g8 civil society lough erne report · g8 research group’s report on civil society and the 2013 g8...

Report on Civil Society

and the 2013 G8 Lough Erne Summit Department of Civil Society Studies, G8 Research Group

at Trinity College, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto 10 June 2013

The G8 Research Group is based at Trinity College, Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto. It is an international network of scholars, professionals and students

interested in the activities of the Group of Eight (G8). Its mission is to serve as leading source of independent research and analysis on the G8, its member states and related institutions in

the world. www.g8live.org

G8 Research Group’s Report on Civil Society and the 2013 G8 Lough Erne Summit 1

This report was prepared by the G8 Research Group’s Department of Civil Society Studies.

Civil Society Studies Department Director: Rewa El-Oubari Civil Society Studies Lead Analysts: Mahdi Hussein Alexandra Robertson Civil Society Studies Analysts: Halah Akash Lorena Camargo Carmen Celestini Alexandre DosSantos Akbar Khurshid Alexandria Matic Derakhshan Qurban-Ali


Contents

Executive Summary …………………………………………………….……....3

Introduction ...………………………………………………………………..….8

Developmental Non-Governmental Organizations …………………….……..10

Environmental Non-Government Organizations ………………………….…..15

Human Rights Organizations …………………………………………….……26

Service-Based Humanitarian Organizations ……………………………….….34

Faith-Based Organizations ………………………………………………….…39

Trade Unions ………………………………………………………………….42

Education and Celebrity Awareness Campaign ……………………………….47


Executive Summary Introduction The goal of the 2012-2013 Civil Society Studies Department is to provide an analysis of the strategies used by civil society groups to influence G8 decision-making. The report will provide an examination of how civil society actors engage with G8 countries, the public, the media, and other members of civil society leading up to the 2013 G8 Summit in the United Kingdom. The report will also track civil society activities that have occurred since the 2012 Camp David Summit (May 18-19 2012). Each section analyzes the work of a civil society sub-group by using a standardized set of indicators. Developmental NGOs Although developmental NGOs were pleased with certain aspects of the G8’s renewed commitments to poverty reduction at the 2012 Camp David Summit, particularly the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, they generally expressed dissatisfaction with the Summit outcomes. Recommendations were made in preparation for the Lough Erne Summit, focusing on accountability, anti-corruption and transparency, food security, nutrition and agriculture, sexual violence in war, fragile states, and newborn, child and maternal health.

In that respect, InterAction released a policy brief about gender-based sexual violence in war torn regions. ActionAid USA released a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron to consider shaping the “Nutrition for Growth” event around the African Union’s Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Program (CAADP). Later on, a policy advisor at ActionAid UK released a statement questioning the methods the G8 uses to tackle world hunger, while consuming such volumes of biofuels. Save the Children is calling on G8 leaders to make child malnutrition a priority on the G8 agenda. Finally, a joined-up effort was set by the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign, organized by a broad coalition of NGOs, including Oxfam, Save the Children and Christian Aid. The campaign is a call for the public to participate in asking the G8 leaders to fix “the broken food system”.

Overall, developmental NGOs have been very active in the lead up to Lough Erne, particularly in their advocacy for strong G8 action on the issues of poverty and malnutrition. These groups have made their voices heard through policy documents and online articles, as well as through collaborative campaigns, which have made them the most successful in rallying public support for their campaigns.

Environmental NGOs eNGOs have always been active in advocating for increased environmental sustainability on the part of the G8, making their demands known through policy briefs, protests, and public engagement events. This history of involvement was dramatically altered in the months preceding the 2012 summit, with eNGOs remaining largely silent in regards to G8 action on climate change and other key environmental issues. In comparison to the lead up to the Camp David summit last year, eNGOs have been much more active in their preparations for the G8 meeting at Lough Erne, releasing policy asks, press statements and other documents with the


intention of influencing G8 environmental policy-making. eNGOs have also been active in organizing protests in the lead-up to Lough Erne. As with the Camp David summit, however, the largest protests have been planned in collaboration with other civil society actors, such as trade unions and development NGOs. Environmental issues, such as transparent resource management and sustainable agriculture, have also been central to the policy demands of development and human rights. Indeed, many of the substantive environmental policy recommendations made in the lead up to Lough Erne have been put forward by NGOs such as InterAction, ONE, and Oxfam. While the issue of climate change has been raised by groups such as Friends of the Earth, the Global Call for Climate Action, and Responding to Climate Change, no in-depth policy demands have been made in this area. The only specific policy recommendations forwarded by eNGOs in the lead up to Lough Erne have been in regard to illegal logging. In calling for the cessation of illegal logging and transparent forestry governance, the demands of these eNGOs are similar to those of the other civil society actors detailed above. Effective, transparent, and accountable resource governance can thus be seen as a key environmental demand emerging from civil society in the lead up to the Lough Erne summit. Overall, eNGOs have been very active in the lead up to Lough Erne, particularly in their advocacy for strong G8 action on the issue of resource management and governance. These groups have made their voices heard through policy documents and online articles, as well as through collaborative events organized with a wide range of civil society actors. Human Rights Groups Key demands of Human Rights Organizations at the Camp David 2012 G8 Summit included: increased accountability from the G8 in order to better track progress; concrete plans to deliver promised aid committed at previous summits; food security; continued support for transitions in the Middle East and North Africa. However, in general, human rights organizations were dissatisfied with the G8’s actions to promote human rights and called for increased accountability and further actions to meet summit commitments.

