John Sweeney of the culture-jamming comedy/activist group The Yes Men gives the keynote speech at alterna*APEC, 11/3/2011. Read the accompanying article by Angie Māī of OccupyAPEC.org at http://occupyapec.com/yes-men
The speaker's presentation introduces a new APEC-sponsored program, the Homeless Emancipation and Rejuvenation Program for Enlightening Society (HERPES), which aims to create secure, long-term employment opportunities for marginalized women in APEC member countries, and a "chance to be a productive member of society that will make APEC a truly unforgettable experience."
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Speaking on behalf of APEC at the alterna*APEC conference on Thursday, 3 November, 2011, Hammet von Gherkin of the APEC's Human Resources Working Group had this to say about the introduction of HERPES to the Asia-Pacific region:
"As you know, our organization works to promote free trade and economic prosperity throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Our goal is nothing short of making the Pacific the center of the world's economy—at any cost—and as Hawaiʻi resides in the middle of this [expanse], we feel that these islands [will] play an important role in jump-starting the global economy.
"However, I have come here today to speak about something that APEC is very, very [despondent] about. We realize that we have many detractors, and so, I can actually confirm some of the rumors that have been going around... that because of the homeless situation on the islands... that APEC will not be returning to Hawaiʻi at any time in the future. Again, we say this with a heavy heart, that we are not an organization that simply points out the failures of others—quite the contrary—we're an organization of solutions.
"So, I have come here tonight to actually propose a radical plan to meet the needs of APEC leaders during their time on-island, while giving the homeless (and right now, we're focusing on the women), the chance to partake in the festivities of APEC and provide hands-on support for dignitaries and guests from the business community.
[...]
"At APEC, we believe that HERPES is going to revolutionize the plight of homeless here in Hawaiʻi [and] across the region. And so HERPES is more than just something one will see on the street—our hope is that it will last a lifetime in communities across the region.
"HERPES begins with making contact with marginalized people, such as Shawntel [introduced in the video]. Now thanks to our patented process, [the] Emancipation and Rejuvination program, Shawtel will receive all of the tools she needs to restart her life, and perhaps, most importantly, find work in any APEC member country. She will develop skills that are indispensable to communities that have and will host APEC leadership meetings, and we are confident that HERPES will be a part of all future APEC meetings.
"Now Shawtel was the first to sign our unique contract that guarantees employment regardless of the world's economic condition. We think that Shawtel and other women like her will really jump at this chance, because we believe that we are providing gainful and lasting employment during difficult economic times. And so we will ensure that each woman selected for the program undergoes a complete [examination] and undergoes the finest medical care, prior to entering the program.
"Now life on these streets can be difficult, even in America, and we want to be sure that Shawntel has a clean bill of health, and she goes full-steam into HERPES."
Filmed at Mark's Garage in Chinatown, Honolulu on Thursday, November 3rd, 2011.
From the accompanying blog post at http://occupyapec.com/2011/11/04/apec-fixes-honolulu-homeless-or-is-it-yes-men :
"'We're turning the volume up to 11,' said Mike Bonnano, co-creator of the documentaries The Yes Men and The Yes Men Fix The World. 'We're going further than should be acceptable for any human. That it washes over people leaves us feeling depressed.'
"Bonnano gleans optimism, however, from recent revolutionary activism across the United States and the world. He spoke Thursday at Mark's Garage in Chinatown as the keynote speaker for alterAPEC, a counter to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation conference in Honolulu Nov. 10-13. To the delight of the audience actors, John Sweeney and Adrien Corwin presented a would be APEC solution to homelessness in Honolulu and the Pacific region."
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