The International Crisis Group is fifteen years old, 50% funded by governments (they don't list which ones but looking at the 'testimonials' from world leaders, probably most of them) with the rest from individual/corporate donors and institutional foundations.
What began with two people in a small London office in 1995 (funny how so many of these roads lead back to UKplc isn't it?) has grown to "130 permanent staff, 49 nationalities speaking 47 different languages and around 20 consultants and 40 interns" - all scattered around the world with its international headquarters in Brussels (where else?)
A few of its cheerleaders are:
UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan: ‘a global voice of conscience, and a genuine force for peace’
Ex
US President Bill Clinton: ‘in the most troubled corners of the world, the eyes, the ears and the conscience of the global community’
Former
US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice: ‘a widely respected and influential organisation’
Former
US Secretary of State Colin Powell: ‘a mirror for the conscience of the world’
Former
US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright: ‘a full-service conflict prevention organisation’
President of the European Commission Jose Manuel Barroso ‘a highly influential and inspiring voice in the field of conflict prevention’
Former Spanish Foreign Minister Miguel Ángel Moratinos: ‘an indispensible source of information for governments and a wide range of institutions actively working towards peace and conflict resolution’
Former
US Special Representative for Afghanistan & Pakistan, the late Richard Holbrooke: ‘a brilliant idea ... beautifully implemented ."
The Group was initially led by Morton Abramowitz (former
US Ambassador to Turkey and Thailand, then President of the Carnegie Endowment for Peace),
Mark Malloch Brown (later head of the
UN Development Programme,
UN Deputy Secretary-General and
UK Minister), and its first Chairman, Senator George Mitchell.
The Board is co-chaired by
Lord (Christopher) Patten, formerly
EU Commissioner for External Relations, Governor of Hong Kong and
UK Cabinet Minister; and by Ambassador Thomas Pickering, former
US Ambassador to the
UN, Russia, India, Israel, Jordan, El Salvador and Nigeria and Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, and former Senior Vice President for International Relations at Boeing. Their President and CEO has been, since July 2009, Louise Arbour, former
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and for Rwanda. She succeeded Gareth Evans, former Foreign Minister of Australia (1988-96) and a member of many international panels and commissions, who served as President between January 2000 and July 2009.
In its blurb the Group describes itself as:
"...an independent, non-profit, non-governmental organisation committed to preventing and resolving deadly conflict."
Well, I'd say they've been doing a pretty lousy job of it so far. I can't remember a time when there was so much conflict around the world. In fact, if I were a conspiracy theorist, I'd say they're actually doing the opposite of what they claim. I'd like one of them to explain to me how they have the gall to claim they are a non-governmental organisation when so many ex-Ministers, ex-Ambassadors, ex-Commissioners are on its $17m pa payroll and they're (only overtly) part-funded by governments.
In case you're thinking, 'well, it could be worse, at least she hasn't mentioned George Soros yet', here it is:
George Soros. He's a busy little bee, isn't he? Fingers in all the global pies - more fingers in more pies than a leper in a cookery class (Gene Hunt paraphrased). Take a look at the other things Soros is involved in - World Goodwill and the Lucis Trust, see how the same names and the same stated aims crop up over and over again.
It's these people who've made the world what it is today; they've guided, chivvied, nudged, manipulated, brainwashed and coerced people around the globe. What we get in return is wars, unemployment, worthless paper money, scarcity of food and drinking water, land for food being given over to bio-energy, stupid 'carbon capture' theories, a minefield of statute law and regulation, homelessness, pandemics; we get meddling with the weather (HAARP) and heaven-knows-what going on out in space. In short, we get the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Okay, I realise I'm beginning to sound like a loony so I'll leave it there but think about it.
International Crisis Group
Actually, I think I'll set up my own small, 2-man office in London and create an unelected think tank that guides global policy and "seeks to resolve conflict worldwide". I can hardly do a worse job and who knows - I might end up with a $17m pa budget, the latest mobile phone, a hand-tailored suit and an expense account. These will be compulsory officewear though:
Calling England