Amnesty International has been at the forefront of human rights civil society organizations and has made numerous statements regarding the Lough Erne G8 Summit. Amnesty International has stated that human rights and international development must be priorities at the G8 Summit. Amnesty International UK, as well as REDRESS and TRIAL welcomed the Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence In Conflict, which declares that rape and other serious sexual violence amount to war crimes and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions. They also called on member nations to enforce laws that will allow them to effectively enforce the Declaration. InterAction, the prime representative of U.S.-based international NGOs, also recommends that G8 leaders address the three core areas of accountability, anti-corruption and transparency, as well as food security and nutrition.

Various civil society organizations intend to stage protests preceding the G8 Summit. With respect towards public awareness events, the Dublin Alternative G8 will be holding a series


of workshops, events and seminars that attempt to counter the agenda proposed at the G8 Summit.

Overall, Human Rights Organizations have been quite active in making sure their demands are heard in the year leading up to the 2013 G8 Summit.

Service-Based Humanitarian Organizations Following the Camp David summit, service-based humanitarian organizations applauded the G8 for its action on issues like global hunger and health, while also noting the work still needing to be done by G8 member states in order to fulfill past and present commitments. As in previous years, these NGOs reacted to G8 statements and promises in the lead-up to the Lough Erne summit with a mix of commendation and criticism. While CARE International affirmed its support for the G8’s Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative, the organization also urged G8 leaders to take increased action on the issue by providing medical support, psychosocial support, and legal aid to survivors of rape, as well as working to prevent sexual violence in conflict zones through the support of local initiatives for increased gender equality. As in the lead up to Camp David and previous summits, service-based humanitarian organization used social media platforms, such as Twitter and Facebook, to educate and mobilize supporters. In addition to policy asks and press statements regarding the issues of sexual violence in conflict zones, investment in small-scale agriculture, and tax transparency, these NGOs also sought to influence the G8 through protests, summits, and educational campaigns. One major collaborative project was the IF Campaign, composed of over 150 organizations working towards change in the areas of aid, tax, land, and transparency. As a result of the pressure leveraged by this collaborative project, Prime Minister Cameron elected to hold a Hunger Summit in London on 8 June 2013. Service-based humanitarian organizations such as Amnesty International Northern Ireland will also join other NGOs at a major march and rally planned for 15 June 2013. Overall, service-based humanitarian organizations have been very active in the lead up to Lough Erne, releasing policy asks and press statements on issues central to the 2013 summit agenda. Major gains have been made through the collaborative IF Campaign, which has garnered support from Prime Minister Cameron and resulted in a one-day Hunger Summit, to be held in London. Faith-based organizations Through policy papers, awareness campaigns, response papers, fact sheets, and campaigns, we are better able to understand the issues that are important to faith-based organizations and for those on whose behalf they advocate. The issues that have traditionally been at the centre of faith-based campaigns have been poverty, climate change, peace initiatives, and water safety. Judging by the various policy papers issued and campaigns initiated during the lead up to the 39th annual G8 summit, food security, transparency, and accountability appear to be dominant issues on the agenda of faith-based organizations.


