

* *

*When PHM South Africa responded with a letter to the editor; the letter was
heavily edited for publication by the periodical. Despite the editing, our
colleagues unmasked the author as a member of the International Policy
Network (IPN) a conservative British think tank known to have corporate
funding and whose CEO is **Julian Morris. Mr Mchangama never responded, but
Professor Morris, his boss, did so **describing the claim regarding IPN’s
funding and partiality as a lie …”.  **Nevertheless, **he still did not name
IPN’s funders… Mr Morris is just paid to do what he does (misinformation)
full time. *

*http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=92018  (**We had
written a longer piece with evidence from Cuba amongst other places, but
they insisted on 700 words and edited us unfairly)***

* *

*Moreover, **outrageously, Julian Morris says in his letter that PHM claims
to speak for the "the people"…but has no credibility to do so. **PHM SA’s
response to him was further edited down by Business Day.*

http://www.businessday.co.za/Articles/Content.aspx?id=92444**



*ACTION CAMPAIGN*

* *

*1.     **Specific to IPN*

* *

*It would be very helpful if others, who have information about IPN in
particular or about similar think-tanks (or who have access to networks that
know of their activities) can *

* *

-        *Share** such information through phm-exchange, and *

* *

-        * Challenge the hegemony of these ‘think-tanks’ through publishing
their findings*

* *

-        *Write **letters to Business Day reflecting PHM members standing;
this, to counter IPN’s insolent contention that PHM S Africa does not speak
on ‘behalf of PHM Global and ‘the people**.’*



-        *Write a set of responses** / daily letters from different PHM
members highlighting different issues in response to Julian Morris (e.g.,
IPN's track record elsewhere in the world; the fallacy of freewheeling
markets; the role of self-proclaimed 'independent' think-tanks, etc.) *



*2.     **In General*



We therefore request PHM individual and organizational members  to be alert
for allegedly erudite and impartial articles in the mainstream press and
mass media that deal with issues like human rights [social and economic
rights in particular], health and health services, as well as tobacco
control and climate change. These articles are made to appear as emanating
from expert groupings, think-tanks or development institutions.

We urge you to check whether such articles favor market approaches to the
detriment of human rights, or undermine scientific evidence.



Try and get good information about who is funding the author or the
institution behind her/him. Sourcewatch has a useful guide for doing this
kind of research with many useful links. See:



http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=SourceWatch:How_to_research_front_groups



Once you feel you have enough information; write a letter to the editor of
the publication concerned to expose poor arguments, conflicts of interests,
corporate funders, hidden agendas, as pertinent. Follow the publication's
"letters to the editor" policies and do write and cc us at phm-exchange.



* *

*We** really do need international pressure on newspapers like Business Day,
as well as on the mainstream press and other mass media and  expose IPN for
what it is --. It regularly  lashes out a market approach to health, food
security and global warming, among others, in ways that promote the profit
of its corporate funders, while pretending to be impartial. This
"impartiality" is contrary to evidence of massive corporate funding as per
information that is readily available on the internet. It is important to
make sure that IPN’s veneer of legitimacy is removed. They can trumpet their
opinions as much as they like, but not portraying themselves as an
independent think tank when, in reality, they are the voice for large
capital and should be seen and acknowledged as such.***
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://phm.phmovement.org/pipermail/phm-exchange-phmovement.org/attachments/20100319/b1d59d15/attachment-0001.html>