August 30, 2021
SHARE
The White Saviors
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?
Jesse Brown
Host & Publisher
Kevin Sexton
Producer

Music by Audio Network

****

Official responses from The WE Organization:

Canadaland asked WE about the allegation that it promised to inoculate one child every time the WE365 app was downloaded, despite having no plan to connect those two things. The WE Organization responded:

“Given WE Charity’s 20+ year history of supporting medical programs, and with well-documented photos and description of partnership with government health agencies (HERE), and hundreds of global medical practitioners who participated in medical programs, we can confirm with confidence that our vaccine campaigns were successful and that all funds raised for our inoculation programs went directly to helping children as intended.”

Canadaland asked WE about the allegation that it “invented” impact numbers (usage statistics) for the WE365 app. The WE Organization responded with this answer about the app’s download numbers:

“The WE365 app and its impact were clearly tracked and measured – to suggest otherwise would be false. There was nothing subjective about it. When someone downloaded the app and became a user, the information was tracked by the APP store. The TELUS team, who were very hands on in the program deliverables, also had direct access to all of the data. There would be no reason or means for anyone to “invent” anything.”

With regards to child labour, WE Charity has said:

“WE Charity’s commitment to ending child labour is evident and beyond reproach based on more than 20 years of dedication to working with the poorest children and families around the world.”

When asked about its partnerships, the WE Organization has said: 

“We recognize that no company is ‘perfect,’ but we take a 360-analysis to determine the overall socially responsible practices of the business. We take our vetting process seriously and have frequently declined/halted pursuit of partnerships because they do not align with our values… We are dedicated to adhering to our strict vetting process, even in cases where the opportunity cost has been millions of dollars.”

The WE Charity story, according to WE:
https://www.we.org/en-CA/about-we/we-charity/our-story

WE Charity’s 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

Further reading:

Canadaland’s reporting on WE Charity: https://www.canadaland.com/?s=we+charity

This episode contains source materials used under the Fair Dealing provisions of the Copyright Act.

Sources:

Guelph Politicast
https://guelphpolitico.ca/2020/08/19/guelph-politicast-234-we-a-personal-story/

It Takes a Child
Craig Kielburger’s Story – A Journey into Child Labour
Directed by Judy Jackson
Produced by Judy Films
Youtube

The Story of Craig Kielburger
produced, and narrated by Sherine Mansour
CPAC
Youtube

In Search Of Character
LiveWire Media
Elkind+Sweet Communications, Inc
https://www.livewiremedia.com/product/in-search-of-character/

The Price WE Paid
The Fifth Estate/CBC

Interview with Craig Kielburger
CSPAN

Craig Kielburger NSB Speakers promotional video
Youtube

Marc Kielburger NSB Speakers promotional video
Youtube

WE Movement Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm6agaIkn5aBJlLLds7P1HQ

MeToWe Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCm6agaIkn5aBJlLLds7P1HQ

CTV News – Kielburger brothers interview with Lisa Laflamme
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_p5PRLy2os

MTV Cribs: Craig Kielburger Episode
Haddon Strategy
https://vimeo.com/49975157

More from this series
What's up with the WE Organization now? An update on recent developments.
September 21, 2021
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...
September 13, 2021
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
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
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
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
The exclusive story of a charity that did well when it was supposed to be doing good.
August 11, 2021
all podcasts arrow All Podcasts
The White Saviors