Chapter Five - The Bottom Line

September 13, 2021

The White Saviors

Chapter Five – The Bottom Line

Where did the money go? Where are all the schools that WE says it built? A political scandal breaks the dam on decades of silence. Revelations pile up of donor fraud, racism, child abuse, "dirty trick" campaigns against WE's enemies and other financial misconduct. Then, the Kielburgers silence the scandal with a shocking announcement...

Jesse Brown

Host & Publisher

Kevin Sexton

Producer

Music by Audio Network

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Official responses from The WE Organization:

Allegations by Amanda Maitland and that of racism:

The entire WE organization is deeply committed to inclusion, diversity, equity and to combating anti-Black racism. For past instances involving unconscious bias which have taken place within the WE organization, we have apologized to Amanda and others.

The WE Charity Board of Directors undertook an independent review from management on this matter.

The Special Committee retained McCarthy Tétrault LLP to perform the Review. The McCarthy team was comprised exclusively of BIPOC professionals with strong credentials in labour and employment, the education sector and in anti-racism work and workplace reviews to conduct the review. McCarthy retained Amorell Saunders N’Daw, a respected educator, as an expert in Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) matters. The Review team was directed by and reported to the Special Committee only, not other Board members and senior management. The Review did not identify any evidence of overt acts of racism at WE Charity. The review also concluded that Ms. Maitland was not shut down or silenced at the WE town hall in June 2019. A recording and transcript of the town hall confirm that Ms. Maitland aired her perspective in several exchanges, was not cutoff by Mr. M. Kielburger or anyone else, and she was invited by Mr. M. Kielburger to continue the conversation after the town hall. Ms. Maitland elected not to do so.

Allegations of “white saviorism”

A couple of critics have suggested that WE Charity is guilty of “White Saviourism”. While we respect people’s opinions, this is deeply disappointing to me and to the team. Critics are ignoring the reality that WE Charity isn’t a group of white people in Canada, but is instead a Kenyan-registered non-governmental organization operated by a team comprised of 98 per cent Kenyans — from local leadership, to community mobilization, to delivering programs. We are a well-established, thoughtful operation executing on world-class development work. The Kenyan communities we work with have experienced dramatic changes to the way that they live through education, clean water and community empowerment. The WE Charity development programs happening in Kenya are not unilaterally created out of Canada – they are created with our team in Kenya and more importantly, in partnership with the communities with work with. These communities see themselves as the drivers of change and know that through the work that have done with us they will be able to continue to educate their children and improve their daily lives. It seems that people don’t understand this. Frankly, incorrect assumptions are being made without understanding.”

WE Charity’s prior responses to Canadaland’s questions:

2018 investigation:
https://www.canadaland.com/all-of-wes-answers-to-canadaland-and-letters-from-their-lawyers/

2019 investigation:
https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/21044335-we-responses-to-canadaland-2019?responsive=1&title=1

WE.org Transparency page:
https://www.we.org/en-CA/transparency-reporting/we-charity

WE.org Financials page:
https://www.we.org/en-CA/about-we/we-charity/governance/

ME to WE Transparency page:
https://www.we.org/en-CA/transparency-reporting/me-to-we

More from this series

UPDATE (September, 2021)

What's up with the WE Organization now? An update on recent developments.

September 21, 2021

Chapter Five – The Bottom Line

September 13, 2021

Chapter Four – Crimes In Kenya

Kenya was the jewel in the crown of the WE Organization's global empire. It's where they took celebrities and CEOs for life-changing "experiences" with needy children, followed by stays in their 5-star luxury beach resort. It's also where WE co-founder Marc Kielburger hired a private security firm staffed by an ex-Israeli military operative and a Sri Lankan fugitive to deal with Kenyan employees who he thought were robbing or blackmailing him. They in turn accused Marc of kidnapping them and financial misconduct. This is an explosive tale of death threats, bribery and corruption in a country where WE was supposed to be helping.

September 6, 2021

Chapter Three – The Halo Effect

In the age of “corporate social responsibility,” giant corporations are tired of looking like the bad guys. Microsoft, Dow Chemical, Allstate Insurance, Hershey’s, Teck Mining – these companies were used to being blamed and boycotted. But by donating to WE Charity, they got more than tax benefits - they got a whole new PR strategy. This is the story of how WE turned virtue into a commodity, and sold it to the world’s biggest companies. But at what point does a charity become a marketing firm?

August 30, 2021

Chapter Two – The Cult of Kielburger

Kids in 17,000 schools have been encouraged to take the WE Pledge, join the WE movement, and “Live WE.” But what does that really mean? In practice, it has meant fundraising for WE, paying the Kielburgers’ private company for a “voluntourism” trip, going to work for WE, and living in communal WE housing. According to many of those who lived WE, it meant joining an organization very much like a “cult.”

August 23, 2021

Chapter One – The Children’s Crusade

Craig Kielburger was the Greta Thunberg of the 90s – a 12 year-old kid from the suburbs who dreamed of freeing the world’s children from slavery. His activism made him famous, and he was endorsed by Oprah, the Pope, the Queen, and the Clintons. His campaign became a global movement and a powerful brand. But right from the start, there were uncomfortable questions about money and exploitation. Decades later, it all came crashing down. But the seeds of WE’s self-destruction were planted right from the start…

August 20, 2021

Trailer: The White Saviors

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August 11, 2021

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The White Saviors