When the most powerful leaders in the world gather for a summit in Alberta this summer, they say it will be a unique opportunity to address some of the world’s pressing problems. But don’t expect Sandra Carnegie-Douglas to be holding her breath.
“This meeting will be the next important movement where the dirty club comes together to play and reward the wealthy and intensify the inequalities between countries,” the representative of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women said at a forum late last month. It addressed what she and many others say is the gap between what the government claims it will do and what will actually happen when representatives from eight powerful countries gather at the so-called G8 summit.
“There is no question that the G8 are the most energetic, prolific polluters in the world,” said Greenpeace representative Peter Tabuns. “These are the people setting the policies that are destroying the forests and the oceans of the world.”
But the Canadian government says they’re doing what’s best for Canada.
“It is in the interest of Canadians that Canada participates in international discussions with its key partners,” said Canadian G8 representative Michael O’Shaughnessy.
“G8 membership enables Canada to pursue its broad foreign and economic policy agenda and interests, and to help shape global developments on a range of issues, including responses to global crises.”
Speakers at the forum rebutted that this commitment to global issues isn’t worth much if Canada can’t get its own house in order—namely, ensuring that those protesting the summit will have their legal and democratic rights protected. Avvy Go, who works with an immigrant group, is especially concerned, given the new anti-terrorism laws could be used to deport immigrants who protest against the G8. His concern was shared by human rights lawyer Amina Sherazee, who feels these bills are even more dangerous in light of the contempt police have already shown for demonstrators at events like the Summit of the Americas conference in Quebec. There, many demonstrators were shot with plastic bullets, a thick cloud of noxious teargas hung over the city for days, and despite many claims of police wrongdoing, no inquiry was ever called. Capt. J.M. Johnston, who is helping head up G8 security, would only say that the Calgary police, RCMP and “many other agencies will work collaboratively to respond in a measured way to civil disobedience, protect the leaders and organizers of the Summit and to meet the many challenges that lie ahead.”
