PRESENTATION ABOUT THE G8 SUMMIT GIVEN AT LANCASTER TOWN HALL 15 MARCH 2005

(or - lots of useful info and ideas in a nutshell)

About the G8
What's wrong with the G8?
Issues the G8 professes to address.
How Blair & Brown propose to cut aid while making it look like an increase.
Capitalism - the solution or the problem?
Who are the organisations opposing the G8?
What can we do in Lancaster?
See our G8 Events calendar

Contact: cre8@lancasteraction.co.uk
www.lancasteraction.co.uk

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Gleneagles Hotel, Petershire

A short history
The G7/8 is a coalition of the world's richest nations: USA, Japan, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and the UK.
It has met annually since the oil crisis of 1975.
Formed at first to discuss international financial matters, they have expanded their remit to issues such as trade, migration and security.
A growing global movement has since forced them to address social justice and environmental issues.
This year's summit will focus on Africa and climate change.
But the priorities of the G8 remain what's good for capital, not people or our planet.

G8 Summits
The G8 is unelected and has no basis in international law.
The G8 summit in Okinawa in 2000 cost US$ 750 million.
For security measures during the G8 summit in Evian in 2003 US$ 31 million were spent.
The summit cost the local economy between US$ 50 and 75 million.
Because of growing public protests, the G8 meet in increasingly remote places where they think they can hide.


WHAT'S WRONG WITH THE G8
It's globally disproportionate

85 of the world's 100 largest corporations are based in G8 countries - of the rest 4 are Spanish, 4 Swiss, and one each from the Netherlands, Finland, Bermuda, Australia, Russia, China and South Korea.

The G8 control and produce 90% of all arms.

The G8 produce 47% of the world's CO2.

The G8 hold 80% of all medical patents.

Elite Decision Making
Decisions made at G8 meetings concern the rest of the world – yet they don’t even have a say in the discussions, let alone get a vote.
Even people living in G8 countries may be forced to accept decisions made by other G8 countries.
In short, the presidents and prime ministers of eight countries are able to dictate the lives of billions of people, and the future of the planet.

Decisions for whom?
Some people are listened to however. Powerful industry lobbyists meet with ministers before meetings to make sure their concerns are addressed.
It’s no surprise then that decisions made by the G8 favour industry – at the expense of people and the planet.
For example, when the G8 discusses climate change this year, the demands of oil companies will take centre stage.

SOME ISSUES THE G8 PROFESSES TO ADDRESS

Debt
Poor countries are forced to pay £30 million a day in debt repayments to the rich world while their own people are devastated by both natural and man-made disasters.
These so-called debts are on loans which were needed to rebuild economies after centuries of colonial devastation.
Original debt of the world’s 52 poorest and most indebted countries: $375 billion
Amount of debt that the G7/8 promised to write off: $100 billion
Amount of debt actually written off so far: $46 billion – 12% of the total.

Aid
The rulers of the world’s rich nations, including the UK have a history of broken promises on aid for developing countries. They have never reached their 1970 promise at the UN to spend 0.7% GDP on aid. Instead aid was cut – in the UK first by Thatcher and then even more by Blair after new Labour’s 1997 election to an all time low of 0.24%.

Africa certainly deserves aid, as reparations for all the years of robbery and exploitation by the rich powers. Now with much fanfare, Gordon Brown is proposing that the Gleneagles G8 Summit support his scheme. This involves a doubling of Aid for Africa over the next ten years - an injection of around $209 billion dollars - to be repaid with interest from the aid budgets post-2015.

Instead of offering new money it will be borrowed on the international bond markets with future aid budgets from 2015 pledged as collateral. This is called the IFF – International Financing Facility.

Thus these billions of dollars will have to be paid back, with extra interest, after 10 years. Aid budgets will then therefore be diverted back into the coffers of the world’s richest institutions. With the interest, this will probably cost around $316 billion. Thus Browns plans could actually lead to a $108 billion reduction in aid to poor countries over the lifetime of the IFF. Any benefits will come at a huge cost. For more about this, see:
http://www.wdm.org.uk

So what are the alternatives? Where else could the G8 powers get this money?

One answer will be obvious to many: US spending on its illegal war in Iraq alone will go past $200 billion dollar mark by the end of this year, while Bush’s total military spending is currently bloated to around $500 billion every year. (Britain is currently spending about £7 billion alone on the Iraq adventure. This years budget has found an extra £400m new money for military spending on Iraq).

Even if we ignore these grotesque figures, Gordon Brown’s proposal is not the best on the table at this summer’s G8.

