G8 Summer Festival
“A really incredible experience — am feeling very inspired to go back to my university in South Africa and implement some of the ideas…”
“[My Favourite thing?] — too many things, can´t possibly choose”
Make Poverty History
“Inspirational speakers and visuals”
Our week at the G8 kicked off with the huge march to Make Poverty History. 225,000 people gathered in Edinburgh to call on the G8 for trade justice, debt relief, and more and better aid for the world´s poorest countries. While the G8 still haven´t taken the action protestors are calling for, the huge numbers that made it to Edinburgh sent out a really strong message — we´re not going away until they do.
For those waiting to join the march there was a programme of speakers, music, and campaign stunts. Edinburgh P&P provided a stunning finale in the evening with great bands and DJs at `Reson8´.
Counter-conference: G8 Corporate Dream/Global Nightmare
“Fantastic speakers, amazing inspirational atmosphere”
The G8 counter-conference considered the alternatives to the G8 and its policies, with sessions challenging climate change, corporate power, privatisation and global trade rules. Hundreds of people filled the sessions, listening to speakers such as Trevor Ngwane, Caroline Lucas, Walden Bello, and George Monbiot, and taking part in lively debate. Activist Tricksters´ the Yes Men, who have travelled the world impersonating members of the WTO to comic and political effect, finished off the day in hilarious style with a session entitledMake the G8 History´.
G8 Summer Festival
Evening entertainment at the Summer Gathering 2005
(c) Rich Lott.
“[My favourite thing about the event was] the workshops because there was such a great range and all were really well run and interesting, and the general atmosphere in them…I just love being surrounded by people who want to discuss all these issues and share my values and want to make a difference…and getting to talk to such people is what´s so fab about P&P events”
“I´ve made friends and learned soooo much”
“Wonderful friendly atmosphere and communal living”
We spent the rest of the week based on a beautiful eco-camp, set up for the week of the G8 Summit.
Our programme included over 70 workshops and speaker sessions — covering subjects from AIDS, Arms Trading, and Subvertising to Indigenous people´s rights, Corporate Power and Genetic Modification. Members of the P&P network contributed workshops on the Narmada Dam, Coca-Cola, and skillshares on running Go Green and the Stop AIDS campaign on campus.
Workshops also covered essential campaign skills across a wide spectrum including lobbying decision-makers, running kick-ass campaigns, subvertising for maximum impact, running publicity campaigns on campus, and taking part in effective street actions.
And this was not including all the impromptu debates and discussion sessions popping up round the campfire, in between sessions and over lunch! All the speakers and workshop leaders who visited us during the week went away inspired by your energy, knowledge and enthusiasm.
“[My favourite thing about the event was] the peer-education that seems to form the core of P&P”
“[My favourite speaker?] - my fellow students”
Our environmental impact
Our cinema, sound systems, and phone charging were powered by solar panels and two wind turbines, which also provided beautiful silhouettes against the spectacular sunsets. Cans, glass, plastic, compost, paper and cardboard were all recycled. Our compost toilets meant there was hardly any wastage, although some of us missed our creature comforts! Our stomachs however were always comforted with huge plates of delicious vegan (and organic and locally sourced) food prepared by `Anarchist Teapot´.
Climate change highlights
In a session entitled “Climate Justice: the missing demand of Make Poverty History” activists from Asia, Africa and South America came together to share their experiences of climate change as a social justice issue.
Samrat Sengupta, from WWF India, told us about how climate change is not just a future catastrophe — it is also a present crisis for many in his home country of India. Not only is it hitting the poorest hardest, it is also driving more people into poverty. Nnimmo Bassey, from Campaign against Shell Nigeria, spoke passionately about the environmental and human rights abuses associated with Shell´s oil extraction in Nigeria. He illustrated how fossil fuel production is associated with conflict, human rights abuses, and local environmental damage - all before the damage caused when the fuel is used. Tatiana Roa Avendano, an oil engineer from Columbia, focused on both the local and global impacts of fossil fuel use. She made powerful links between these impacts and the enormous consumption of rich country lifestyles.
“George Monbiot…was awesome and very very inspiring and impassioned”
George Monbiot gave a rousing speech, crammed full of facts and feeling, on the importance of action on climate change. He finished with a powerful argument for campaigning on the issue to be bigger and bolder.
“Fantastic speakers, amazing inspiring people”
HIV/AIDS highlights
There were many strange sights in Scotland over the week of the G8, but few were more surreal than the enormous herd of eyeballs that kept appearing over hilltops, in the company of a giant telescope. P&Pers were enthusiastically embracing the next stage of the Stop AIDS Campaign, focusing on the G8 to send a message that The world is watching´. The G8 has committed to providingAIDS treatment for all by 2010´ which was also included by the Labour Party in its election manifesto — an enormous achievement which is, to a large degree, a direct result of student campaigning on HIV/AIDS. Yet until we see the funds that will make this promise a reality, we´re going to be keeping the pressure on.
