g8 — Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP)

GCAP del.icio.us links for 09/07/08

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G8: super-heroes... or super-zeroes?

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They didn't don their super-heroes outfits, and they certainly weren't very heroic. The G8 wrapped up their summit in Japan with feeble words and little action.

“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

Fighters against poverty needed

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This ad ran today in the International Financial Times, asking the G8 to close the summit with something more substantial than a few photo-opp poses.

No great expectations... no surprises

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GCAP Philippines activist Ana Maria Nemenzo on the first day outcomes of the G8 summit in Japan.

While GCAP activists back in her home in Manila protested against the G8, Ana Maria gave us her reaction to the G8:

"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."

G8 Day Three: Anti-poverty campaigners frustrated by shaky G8

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"In our view the G8 fails dismally to provide the global leadership the word is expecting from them. In light of the scale of global challenges we face right now, it’s a real shame" (Toko Tomita, TICAD IV NGO Network and Hunger Free World)

: Kumi Naidoo and a representative of the Japanese NGO forum take part in a meeting to share thoughts on the Africa Outreach meeting at the G8.

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

GCAP del.icio.us links for 08/07/08

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GCAP co-chair Kumi Naidoo talks to UK Channel 4 News

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Video: Kumi Naidoo talks to John Snow from Channel 4 News in the UK about the G8 summit (interview starts around 1:37 on video)

G8 Day Two: Summit start a damp squib

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Amidst the pouring rain the summit in Japan started with G8 leaders meeting with counterparts from some of the world's poorest African nations at the Africa Outreach day, a series of meetings to discuss G8 commitments to the continent.

Meanwhile, at the International Media Centre in Rusutsu, GCAP organized a press conference with an all-Africa line up, including GCAP co-chair Kumi Naidoo, GCAP Africa representative Charles Abani, Joseph Ssuuna from Pelum Uganda, Joyce Mwenyge a farmer and activist from Zambia and Caroline Towers of Action Aid Malawi.

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.