Trade Unions Global Labour Unions continue to be an engaged Civil Society actor. The primary focus of the main Labour Union actors including ITUC and TUAC have shifted from engaging the G8 to the G20; there has been a noticeable lack of engagement in the build up to Lough Erne summit. The primary activity of the Labour Union groups has been to push their agenda, predominantly through the Internet. The continued policy area of these Civil Society actors is: worker migration and migrant worker rights (1), national politics (2), low labour standards as they relate to human rights (3), showing solidarity with local trade unions especially those being violently attacked (4), changes within the global information context (5), hosting of international sporting events like FIFA (6), and worker's safety (7). The main method through which ITUC, TUAC and Labour Union actors pursue their agenda is by policy papers, press statements, and utilization of the media. The overall crux of these methods is to maintain and establish the link between world issues as labour issues: this is evident in the recent move to tackle AIDS, pension insecurity, etc. Educational Campaigns/Celebrity campaigns An analysis of the interaction between the G8 and education/celebrity awareness campaigns reveals two trends concerning the role that these civil society groups play at summits. First, the minimal involvement of education groups in initiatives that directly address the G8 is indicative of the relationship that these two entities have had at previous summits. Because education has continually failed to be a stand-alone priority on the G8’s agenda, the achievement of EFA and UPE (particularly, before the Millennium Development Goals expire in 2015) is being pursued through other forums. Conversely, organizations like ONE, which are associated with celebrity diplomats, seem to be far more impactful at summits because of their ability to attract media attention and popular appeal. Additionally, the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign demonstrates that new initiatives seem to be actively seeking celebrity support. The success of celebrity activism, particularly in regards to ONE, is seen in the consistent narrative that these initiatives have been able to create between summits. Not only were celebrity activists fairly pleased with the 2012 Camp David Summit outcomes, but the food security and transparency issues that they advocated for continued to shape the 2013 Lough Erne Summit agenda. Blogging has provided an important platform for ONE this year in its efforts to inform the public about the upcoming summit and put forth detailed policy asks concerning issues such as G8 member state transparency and accountability in budget processes, data collection, and the provision of aid and investments. The ONE Blog also provided a forum through which the NGO could update the public of important campaign victories, such as the EU decision to improve transparency and accountability among extractive industries operating in developing countries. Public awareness and engagement has been promoted through the Enough Food for Everyone IF protests in London and Belfast; the “Sounds for Change” global fundraising concert in London; and the “World Hunger Day Unplugged” concerts in London.


Overall, celebrity activists have been very active in the lead up to the Lough Erne summit. While education NGOs have been silent in the preceding months due to the exclusion of educational issues from the G8 agenda, celebrity awareness campaigns have harnessed a wide variety of mediums – including blogging, protests, and concerts – to engage the public, put forth policy recommendations, and influence the agenda and outcomes of the Lough Erne summit.


Introduction Since the term “civil society” first appeared in a G8 Summit document at the Halifax Summit in 1995, these organizations have been particularly strategic about their involvement with summit activities.1 In the past decade, demonstrations and NGO campaigns around the summits have garnered their fair share of media attention, with far-reaching demonstrations becoming increasingly commonplace. According to the University of Toronto’s Peter Hajnal, civil society’s interaction with the G8 can be categorized into four distinct periods: 1981-1994, a “period of the earliest form of dialogue” and interaction; 1995-1997, a “period of formal recognition” by G8 member-states, and; 1998-present, a “period of well-structured cooperation.”2 By 2006, they were being involved in formal consultations, albeit in a relatively minor capacity. Since then, civil society groups have been a mainstay. The goal of the 2012-2013 Civil Society Studies Report is to provide an analysis of the strategies used by civil society groups to influence G8 decision-making, particularly in the time leading up to and during the 39th Annual G8 Summit in Lough Erne, United Kingdom. To that objective, the report has also tracked civil society activities that have occurred since the 2012 Camp David Summit (May 18-19 2012). To this end, we identified seven (7) civil society sub-groups that perceive G8 lobbying to be an important strategy to their organizational objectives. The sub-groups are:

1. Developmental Non-Governmental Organizations 2. Human Rights Groups 3. Environmental NGO 4. Faith-based organizations 5. Trade Unions 6. Service-Based Humanitarian Organizations 7. Educational Campaigns/Celebrity campaigns

Some organizations — e.g., Oxfam and World Vision — fall into more than one category. In this report, their activities will be discussed in their relevant sub-groups (i.e., Oxfam’s work on climate change initiatives under “Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations,” World Vision’s participation in the G8 World Religions Summit under “Faith-Based Organizations).

1 Civil Society and the G8, presentation prepared for the Civil G8 Forum, 9‐10 March 2006, Civil G8, (Moscow), 5 March 2006. Date of Access: 1 February 2011. http://en.civilg8.ru/1628.php. Please see the Halifax Summit Communiqué, 16 June 1995, http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/summit/1995halifax/communique/index.html 2 Civil Society at the Gleneagles Summit, G8 Information Centre (Toronto) 17 March 2006. Date of Access: 9 December 2010. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/scholar/hajnal_060309.html#_ftn11.


