Take your place At the Table for the 2010 G8 and G20 summits
In this page :
- What is the "At the Table" campaign?
- Why this campaign?
- What should the G8 and the G20 do in June 2010?
- What can I do?
What is the "At the Table" campaign?
"At the Table" is a global campaign designed to ensure that the voices of the world's poorest nations will be heard at the G8 and G20 summits, to be held in Canada from 25 to 27 June. Citizens from around the globe are invited to take their place At the Table alongside world leaders to demand bold action on poverty, climate change and the world economy.
In Canada, the "At the Table" coalition comprises more than 60 development NGOs, labour unions, student organizations and faith groups.
Why this campaign?
Because in spite of our leaders' repeated promises:
- More than a billion people still go hungry.
- 44% of the planet's inhabitants have no safe drinking water.
- 1 400 women, 99% of them in developing countries, die every day of complications related to pregnancy or childbirth.
- 98% of people affected by climate disasters live in the South.
And because there is no reason why it should be this way.
The G8 and G20 Summits will bring together the world's most powerful leaders. The decisions taken at those summits have the potential to save lives and improve living conditions in developing countries.
At previous summits, our leaders made a number of commitments to reduce extreme poverty and put an end to injustices. But most of those promises have not been kept.
By taking our place At the Table alongside world leaders, we can make our voices heard and demand that our leaders respect their commitments.
What should the G8 and the G20 do in June 2010?
First of all, they must respect the commitments they have already taken:
- 40 years ago, rich countries, including the current members of the G8, promised to spend 0.7% of their national revenue on international assistance.
- 10 years ago, all countries promised to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) by the year 2015.
- Last year, the G8 undertook to provide its fair share of financing to fight climate change in the global South. The G20 promised to do its part to reduce the impacts of climate change.
To this day, none of those promises has been kept.
The upcoming summits must also look to the future and:
- Adopt a tax on financial transactions (the "Robin Hood" tax), which could generate hundreds of billions of dollars a year for achieving the MDGs and combating climate change.
- Earmark additional funds for improving maternal and child health, the two MDGs where progress is least advanced.
- Commit their members to pursue negotiations toward an agreement on climate change that will be fair to developing countries.
What can I do?
Many of the decisions announced at the G8 and G20 summits will actually be taken in the months leading up to those meetings. It is important to make your voice heard right now!
Tell our leaders that it is time to “walk the talk”. Insist that they keep their promises.
- Take your place At the Table by signing our petition.
- Tell others.
- Organize a Hunger Banquet (information to come).
- Join the worldwide movement.
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 | At the Table campaign presentation (print version) | 61.88 KB |
