I arrived in Toronto, Canada, to carry on the work of Oxfam's campaigning during the summits G8/G20 July 25 to 27. We have a lot planned so be updated!
Before you meet with the G8, in what has been nicknamed 'the Muskoka Summit' for about a day. Then the G20, which will meet in Toronto for another day and a half. The G8 has a broad agenda of issues to be covered, such as maternal health, security, terrorism, etc.. The G20 finance and instead focus on the global economic recovery.
Toronto are already putting up a fence and all the "moving targets" such as boxes, frames removable furniture, etc. have been removed in the name of security. The activists come from all over the world to ensure that their voice is heard. But maybe you're wondering why should you care yet another summit between powerful men?
1. Promises, promises, promises . Rich countries have made promises in the past, and we need to maintain it. They promised aid (0.7% of GDP), have pledged money to fight hunger, have promised to invest in maternal health and child pornography, have pledged money to the climate. We are here to expose what really happens behind those closed doors, tell and tell you what you can do to TU to ensure that your voice is heard.
2. Climate change - it is a secondary show. This is the first major opportunity for world leaders to discuss climate change in Copenhagen in December last year, where they have failed to provide the world with the right deal, ambitious and binding on climate change, it desperately needs. Currently, the godfather of the vertices, the Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper is downplaying the importance of global climate despite pressure - he considers it a "show secondary." We are not in agreement. Climate change is threatening millions of the poorest people at this time and must be the beginning and the main part of any political discussion. A key piece of the puzzle that climate change is to ensure that the money begins to flow toward those who need it most, now .
3. But what is $ 1 billion really? The Canadian context highlights some interesting questions about how money is spent and how it should be spent. Canada will spend $ 1 billion safely to the summit three days (last year the G20 summit in London have cost only $ 30 million). $ 1 billion is also the part which Oxfam considers 'appropriate' for a country like Canada, as a contribution to the $ 30 billion of the infamous Fast Start, finance, money that has already been promised to the climate over the next three years . In addition, Canada spends about $ 2 billion year in subsidies to the fossil fuel industry, fueling climate change. Do you think it makes sense? I do not think so.
4. Wait, but why not invest in the future? Canada is strongly against the introduction of the financial transactions tax (FTT), a very small fee which may help in collecting hundreds of billions of dollars (please, do the comparison with the number above!), we believe that money should be used to fight poverty at home and abroad to combat climate change. You can read more here and here and sign the petition here
So, what you can do NOW?
• not change the channel and keep an eye on our digital center for the latest news, pictures and more. Tweet, write your own blog, calls and pass the word! You can find out even more here
• Sign with your name : sign all petitions that you can on climate, poverty and the global economy. We will collect all names from all over the world for the 'handover' to Canada - the numbers are the sum! begins here
0 comments:
Post a Comment