World Vision International

"World Vision and similar missionary groups operate as external factors, which do not work for the local community respecting its organizational identity and its religiosity. . . . Its ideological mechanism constitutes a powerful tool which tends not only to accompany the process of real subsumption of peasant economies to capitalism, but also provokes a sudden atomization of the community, hastening a massive implantation of capitalist relations of productions in circumstances in which the development of the capitalist system in the country will never be able to absorb the de-peasantized labor force."

"Between 1979 and 1985, World Vision provided more than $4.7 million in aid to Ecuador. . . . World Vision was also granted Ecuadorian government contracts during the 1980s for reforestation, water, rural electrification and small production projects in Ecuador’s Indian highlands. . . . State officials complained that World Vision outbid their programs, conditioned community aid on a monopoly of presence, and even induced villagers to destroy competing projects. . . . Funds were generally given to Indian evangelical congregations or emerging Protestant political associations to distribute. In several cases World Vision employees held simultaneous posts in municipal administration. This led to conflicts between traditional and evangelical sectors of Indian communities, including destruction of project property and even violence along with widespread maladministration of funds."

"World Vision has, on a number of occasions, functioned as an intelligence-gathering arm of the US government. In the 1970s World Vision was charged with having collected field data for the CIA in Vietnam. After US troops left the region, World Vision played a major role in the administration of refugee camps. . . . World Vision also became a crucial player in the ‘yellow rain’ campaign to discredit the Soviet Union. . . . World Vision was drawn into the plot when the US embassy in Bangkok requested that the relief agency send medical samples taken from among refugees who claimed to have been poisoned by ‘yellow rain’. According to a missionary working with the refugees in Thailand, World Vision’s dependence on US grant money obliged it to comply with requests that refugee blood samples be sent to the US embassy rather than to more impartial investigators."

"World Vision played a role in the deaths of three Salvadoran refugees. The World Vision camp-coordinator took them to the local Honduran army post, where they were immediately arrested. After a short time, Honduran soldiers entered the camp and arrested two other refugees. World Vision administrators did not report the incident to the other relief agencies. Next day, one of the refugees was released, but three days later the bodies of the three others were found, [who were] shot to death on the Salvadoran side of the border. Aside from these ‘bad apples’, World Vision—as a policy—maintained records on all Salvadoran aid recipients and filed daily reports by telephone and telex with the World Vision office in Costa Rica. World Vision’s extensive information-gathering procedures bolstered charges that the group was collaborating with the CIA."

"In India, World Vision (WV) projects itself as a ‘Christian relief and development agency with more than foroty years’ experience in working with the poorest of the poor in India without respect to race, region, religion, gender or caste.’ However, Tehelka has in its possession US-based WV Inc.’s financial statement filed before the Internal Revenue Service, wherein, it is classified as a Church ministry. . . . The Confederate of Indian Industries (CII) in its 2003 financial report states that ‘the Rural Development Department of the Government of Assam recognized WV India as a leading development agency in the state and has recommended that WV be the choice for receiving bilateral funds. The government has also sought WV’s assistance in creating a proposal for US$ 80 million for development work in the state.’ The income and expenditure account for the year ended 30 September 2002 shows that its total income was Rs 95.5 crores, which included foreign contribution of Rs 87.8 crores. For an organisation that claims to be only involved in development and relief work, it is quite stealthy about its positioning and exact nature of activities. Though none of the literature published by WV India even mentions its evangelization missions, foreign publications of WV India proudly proclaim its ‘spiritual’ component. . . . In Mayurbhanj, again in Orissa, World Vision (WV) regularly organises spiritual development programmes as part of its ADP package. The WV report says: ‘Opposition to Christian workers and organisations flares up occasionally in this area, generally from those with vested interests in tribal people remaining illiterate and powerless. WV supports local churches by organising leadership courses for pastors and church leaders.’ World Vision India is active in Bhil tribal areas and openly admits its evangelical intentions: ‘The Bhil people worship ancestral spirits but also celebrate all the Hindu festivals. Their superstitions about evil spirits make them suspicious of change, which hinders community development. ADP staff live among the Bhil people they work with, gaining the villagers’ trust and showing their Christian love for the people by their actions and commitment.’"

"[In Sri Lanka, the activities of World Vision raised a strong alarm. Lt Col A.S. Amarasekera of Sri Lanka writes:] After George Bush Jr became the president of the United States, he made a speech in which he said that he would no longer support the developing third-world countries through their respective governments but would channel American aid through the American Christian Relief Organizations in these countries. World Vision is one such organization. Based on the evidence led at the Presidential Commission of inquiry on Non Governmental Organizations, it was proved beyond reasonable doubt that World Vision was an American funded manipulative Christian evangelical organization, which was surreptitiously trying to convert Sinhalese Buddhists to Christianity through a program of work that was identified as ‘The Mustard Seed Project’. After they were thus exposed, they wound up the project and remained dormant for several years but have now recommenced their activities with renewed vigor."

"In the Gajapati ADP, situated in Gumma Block of Orissa’s Gajapati district, a World Vision report admits that “Canadian missionaries have worked in the area for just over 50 years and today 85-90 per cent of the community is Christian. However, local church leaders had little understanding of the importance of their role in community development. ADP staff build relationships with these leaders to improve church cooperation and participation in development initiatives.” Here World Vision organised two training camps for local church leaders in holistic development. In Mayurbhanj, again in Orissa, World Vision regularly organises spiritual development programmes as part of its ADP package. The World Vision report says: “Opposition to Christian workers and organisations flares up occasionally in this area, generally from those with vested interests in tribal people remaining illiterate and powerless. World Vision supports local churches by organising leadership courses for pastors and church leaders.” In India, World Vision is active in Bhil tribal areas and openly admits its evangelical intentions: “The Bhil people worship ancestral spirits but also celebrate all the Hindu festivals. Their superstitions about evil spirits make them suspicious of change, which hinders community development. ADP staff live among the Bhil people they work with, gaining the villagers’ trust and showing their Christian love for the people by their actions and commitment.”"

"Most of the major evangelical corporations (like World Vision, Campus Crusade, Youth with a Mission, and Samaritan’s Purse) operate in partnership with the US government in its pursuit of foreign policy goals. World Vision, which is effectively an arm of the State Department, is perhaps the most notable example of this. There is also the benefit of custom-built legislation, with the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998 providing necessary sanction to bring errant nations into line."

"As the founder of both World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse, Bob Pierce may rank as the leading religious philanthropist of the twentieth century. He first visited China as an evangelist in 1947. Upon his arrival, a Dutch Reformed missionary, Tena Hoelkeboer, invited him to preach to her school of four hundred Chinese girls. Pierce agreed, but, the day after his short evangelistic sermon, one of Hoelkeboer’s students, White Jade, informed her father that she had converted to Christianity. Her father’s response was to throw her out of the house. Hoelkeboer, distressed at the prospect of taking on yet another orphan, demanded of Pierce, “What are you going to do about it? Pierce gave Hoelkeboer ten dollars, all the money he had, and promised to send more each month on his return to the United States. After his return home, Pierce recounted the story to his American audiences, and it continues to be retold as the origin of both World Vision and Samaritan’s Purse. Pierce’s initial overseas encounter changed him. He had gone as a young American evangelist but returned as a missionary ambassador, bringing both the spiritual and physical needs of the world to the attention of American evangelicals. Pierce soon founded World Vision in 1950 as a small American evangelical agency with a simple mission of evangelism and child care in Asia."