“The G8 came, talked and failed to conquer the greatest battle we face, the fight to end poverty and inequality” Ana Maria Nemezo, GCAP Philippines

The G8 don their superhero outfits, but can they -- will they? -- fight the battle against extreme poverty?

This year, the G8 communiqués reflect how completely out of touch with reality this group of leaders are on the main issues related to ending poverty and inequality.

The lack of any real discussion on biofuels in relation to the food price crisis is appalling. References to health, education and water are, sadly, not supported by adequate resources and a timeline commitment.  While the G8 pays lip service to the MDGs their commitments suggest that even these minimalist goals are seriously at risk of being achieved by 2015.

However, these characters still have time to show their mettle.

At a special meeting of the United Nations this September, world leaders, including the G8, will be measured against their commitments to halve world poverty by 2015.

Some have worked to meet their promises – but many have walked away hoping the world would forget. Now, the drive to meet the Millenium Development Goals is in jeopardy.

Watch this space. Keep coming back to our blog for updates on the next activism round: September, New York City.

Read GCAP's reaction to the G8's closing communiqués: G8 fiddles while world burns

"I had no great expectations from this summit meeting, but I was willing to be surprised. However, the statements from the G8 ministers on issues of world economy, food security, climate change. etc, only reinforced my greatest fear that they continue to insist on their single-minded focus on pushing through with trade liberalization at any cost. Their commitments on those topics are ambiguous and not real commitments. What comes out most clearly is their bias for pushing the market, opening up economies, and their eagerness to find investment opportunities, even in times of crisis and protecting these investments, at every instance.

I find most disturbing the mention of their urgency of “concluding the DOHA round” to solve the food crisis, as well as to stave off the financial crisis of their economies, and their unequivocal admission that they are going to “resist protectionist pressures against international trade and investments in all its manifestations”, without an equally strong commitment to consider the concerns of developing countries. This poses the clearest and biggest obstacle to the right to development of developing countries."

On their third day in Japan, civil society groups reflected on the outcomes of the first day of the official G8 summit. Members of GCAP reacted to the final communiqués on food security, climate change, development & Africa, with a mix of disappointment and frustration.

Here's some quotes from campaigners on the day.

On the environment and climate change:

“There is no urgency in the 2050 emissions target. We wanted a clear baseline for this and a 2020 target, not a deadline that's set for when these leaders will be consigned to history” Chona Ramos, GCAP South East Asia.

On food security:

“Tragically, market-driven development, one of the principal causes of the present food crisis, appears to be the solution offered by the present G8 leaders. This is appalling” Dian Kartika, GCAP Indonesia

On education:

“The journey to school for the world’s poorest people has been set in slow motion.  Whilst we welcome the pledge of $1 billion to education, its less than 10% of what they ought to pay for everyone to have a quality education” Alex Kent, Global Campaign for Education.

On Africa:

"If the G8 can find one trillion dollars to bail out their banks in the past six months, then we have to ask why they will not meet the 50 billion dollar 2010 target, needed to save millions of lives in Africa." Kumi Naidoo, GCAP

Read the full reaction: Global anti-poverty campaigners say G8 come out shaky on climate, food, development and Africa

Speakers talked about the realities of living in Africa and went over the basic demands around aid, education, health, climate change and the food crisis which are being asked of the G8 leaders.

At the official G8 Africa Outreach day -- rechristened 'Africa Outcast day' by frustrated GCAP campaigners -- G8 leaders found some welcome impetus to denounce Mugabe, but found it more tiresome to put some real energy, and money, into fulfilling their commitments to Africa.

Joyce Mwenyge, who grows maize, millet and other crops with her husband and seven children on a farm in rural Zambia, said their lives would be greatly improved with just a few basic items.

"I need oxen. They could help me till the land and help provide more food to feed my children," she said. "Also, we grow sunflowers, but we don't have a machine for making cooking oil, so much of the crop is wasted."

According to Charles Abani, half-way to the 2010 deadline the G8 is about $30 billion behind on its pledges for Africa.

"If that money were on the ground, we estimate that 5 million lives a year would be saved.''

Health is also a big issue for Africa, and Kumi Naidoo was frustrated by the lack of urgency.

"The reality is, in Africa, every single day 6,000 people die from HIV/AIDS alone, another 7,000 people die from malaria, another 2,000-3,000 die from tuberculosis. If this was happening in North America and Europe, would the G8 not have long time ago found the resources and fixed the problem?"