Note: All figures mentioned in the report are in U.S. dollars. Research Methodology The scope of this report was determined using the London School of Economics Centre for Civil Society’s definition of “civil society”: Civil society refers to the arena of uncoerced collective action around shared interests, purposes and values. In theory, its institutional forms are distinct from those of the state, family, and market, though in practice, the boundaries between state, civil society, family and market are often complex, blurred and negotiated. Civil society commonly embraces a diversity of spaces, actors and institutional forms, varying in their degree of formality, autonomy and power. Civil societies are often populated by organizations such as registered charities, development non-governmental organizations, community groups, women’s organizations, faith-based organizations, professional associations, trade unions, self-help groups, social movements, business associations, coalitions and advocacy groups.3 The report assesses civil society’s involvement with the G8 by analyzing strategies used by subgroups. Each report section was researched according to a standardized set of indicators:

1. The first strategy, Policy, Press Statements and Utilization of Media, details how subgroups used various communications mediums to lobby the G8 and engage with the wider public.

2. The second, Protests, takes a look at demonstrations held by civil society sub-groups.

3. The third strategy, Public Awareness Events and Workshops pays particular

attention to campaigns mounted by civil society groups to lobby G8 member states and create public awareness of their objectives.

4. Collaborative Efforts examines cooperation between civil society groups.

5. Finally, G8-Civil Society Initiatives assesses official G8 engagement with civil

society groups, such as formal consultations and special events.

3 Osborne, Stephen. The Third Sector in Europe: Prospects and Challenges. New York: Routledge, 2008. 9. Print.


Developmental Non-Governmental Organizations Halah Akash, Lorena Camargo and Rewa El-Oubari Introduction Developmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are constant forerunners in advocating for developmental issues within the G8 forum. They form a key external role in the G8 summit scope and their persistence on the member countries to stick with their developmental pledges and commitments is noted in many more ways than one. Major developmental NGOs contribute and play key roles in carrying out the major developmental platforms and projects. The aim of developmental NGOs is the steady progress towards sustainable development through the provision of Official Development Assistance (ODA), and by aligning their projects to strive towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).4 The wide range of developmental NGOs advocate their projects and needs by utilizing social media outlets, frequent accountability reports on G8 progress, peaceful demonstrations, and awareness campaigns.5 In line with the MDGs, the core focus of many developmental projects includes eradication of poverty, food security, gender equality, sustainable economic development, and constructive, equitable global partnerships.6 When G8 countries fail to comply with pledges made in previous summits, fall short on aid, or sway away from crucial developmental projects, the body of developmental NGOs is utilized to lobby the G8 leaders, criticize and hence raise awareness of such events and issues.7 This is a power and necessary body within the scope of the G8 summit, and will continue to be so with each passing year. Camp David Summit Outcomes Although developmental NGOs were pleased with certain aspects of the G8’s renewed commitments to poverty reduction, particularly the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, they generally expressed dissatisfaction with the Summit outcomes. ActionAid, InterAction, ONE Campaign and World Vision, all expressed their disappointment in the G8’s lack of a firm commitment to renewing the financial pledges made during the 2009

4 Report of Civil Society and the 2011 G8 Deauville Summit. G8 Research group at Trinity College. University of Toronto. 28 February 2013. 5 G8 leaders set a bold goal, with a questionable plan to achieve it. 21 May 2012. Victoria Marzilli. Accessed online: 26 February 2013. http://politicsofpoverty.oxfamamerica.org/2012/05/21/g8‐leaders‐set‐a‐bold‐goal‐with‐a‐questionable‐plan‐to‐achieve‐it/ 6 EU: Linking poverty eradication to sustainable development. European Commission, CONCORD, WNF. 28 February 2013. Accessed online: 28 February 2013. http://brussels.cta.int/index.php?option=com_k2&id=7546:eu‐linking‐poverty‐eradication‐and‐sustainable‐development‐&view=item&Itemid=54 7 G8 leaders set a bold goal, with a questionable plan to achieve it. 21 May 2012. Victoria Marzilli. Accessed online: 26 February 2013. http://politicsofpoverty.oxfamamerica.org/2012/05/21/g8‐leaders‐set‐a‐bold‐goal‐with‐a‐questionable‐plan‐to‐achieve‐it/


