As world leaders converged on Washington, DC for an emergency G20 Financial Crisis Summit this weekend, world leaders — portrayed by Oxfam campaigners — were in Lafayette Park haggling over whether to finance banks, the insurance industry, or poor people. With the White House in the background, the “world leaders” celebrated with champagne as they completed their Summit check list, leaving the question of financing to fight global poverty unresolved. 

Oxfam’s campaigners represented (from left to right): Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi kneeling; Prime Minister of Canada Stephen Harper standing behind him; German Chancellor Angela Merkel kneeling; British Prime Minister Gordon Brown kneeling, French President Nicolas Sarkozy kneeling; President George W. Bush kneeling; President of Russia Dmitry Medvedev standing behind him; and Prime Minister of Japan Taro Aso standing at the end.

To learn more, check out Oxfam’s new report, “If Not Now, When?” The report explains how people living in poverty will be hit hard by the financial crisis unless urgent action is taken.