A damp beginning, but there's more to come. As the rain continues to pour, GCAP campaigners grab a welcome midnight sandwich and sort through the surreal landscape of Christmas-themed shops and merry-go-rounds in the hotel lobby to find some rest before getting back to work tomorrow morning to ensure our voices are heard and the G8 leaders take action now. Join us.

Dennis Howlett from GCAP Canada, who carried the climate change 'tanzaku' (wish) from the Tanabata action that GCAP and partners have been running since May, was among a group of GCAP campaigners who made sure the messages of over a million people were seen  before the G8 officially opens.  Dian Kartika Sari from GCAP Indonesia carried the message calling for more investment in health services, Chona Ramos from GCAP SENCA bore the message on G8 leaders fulfilling their HIV/AIDS commitments. Anil Singh from India carried the wish for action on the food crisis from the leaders while Shukria Barakzai showed the message that we want Action Now held aloft and suspended from a giant white helium filled balloon.  Thousands of smaller white balloons carrying the messages represented the scale of the action.

The remainder of the day was spent at the Opening ceremony of the Alternative Summit hosted by the Japanese NGO Forum.  GCAP co-chair Kumi Naidoo gave the opening presentation, speaking passionately about our need to question our leaders with one voice on the series of grave injustices inflicted on poor countries by the G8 on debt, trade, aid and climate change. He reminded the audience of the importance of civil society voices in ensuring these basic rights are not neglected in the quest for profits.

GCAP campaigners Anil and Shukria pose as medics from developing countries fighting with the G8 leaders to keep the $50 billion promised for healthcare.

In the afternoon Anil and Shukria posed as medics from developing countries struggling to get back the $50 billion promised by the G8 for healthcare and which they are threatening to backtrack on this year.

The balloons may have been deflated but our resolve remains strong for the days of work ahead. Tomorrow we spend the day at the International Media Centre in Rusutsu. While the G8 discuss Africa we will make sure the voices of African people are heard as the events of the day unfold.

With Japanese drums, bamboo trees and millions of wishes, GCAP campaigners sent off their delegations with strong demands on education, health and HIV/AIDS, climate change and international aid.

Read more about the events:

Gordon Brown sent off to Japan with 60,000 wishes for action

Prime Minister Harper gets your wishes for the G8 meeting in Japan

10.000 Wünsche, 200 Menschen, 50 Bambusbäume

According to Reuters:

"When the rich nations' leaders arrive in Hokkaido, northern Japan, to discuss problems such as soaring fuel and food prices, global warming and nuclear proliferation, they will be asked to each write a wish on a piece of paper and tie it to a bamboo tree to make it come true."

Source: G8 leaders to wish upon a bamboo tree at summit

We hope when they're making their wishes, the G8 leaders will bear in mind the wishes of people in G8 countries and elsewhere, who have strongly supported demands on education, health and HIV/AIDS, climate change and international aid.

The petition reached 1,003,469 today and it's still growing! The latest count will be handed over to the G8 during the summit, so there is still time to add your voice.

Join the Tanabata petition and Act Now to End Poverty and Inequality.

You may also want to take a look at our G8 events and actions, including today's send-offs.

To renege on promises to increase aid, to abandon the target of ensuring everyone affected by HIV/Aids is supported and to water down commitments to provide healthcare and education for poor people, made amid great fanfare in Gleneagles in 2005, would destroy millions of lives and be another failed attempt by our leaders to act in time of crisis.

If, as people struggle to afford soaring food prices, the G8 considers it acceptable to cut back and sweep over the necessary targets of 2010 so that they can afford to bail out the richest and their banks, then greed really will have won over justice and basic rights.

The also added a reminder tor the G8 that people are mobilising against poverty and inequality and expecting them to take concrete actions.

The G8 must remember that it has a mandate to uphold its side of the bargain. Like previous years, almost 1m people have already signed up to a petition calling for the Japanese G8 to deliver on education, health, HIV/AIDS, climate change and aid commitments. Leaders Yasuo Fukuda, Gordon Brown, Angela Merkel, Nicolas Sarkozy, Stephen Harper and Dmitry Medvedev will all get these wishes delivered to their doors this week by campaigners. They owe it to the people not just to listen but to show courage and act.

Read the full FT article G8 leaders ready to backtrack on $25bn aid pledge to Africa