L’Aquila Summit, which they claim is central for the achievement of sustained poverty reduction.8 Oxfam, moreover, claimed that although there is a role for the private sector in food security, the emphasis on the private realm is too “top-down” and fundamentally neglects vital input from smallholder farmers.9 In the absence of a comprehensive implementation timeline, World Vision was particularly concerned that child nutrition will not be a principle objective of the New Alliance’s agenda.10 Moreover, ONE was particularly disappointed that there were no remarks on the centrality of transparency in resource extraction during the summit.11 Finally, the G8/G20 Advocacy Alliance, drafted recommendations for areas that they believe will be on the agenda for the 2013 Summit in Ireland. This includes, but not limited to, recommendations in matters of “accountability, anti-corruption and transparency, food security, nutrition and agriculture, sexual violence in war, fragile states, and newborn, child and maternal health.”12 Lough Erne Summit Participation Policy Papers, Press Statements, and Utilization of the Media On 24 April 2013, InterAction released a policy brief about gender-based sexual violence in war torn regions. The policy brief outlines three recommendations for the G8 that promote accountability and prosecution of the perpetrators of violence against women.13 These recommendations are: 1) commit to gender equality in state-building efforts and focus on eradicating the source of gender-based violence; 2) implement “response services”; 3) and execute a “National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace and Security.”14 On 25 April 2013, ActionAid USA released a letter to Prime Minister David Cameron to consider shaping the “Nutrition for Growth” event around the African Union’s

8 NGOs React to G8 Statement from Camp David, InterAction. 18 May 2012. Date of Access: 24 Feb 2013. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2719/g8newsreleasemay192012.pdf 9 G8 Food Security Alliance Answers Question Hungry People Have not Asked, Oxfam. 18 May 2012. Date of Access: 1 March 2013. http://www.oxfam.org/en/grow/pressroom/pressrelease/2012‐05‐18/g8‐food‐security‐alliance‐answers‐question‐hungry‐people‐have‐not‐ 10 G8 Summit took Strong Steps toward Improving Food Security and Nutrition but ‘more Still Must be Done,’ World Vision. 19 May 2012. Date of Access: 1 Mar 2013. http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/about/20120519_G8‐wrap‐up 11 ONE Reaction to G8 Summit: A Beginning on Food Security, but not an End, InterAction. 19 May 2012. Date of Access: 24 Feb 2013. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/3526/ONE%20Press%20Release.pdf 12 2013 G8 Summit Recommendations: Lough Erne, United Kingdom, InterAction. 4 Dec 2012. Date of Access: 7 Mar 2013. http://www.interaction.org/document/2013‐g8‐summit‐recommendations‐lough‐erne‐united‐kingdom 13 2013 G8 Policy Brief: Sexual Violence in War, InterAction. 24 April 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/document/2013‐g8‐policy‐brief‐sexual‐violence‐war 14 2013 G8 Policy Brief: Sexual Violence in War, InterAction. 24 April 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/document/2013‐g8‐policy‐brief‐sexual‐violence‐war


Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Program (CAADP).15 The letter states that African-led agriculture initiatives, such as the CAADP, should be the principle outlet for the delivery of food security projects and programs.16 On 29 April 2013, ActionAid released a press statement that outlines the findings of the anti-poverty agency. The report estimates that the value of biofuels used in the richest nations, including the G8 nations, is enough to feed approximately half of the world’s malnourished.17 Foreign multinationals own approximately 6 million hectares of land in Sub-Saharan Africa, used specifically for the cultivation of biofuel crops.18 A Policy Advisor at ActionAid in the UK, Anders Dahlbeck, released a statement questioning the methods the G8 uses to tackle world hunger, while consuming such volumes of biofuels.19 He stated, “Can we really justify using food to fuel our cars while one in eight people are going hungry? If the world’s most powerful nations are serious about tackling world hunger, they must first address their own biofuel use. Their policies have created a demand for the worst kinds of biofuels that push up food prices and are produced from crops that grow on land which should be used for food.”20 On 28 May 2013, Save the Children released research that states poorly fed and malnourished children are likely to have difficulty in school, which “seriously damage a child’s life chances before they start school.”21 The Food for Thought Report shows that child malnutrition can have long-term economic impacts on a nation of up to USD125 billion.22 It also reveals, “not having a nutritious diet can severely impair a child's ability to read and write a simple sentence and answer basic math questions correctly - regardless of the amount and quality of schooling they have received.”23 As a result, Save the Children is calling on G8 leaders to

15 See ActionAid’s letter to the G8 about supporting African‐led Agriculture initiatives, ActionAid USA. 25 April 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.actionaidusa.org/campaign/see‐actionaids‐letter‐g8‐about‐supporting‐african‐led‐agriculture‐initiatives 16 See ActionAid’s letter to the G8 about supporting African‐led Agriculture initiatives, ActionAid USA. 25 April 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.actionaidusa.org/campaign/see‐actionaids‐letter‐g8‐about‐supporting‐african‐led‐agriculture‐initiatives 17 G8’s biofuel use contributing to world hungry, ActionAid. 29 April 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.actionaid.org/news/press‐release‐g8s‐biofuel‐use‐contributing‐world‐hunger 18 G8’s biofuel use contributing to world hungry, ActionAid. 29 April 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.actionaid.org/news/press‐release‐g8s‐biofuel‐use‐contributing‐world‐hunger 19 G8’s biofuel use contributing to world hungry, ActionAid. 29 April 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.actionaid.org/news/press‐release‐g8s‐biofuel‐use‐contributing‐world‐hunger 20 G8’s biofuel use contributing to world hungry, ActionAid. 29 April 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.actionaid.org/news/press‐release‐g8s‐biofuel‐use‐contributing‐world‐hunger 21 Literacy ‘stunted by poor diet’ as Save the Children urges G8 leaders to act, Metro. 28 May 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/28/literacy‐stunted‐by‐poor‐diet‐as‐save‐the‐children‐urges‐g8‐leaders‐to‐act‐3810804/ 22 Food For Thought, Save the Children. 27 May 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/2013‐05/food‐thought‐report 23 Food For Thought, Save the Children. 27 May 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/2013‐05/food‐thought‐report