After years of protest by Europe’s global justice and environmental movements, the French and German governments are proposing taxation of global currency speculation and aviation fuel. Not only could these taxes easily raise the billions needed for aid, they could also help address the dangers our world faces. Yet Blair, Brown and Bush are opposing these ideas.

Over $1.3 trillion is traded every day on the global currency markets, 80% of which is currency speculation - taking advantage of exchange rates to make huge profits. This devastates poor economies and advantages the richer. A mere 0.25% tax on this would generate over $300 billion per year.
Aviation fuel is currently untaxed, and represents the fastest growing cause of greenhouse gasses.

Here is what some of the UK’s development and environmental charities are saying about Blair and Brown's priorities at the G8 summit:
World Development Movement: “Gordon Brown should support Jacques Chirac's call for a currency speculation tax. Done properly this would bring in billions every year for the Millennium Development Goals, and make developing economies' less vulnerable to attack by currency speculators. The Chancellor is vastly overselling his own International Finance Facility initiative and pushing his pet project at the expense of these other more radical and genuinely fund raising proposals.”
Friends of the Earth: “The Chancellor should support Gerhard Schroeders' proposals for an aviation tax. The Government has said that the twin priorities for this year's G8 are climate change and Africa. An aviation tax would raise billions which could be spent on sustainable development, such as renewable energy technologies in developing countries. The tax could slow the growth of the massively polluting aviation industry, helping to tackle climate change which will hit poorest countries hardest."

Free trade = Trade Injustice
Free-trade 'ideology' hampers the economic health of developing countries.
IMF and WB loans and WTO-policies restrict political and economical freedom of developing countries, i.e. loans are given under certain conditions – such as demanding countries privatise their education and health services.
Of course, the G8 countries don’t need to follow such stringent rules.
Despite demanding that poor countries liberalise their economy, the countries in the G8 are not prepared to play by the same rules.
CAPs – the Common Agricultural policy –gives farmers in the G8 billions of dollars in subsidy every year – exactly the kind of thing the G8 stop other countries from doing. This allows EU produce to compete favourably against that of developing countries in their own home markets, devastating local producers.
Unfair trade rules are estimated by the UN to deprive developing countries of US$700 billion every year.

Climate change
Global temperatures are predicted to rise by between 1.4° and 5.8° over the next century.
Developing countries will suffer the most.
Carbon-trade makes air a commodity.
Basic problem (over-consumption) is not addressed.
US is refusing to sign the Kyoto protocol.

AIDS
Over 17 million people have died of Aids in Africa so far. Millions more have been orphaned.
TRIPs (Trade Related Intellectual Property Rights) is an international treaty, forced on developing countries, which protects western pharmaceutical companies, by universalising their patent rights.
This means that countries that could make cheaper versions of life-saving drugs are prohibited from doing so.
The simple result is that if you can’t afford to pay western prices…you die.
All the G8 leaders support TRIPs.

TRIPS
There is a way to sideline TRIPs – which is to declare a national emergency. The US did this so they could buy a cheap, generic version of a drug to treat victims of an anthrax attack. Because 4 Americans had died from such attacks.
But the 17 million Africans who have died of AIDS have failed to convince the G8 that Africa has a national emergency – so they must continue to abide by the rules laid down by TRIPs.
Every day, people are dying for the simple reason that they cannot afford to buy the drugs that would keep them alive.

Capitalism - The solution or the problem?
When problems arose in Communist countries, communism was blamed. When problems arise in capitalist countries, capitalism is…the answer to those problems!
Many of the problems we now face stem from the belief that economic growth is the answer to everything. Economics is portrayed as a science, but belief in its ability to save the world is no more than an ideology.
One of the many problems with today’s capitalism is that natural resources are treated as though they were infinitely renewable. Even though we now know this isn’t so, governments and industry continue to act as though their actions will have no consequences.
Capitalism is the problem, not the solution
Essentially, the most powerful countries in the world are refusing to give up the capitalist ideology, despite the clear harms it causes to people and the planet. Somewhat perversely, when problems are acknowledged, the answer is simply… more of the same.

Market forces are portrayed as ‘natural’ law but in fact they are man-made – determined by policy decisions made by powerful individuals such as the G8 members.

WHO ARE THE ORGANISATIONS OPPOSING THE G8

G77
A group of non-aligned nations at the UN - now actually includes 134 nations. It aims to promote ‘third world economic interests’ & improve co-operation between third world nations.

