It’s that time of year again. The self-selecting group of some of the world’s most powerful countries – the G8 – is meeting; this time in the German resort town of Heiligendamm from 6 to 8 June.
Remember the G8 in Scotland in 2005, where progress on debt cancellation was undermined by a refusal to stop pushing free market policies on poor countries through the WTO, World Bank and IMF and the weak promises on aid? Well again, at G8 2007, the agenda will be dominated by ‘Africa’, this time with climate also featuring in the mix.
Don’t expect much. The G8 is not accountable to anyone so rarely delivers on the promises made – even the weak ones. In a desperate attempt to be seen as more legitimate and ‘reaching out’, a few larger developing countries will be invited in for a chat but this can’t hide the fact that this group is out of date and irrelevant.
WDM will be there in Rostock (just down the road from the official meeting) participating in an alternative summit with hundreds of other activists. We will provide regular blogs on what is happening and what we are up to.