The eyeballs first appeared after an inspiring session with Inviolata Mmbwavi, from the HIV positive activist network of people living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya, and Jess Worth of Action Aid. After focusing on positive action to tackle the crisis in the UK and internationally, the eyes took to the fields. They were given a further outing on Thursday when intrepid students visited the hills in Edinburgh to get a better view of the G8.
Trade highlights
Photo from G8 Summer Gathering 2005, Scotland
Numerous workshops, speaker sessions and fire-side conversations focused on international trade and the fundamental injustices in the structure of the international system. We considered the importance of trade as a make poverty history demand, and considered how the value of aid and debt relief, is undermined by conditions which force trade liberalisation and prioritise the interests of Western corporations over the interests of the poor.
Martin Gordon from Christian Aid talked about the commitment needed to long-term campaigning if we are to tackle such huge issues, but also reminded us of how far we have already come, and the real difference trade campaigning has made in the last five years. Emira Woods, from Foreign Policy in Focus, talked about the importance of integrated campaigning, and ways to strengthen the grass-roots global justice movement. She sparked a fascinating debate about the different tactics and strategies at our disposal, and helped us realise the power we already had, especially when working together. Other workshops and debates looked at how our demands are more than a rejection of injustice, and concentrated on fleshing out our positive visions of what the alternatives would look like.
“Changed my life!”
Climate change action
Action on climate change at the G8 2005
After two days spent making fantastic props with the expert assistance of Polyp, New Internationalist cartoonist and creative genius, 250 students paid a visit to Grangemouth Oil refinery, along with Friends of the Earth Scotland. In the company of eight G8 mermen, a giant inflatable dinosaur, and a variety of sea creatures, we had a beach-party as the oil refinery sunk beneath blue fabric waves. Grangemouth was chosen because it contains four of Scotland´s top ten carbon dioxide emitted, yet ironically is at sea-level, leaving it vulnerable to the effects of climate change. We took the message that the G8 must put the needs of the poor and of future generations before the needs of the fossil fuel industry, and presented an open letter to the oil industry at the BP visitor´s centre. New P&P Climate Change Campaign Chosen!
One of the most significant sessions of the week for P&P´s campaigning over the next few years, was the decision making session where the network chose P&P´s new climate change campaign.
With three options on the table, P&Pers were able to find out more about the issues throughout the week, with workshops on each of the options and a briefing explaining the campaigns. On the final night the decision was made after much lively and intelligent debate (impressive considering how tired everyone was!).
The final choice of the network was… a campaign to end public subsidies for new fossil fuel projects. With existing and accessible fossil fuel reserves already much higher than the amount safe to burn to avoid catastrophic climate chaos, it´s crazy that governments still invest in projects to make even more of the stuff available. P&P´s new campaign will highlight this contradiction, as well as making clear the many links between climate change and development.
The new campaign will be launched in September 2006. Watch out for information throughout the next year as the campaign develops.
And what the G8 got up to…
The G8 Summit, and Aid, Trade, Debt, HIV/AIDS, and Climate Change.
On Aid: The G8 promised to provide $50 billion more aid by 2010. To meet the Millennium Development Goal of halving the number of people living in poverty by 2010, the UN estimates at least this amount is needed every year until 2010. In addition despite the headline figure of $50 billion, only $15 billion of this `new´ money - funds that had not already been promised.
On debt: The G8 have committed to 100% debt relief for qualifying countries. 18 countries qualify immediately, and up to 20 may qualify eventually. This debt relief frees up resources for developing countries to be able to invest in much needed basic services such as healthcare and education. Yet many countries that need debt relief in order to meet the Millennium Development Goals do not qualify, and much of the benefit of debt relief is lost when it continues to be tied to conditions forcing poor countries to liberalise their economies.
On trade: On trade we saw recycled versions of statements from past communiques, with no firm commitments or real shift in policy. Although the G8 refer to developing countries´ right to choose their own development strategies they continue to push for greater access to poor country markets, and tie aid and debt relief to conditions of trade liberalisation. The communique also failed to set a date for ending the G8´s own export subsidies. The G8 continue to put their own interests, and the interests of big business, above the needs of the world´s most vulnerable people.
On AIDS: We won! The G8 committed to providing universal access to care and treatment for HIV/AIDS sufferers by 2010. And this has been attributed in large part to student campaigning. However, the G8 has a history of not living up to the promises it makes in its communiques (see P&P´s G8 background briefing for some examples). That´s why its vital we make sure they commit the money they´ve promised and keep letting them know that The World is watching.
On climate change: The most significant advance made on climate change was the recognition that climate change is happening and “that human activity is contributing to it”. But in 1998 the G8 recognised climate change as “the greatest threat to our future prosperity”, and in 2001 they called it a “pressing issue that requires a global solution”. Just reiterating this message without any firm commitments on action, is a disappointing result when urgent action is needed.
Read the G8 communique for 2005.
“The power is ours”