make child malnutrition a priority on the G8 agenda.24 Developmental NGOs used various outlets to voice their concerns, such as policy papers and publications on their websites, blogs, and newspaper articles. Although some NGOs were more critical, there is a more general consensus that G8 must take certain steps in order to address key issues in the upcoming summit. Pre-Summit Protests There have not been any pre-summit protests, although many developmental NGOs, such as ActionAid, Oxfam, and Feed the Children, have started rallying support for the Enough Food for Everyone IF Campaign. Public Awareness Events On 7 May 2013, in the run up to the G8 Summit, Oxfam has started campaigning by selling “Enough Food for Everyone IF” wristbands.25 Oxfam has already opened up registration for the event, which asks individuals to join the campaign as a mechanism to place pressure on Prime Minister David Cameron to address “hunger, tax dodging and land grabs at the G8” Summit.26 Moreover, ActionAid27 and Feed the children28 are also rallying supporters for the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign. Feed the Children is especially urging people to rally support in order to address the issues of child malnutrition after the publication of the Food for Thought Report.29 Collaborative efforts The biggest joined-up effort comes from the Enough Food for Everyone IF coalition of NGOs, the first major collaborative campaign since Make Poverty History in 2005, the last time the UK held the G8 presidency.30 The IF coalition in Northern Ireland is composed of the following organisations: 24 Literacy ‘stunted by poor diet’ as Save the Children urges G8 leaders to act, Metro. 28 May 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://metro.co.uk/2013/05/28/literacy‐stunted‐by‐poor‐diet‐as‐save‐the‐children‐urges‐g8‐leaders‐to‐act‐3810804/ 25 Oxfam Says Support Wristband Campaign in the Run up to G8, The Impartial Reporter. 7 May 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.impartialreporter.com/news/g8‐lough‐erne/articles/2013/05/07/400830‐oxfam‐says‐support‐wristband‐campaign‐in‐run‐up‐to‐g8/ 26 Oxfam Says Support Wristband Campaign in the Run up to G8, The Impartial Reporter. 7 May 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.impartialreporter.com/news/g8‐lough‐erne/articles/2013/05/07/400830‐oxfam‐says‐support‐wristband‐campaign‐in‐run‐up‐to‐g8/ 27 Enough Food for Everyone IF, ActionAid. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.actionaid.org.uk/campaign/enough‐food‐for‐everyoneif 28 Food For Thought, Save the Children. 27 May 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/2013‐05/food‐thought‐report 29 Food For Thought, Save the Children. 27 May 2013. Date of Access: 28 May 2013. http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/2013‐05/food‐thought‐report 30 Ford, Liz. “G8 urged to act on hunger after 45,000 gather in London's Hyde Park”. The Guardian, 8 June 2013. Date accessed: 9 June 2013. http://www.guardian.co.uk/global‐development/2013/jun/08/g8‐hunger‐thousands‐london‐hyde‐park


•Beyond Skin •Coalition of Aid and Development Agencies North Ireland •Christian Aid •Concern Worldwide •Disability Aid Abroad •Fields of Life •GENNI (Global Education Network Northern Ireland) •NIPSA (North Ireland Public Service Alliance) •Oxfam Ireland •Save the Children •SERVE •Tearfund •Trócaire •War on Want North Ireland Their mission is “to call for urgent action by world leaders to fix our broken food system”.31 G8-Civil Society Initiatives There do not appear to be any initiatives jointly organized by the G8 and Development NGOs in the lead up to the Lough Erne summit. 31 “If in Northern Ireland”, Enough Food for Everyone IF. Date of access: 12 May 2013. http://enoughfoodif.org/northernireland