Make Poverty History
A coalition of NGO’s, charities & faith groups which campaigns for debt relief, fair trade & more & better aid.
See www.virtual-lancaster.net/makepovertyhistory/mph.htm
www.makepovertyhistory.org
Events:
2 July: demonstration in Edinburgh
Lancaster: transport, postcards...

Jubilee Debt Campaign
Demands an end to the scandal of poor countries paying money to the rich world. Calling for 100% cancellation of unpayable poor country debts by fair and transparent means.
See http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/
Events:
16 May: World Debt Day
2 July: demonstration in Edinburgh

g8 alternatives
A coalition of trade unions, socialist, peace & anti-imperialist groups which includes some who oppose the G8 and some pressing to reform it.
See www.g8alternatives.org.uk
Events:
6 July: demonstration at Gleneagles, pop concert, counter-summit...

Dissent
a network of autonomous groups committed to non-violent direct action against the G8: www.dissent.org.uk
Dissent! supports the People’s Global Action Hallmarks
The Hallmarks are:
A rejection of capitalism, imperialism & feudalism.
A rejection of all systems of domination including patriarchy, racism & religious fundamentalism.
A confrontational attitude, since lobbying can have no major impact in such undemocratic organisations in which transnational capital is the only real policy-maker.
PGA Hallmarks (2)
A call to direct action & civil disobedience, support for social movements & forms of resistance which maximise respect for life & oppressed people’s rights, & the construction of local alternatives to global capitalism.
An organisational philosophy based on decentralisation & autonomy.
Events:
4 July: mass direct action at Faslane nuclear submarine Base
6 July: mass blockades of G8 summit and much more
8 July: day of action against climate change
See their website for many other UK events, planning seminars, legal advice and more.

Women & Queers G8
See www.queeruption.org.uk/queerg8.htm
See http://g8feministaction.frockon.org/
Often protests can foster macho attitudes and so the Queer G8 Group has collaborated with the G8 Feminist Action Group to put together a safe feminist space for women and queers at the Gleneagles protest. There is also an idea to form a bloc, and to take action together, in grand non-patriarchal style. You can connect with the Lancaster Feminists against the G8 by phoning: 07941477274.

WHAT CAN WE DO IN LANCASTER?
cre8 summat (instead of G8 summit)
This is the idea of initiating a local project that will benefit the community - an ethos of action and ideas quite different from the selfish corporate ideology of the G8 organisation. One idea suggested at the meeting was to do a real regeneration project in Morecambe, addressing the needs of people whose homes are being compulsorily purchased by the City Council's West End social cleansing plan.

cycle caravan
A caravan of cyclists will be converging on Gleneagles from all over the UK. The caravan will be passing through Lancaster on 25/26 June (Sat/Sun) and a Critical Mass protest is envisaged during their stopover. Cyclists are welcome to join the caravan, even if only for a few miles. Local overnight accommodation and food is sought to show these people some good Lancaster hospitality on this leg of their journey.
See www.g8cyclecaravan.org

Go to Scotland
A large number of people will be travelling from this area to participate in some or all of the protest activities surrounding the G8 Summit. Information about transport will appear on this site as soon as I get it.

Climate change actions
Many environmental groups want to take actions that will focus the G8 more constructively on environmental issues. For examlple, aviation emmissions are the main producers of greenhouse gasses, however the government refuses to tax avaition fuel and in fact is planning 12 new runways in addition to a massive road building programme.

Indymedia
Report your activity, raise your profile and let the world come to know that your views - which millions share - are not extreme - they are actually mainstream. You may not be authorised to speak for everyone in your group or event but you are entitled to your own voice and to share your own experience. This is not 'showing off', this is simply contributing what you have experienced for others to share if they wish.
The straight local and national media are not likely to reflect these issues - which do concern huge numbers of people natiowide, as they themselves have ties with the corporations at the heart of the problem.
The Indymedia network carries full coverage of all the events being organised, locally, nationally and internationally, and you can see this at
www.indymedia.org.uk.
You can post reports there quite easily and please send them also to Virtual-Lancaster - your only independent local media. Remember, Virtual-Lancaster is read by 1300 people every day. They are interested in your news.
See our media pages for email addresses of local, regional and national media. If you keep sending them stuff, they'll have to use some of it.

food not bombs & anarchist teapot
These are organisations that provide food at events large and small for free, proving that there is an incredible surplus of food in our society.
See www.foodnotbombs.net/.

Contact: cre8@lancasteraction.co.uk

See our full G8 events calendar