To inform/educate about the G8
To see how the G8 and their agenda are implicated in every area of or lives
To think about alternatives
GAME (bingo 10mins)
Were there any statements where there were not/lots of people
Briefings
The G8 Group of Nations includes the world’s richest countries (USA, UK, Italy, France, Japan, Germany, Canada and now Russia).
They were set up in the 1970s when these countries were keen to regain control of the economic turmoil happening in the world economy. 1970s major turning point for the world
Global south much stronger – through UNCTAD, NIEP, Paul Prebisch, OPEC
Things could have been very different
West disciplined and constrained the global south through G8, SAP, WTO – bretton woods changed completely since 1940s.
They are an unaccountable, exclusive and self-appointed club of the world’s elite — they only represent 12% of the worlds population but make decisions for all 6 billion of us!
Its main concerns are about how well the global economy is managed to provide profit for big business — other issues especially concerning the developing world, poverty, the environment, refugees, food, women’s empowerment are mostly ignored.
The G8’s combined power means that they effectively control all other world organisations—the World Trade Organisation. The International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, UN Security Council, NATO and the EU.
The G8 meets annually, but since 1999, there have been huge demonstrations by the public outside most meetings.
The annual meeting is mostly a media show, with actual decisions been made during ministerial meetings throughout the year. They have a sherpa system.
They influence agendas in lots of areas. Here’s some examples of their scope and aims:
The G8 was originally created to discuss economic issues. Of course we still do this, but increasingly the focus has moved towards issues of international solidarity. This is because it is clear that in an interdependent world, what blights or enhances one part of the world, affects the other parts too. It is morally right that we extend democracy, cut poverty, remove the causes of conflict and instability and bring the hope of advancement to all nations. But it is also now clearly in our enlightened self-interest. If global terrorism and the proliferation of chemical, biological and nuclear weapons are the new security threat we face, we recognise it cannot be defeated by security measures alone. Political freedom and rising prosperity as much as force of arms will be our ultimate shield. The G8 this year recognised this reality. We look forward to deepening it under British chairmanship next year (Tony Blair)
FIGHTING CORRUPTION AND IMPROVING TRANSPARENCY
G-8 governments are working with a number of developing countries with a view toward building voluntary partnerships to assist their efforts to increase transparency and thereby to use public resources wisely. These efforts will focus on transparency in public budgets, including revenues and expenditures, government procurement, the letting of public concessions and the granting of licenses. Special emphasis will be given to cooperation with countries with large extractive industries sectors. These partnerships will be put in place through voluntary compacts that lay out commitments on both sides in support of country-owned strategies and in full complementarity with ongoing initiatives and programs. For partner countries rich in oil, natural gas, and mineral resources, the compacts will pay particular attention to the transparency of revenue flows and payments in these sectors, while protecting the necessary confidentiality of business operations. Our shared goal is to help combat the harmful effects on development when national resources and revenues are misused. Complementary efforts to promote transparency are also taken forward by countries participating in the Extractives Industry Transparency Initiative. (Chairs report from South Sea Island Summit. 2004)
Last year in the USA, the big issues were the Middle East and global security. This year it is:
GAME (WHERE DO YOU STAND – yes/no 10mins)
Climate Change
Do you believe that climate change is happening?
Do you think using nuclear power is the best solution to climate change?
Are cow’s farts the biggest contributor to carbon emissions?
Is it possible to get all the energy we need today from renewable sources?
Is it desirable that the global south develops to achieve the western standard of living?
Africa/aid/debt
Is the debt crisis a consequence of corrupt leaders in the global south?
Should debts to poor countries be cancelled?
Should rich countries like the UK give more in aid to poor countries?
Should rich countries help countries in Africa solve the AIDS crisis?
BRIEFINGS
Climate change (film)
Debt (global village or global pillage)
Information on debt and aid – global movement of money - south to north
Unfair tariff/trade system
Effects on SAP
Undemocratic, unrepresentative
GAME THE GROWING GAP (5 mins)
10 chairs – each person has a chair. G8 is 12% of global population so 1 person represents the G8.
How much do they represent in terms of:
-global economy or GDP 48% (= 5 chairs)
-Co2 emissions 60% (= 6 chairs)
-top 100 multinationals 95% (=9.5 chairs)
It’s the public face of neoliberal economy
It is massively influenced by a huge corporate lobby
Lack of transparency
The G8 has no permanent staff or headquarters yet its actions influence pretty much every area of our lives.
Large scale
Past G8 mobilisations – Evian, USA etc
Change on many fronts – individual and external
Brainstorm for both
Examples (powerpoint presentation 3 mins):
1. Zapatistas, Mexico
2. Recuperated factories, Argentina
3. Seattle, USA
4. Organic Veg Box scheme
5. Christiania, Denmark
6. Barclays Bank Boycott – left South Africa in 1986 was more to do with financial conditions than the 12,000 student accounts the bank is said to have lost over 15 years
7. Radical Routes/Sumac Centre
8. Escanda
9. Soweto electricity strikes
10. CAT Wales
11.Car sharing/bike scheme www.bikestation.org.uk
12. LETS schemes/time exchange
Which examples can you see working in your own community?
G8 2005
They are meeting in Gleneagles. This is what Scottish leader thinks:
Bringing the world’s leaders to Gleneagles is not only a privilege; it is further recognition of the international reputation of Scotland and its people and of our excellent facilities and infrastructure. The summit will provide a unique opportunity to raise the profile of Scotland as a destination, a business location, and as a potential place to live. We will seize that opportunity and showcase our ambitions for Scotland. (First Minister of Scotland)
What is happening in the UK?
Dissent has formed against it. Trapese is part of dissent.
Thinking about change
What is social change? Can you give examples from history or your country? (womens movement, war, revolutions etc, ind rev)
Why have these things happened? What caused them?
What are/were there effects?
What issues would you like to change. Write down:
Globally
In your country
In your community
In your life
What does participation mean? In what ways can you participate? (voting, consumer boycotts, demonstrations etc)
(Try and link up the above 2 – ie things you would like to change at different scales with ways you can participate)
Scenarios using issue groups. Take an issue. Ie
Rethinking change
It’s difficult to link our actions to concrete effects (ie cause and affect difficult to gauge)
Inflated hopes/expectations can often lead to disappointment
Remember victories can be temporary, but defeats can be permanent
There a difference between:
-changing ourselves (the ordinary evil in us) and thinking about how our daily actions affect others, especially in other parts of the world.
-changing some of the big structures around us which lead to war, poverty, genocide, ecocide etc (ordered evil)
We need to combat both and we can think of ways to do it.
Many people feel that try to change the system from within is a waste of time as big business, politicians are pretty much one and the same and have as their main interests profit and power rather than the needs of ordinary people.
As a result, many people are choosing to work outside the system to build their own alternative worlds which, along with likeminded people, they can have a say in how things are run.