Environmental Non-Governmental Organizations Alexandra Hergaarden Robertson Introduction Beginning with the Gleneagles Summit in 2005, global climate change has been a dominant issue on the G8 agenda.32 During the summit at Gleneagles, G8 leaders confirmed the reality of anthropogenic climate change and its potential to impact every country in the world.33 In recent years, environmental non-governmental organizations (eNGOs) have increasingly urged G8 leaders to adopt environmentally sustainable agreements and policies. eNGOs have also called upon the G8 countries to honour their commitments regarding climate change mitigation and adaptation made at previous summits. The major eNGOs involved in past summits include Greenpeace International, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and Oxfam International, Friends of the Earth International, the International Union for the Conversation of Nature, the Climate Action Network, and the Global Call for Climate Action (known to the public by its TckTckTck moniker). In addition to advocacy efforts by these large, international eNGOs, G8 leaders have also been pressured by smaller, locally based environmental groups, such as the Canadian Youth Climate Coalition at the Muskoka Summit34 and the Coalition Against NATO/G8 (CANG8) Environment Committee Working Group during the Camp David Summit. Greenpeace International and the WWF in particular have been prominent actors at previous summits. These two eNGOs are notable for their vocal advocacy for increased climate action by G8 nations. Greenpeace has garnered significant media attention for its protests, including the 2009 L’Anquila Summit demonstration in which Greenpeace activists climbed Mt. Rushmore with a banner reading “America Honours Leaders Not Politicians: Stop Global Warming.”35 Greenpeace has also frequently published policy demands and post-summit evaluations in an attempt to influence and pressure G8 leaders.36 The WWF has received large-scale attention for its “Climate Scorecards,” by which the organization monitors and appraises G8 nations on their environmental records.37 Prior to the Deauville Summit in 2011, both eNGOs released comprehensive policy papers, in which they focused on the

32 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 33 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 34 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 35 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 36 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 37 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf.


phasing out of nuclear and fossil fuel energy, investments in renewables, and the reaffirmation of international commitments regarding climate change.38 At past summits, environmental groups have urged that countries take steps to keep global temperatures from increasing more than two degrees Celsius.39 For this to be accomplished, eNGOs have demanded the reduction of carbon emission and the phasing out of fossil fuel use.40 These groups have also pressured G8 nations to financially assist developing countries in climate change mitigation and adaptation efforts.41 Another prominent demand has been the creation of international institutions that encourage and facilitate the “greening” of national economies.42 In forwarding these demands, eNGOs have made their voices heard through protests, publicity stunts, press releases, and public awareness campaigns.43 They have attempted to influence summit outcomes through policy proposals and the assessment of domestic environmental records.44 eNGOs have also engaged with the broader public and its demands through public polls and social media.45 Environmental civil society groups have generally been disappointed by G8 summit outcomes. Major points of contention have been the absence of environmental leadership from G8 politicians, the poor environmental records of G8 nations, and the insufficient allocation of funds towards environmental policies and initiatives.46 In the aftermath of the Deauville Summit, G8 leaders were criticized by Greenpeace and the WWF for not moving forward on climate change commitments.47 These eNGOs were specifically critical of the failure of G8 leaders to implement the reforms on fossil fuel and nuclear subsidies needed to provide incentives for renewable energy and green growth.48 Camp David Summit Outcomes

38 “Report on Civil Society and the 2012 G8 Camp David Summit,” G8 Research Group, 19 May 2012. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://g8live.org/wp‐content/uploads/2012/05/Final‐Civil‐Society‐Camp‐David‐.pdf. 39 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 40 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 41 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 42 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 43 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 44 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 45 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 46 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 47 “Report on Civil Society and the 2011 G8 Deauville Summit,” G8 Research Group, 28 February 2012. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2011‐deauville‐civilsociety‐post.pdf. 48 “Report on Civil Society and the 2011 G8 Deauville Summit,” G8 Research Group, 28 February 2012. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2011‐deauville‐civilsociety‐post.pdf.


This pattern of engagement by eNGOs with the G8 summits – through policy demands, public outreach, and post-summit press releases – was broken in the lead-up to the Camp David Summit. In the months preceding the summit, there was a marked absence of activity among international eNGOs in preparation for the meeting.49 No major policy papers or press statements were released and international eNGOs were only peripherally involved in the major civil society events of the summit, such as the “Protest the Global 1%” anti-austerity demonstration in Chicago.50 Local environmental organizations coordinated with CANG8, Occupy Chicago, and other civil society groups to organize a parallel event to the G8 Camp David and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Chicago summits. From 12-13 May 2012, the Chicago People’s Summit hosted a conference to educate the public about the G8 and NATO, organize direct action campaigns in reaction to summit meetings, and advocate on a variety of issues, including climate change and environmental degradation.51 The Environment Committee Working Group of CANG8 released a publication entitled “Another World is Possible: Peaceful, Equitable and Sustainable,” emphasizing the need for local food sovereignty and community-oriented sustainable development, as well as a binding agreement among G8 countries regarding greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.52 As with pre-summit preparations, the eNGOs most prominent during past summits were largely silent in the aftermath of Camp David. An exception to this was the reactions from 350.org and the Global Call for Climate Action. As part of its ongoing campaign to end fossil fuel subsidies, directed at world leaders participating in the G8, G20, and Rio+20 summits, 350.org released a brief update on the outcome of the Camp David summit:

G8 leaders released a statement calling for a phase out of “inefficient” fossil fuel subsidies over the medium term – but they failed to take strong action to make good on their commitment.53

In TckTckTck.org’s weekly column dedicated to climate change news, Joshua Wiese wrote that:

The G8 brings mixed news for the fight against climate change […] While meaningful and important attention was paid to addressing short-lived climate

49 “Report on Civil Society and the 2012 G8 Camp David Summit,” G8 Research Group, 19 May 2012. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://g8live.org/wp‐content/uploads/2012/05/Final‐Civil‐Society‐Camp‐David‐.pdf. 50 “Report on Civil Society and the 2012 G8 Camp David Summit,” G8 Research Group, 19 May 2012. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://g8live.org/wp‐content/uploads/2012/05/Final‐Civil‐Society‐Camp‐David‐.pdf. 51 “Report on Civil Society and the 2012 G8 Camp David Summit,” G8 Research Group, 19 May 2012. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://g8live.org/wp‐content/uploads/2012/05/Final‐Civil‐Society‐Camp‐David‐.pdf. 52 “Report on Civil Society and the 2012 G8 Camp David Summit,” G8 Research Group, 19 May 2012. Date of access: 23 February 2013. http://g8live.org/wp‐content/uploads/2012/05/Final‐Civil‐Society‐Camp‐David‐.pdf. 53 “Tell Leaders to End Fossil Fuel Subsidies!” 350.org, 22 June 2012 Date of access: 22 May 2013.


pollutants like black carbon and methane, leaders were notably silent on the biggest drivers of climate change – namely, their own CO2 emissions.54

In regards to the implementation of policies aimed at “greening” national economies by G8 leaders, Wiese added:

Falling short of a level of commitment to climate action that we could be proud of, partners like the ITCU [International Trade Union Confederation] see at least some hope in the G8 turning away from austerity and instead towards jobs and growth under Obama’s tenure as chair, we could see increasing political commitment to green and decent jobs.55

Kelly Rigg, the Executive Director of the Global Call for Climate Action, wrote in an editorial for The Huffington Post that the “Camp David Declaration” and “G8 Action on Energy and Climate Change” fact sheet offered platitudes at best. Citing a recent article by International Energy Agency (IEA) Chief Economist Fatih Birol, Rigg argued that the window of opportunity to address anthropogenic GHG emissions before the occurrence of run-away climate change is rapidly closing.56 Rigg stated that during the Camp David summit G8 leaders simply reaffirmed previous agreements to phase out fossil fuels in the medium term.57 In order to mitigate the effects of anthropogenic climate change and limit global warming to an increase of 2 degrees Celsius, Rigg argued that it was necessary for the leaders at the Camp David summit to move towards greater investment in renewable energy, an absolute reduction in fossil fuel consumption, and creation of policies that incentivize large-scale conservation and efficiency.58 She continued:

So here’s why the G8 missed the point. Nothing in the “Camp David Declaration” comes even close to moving us off the frightening trajectory which the IEA is warning about. It explicitly endorses an “all of the above” approach to meeting our energy needs, and foresees continued long-term investment in extracting every last drop of petroleum from the breadth and depth of the planet.59

54 “Fresh Air Brief – Wednesday, May 23th,” The Global Call for Climate Action, 23 May 2012. Date of access: 27 February 2013. http://tcktcktck.org/2012/05/wednesday‐may‐23th/27389. 55 “Fresh Air Brief – Wednesday, May 23th,” The Global Call for Climate Action, 23 May 2012. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://tcktcktck.org/2012/05/wednesday‐may‐23th/27389. 56 “Kelly Rigg: G8 Deaf to Climate Change Warning by International Energy Agency,” The Huffington Post, 21 May 2012. Date of access: 27 February 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly‐rigg/g8‐deaf‐to‐climate‐change‐warnings_b_1530921.html. 57 “Kelly Rigg: G8 Deaf to Climate Change Warning by International Energy Agency,” The Huffington Post, 21 May 2012. Date of access: 27 February 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly‐rigg/g8‐deaf‐to‐climate‐change‐warnings_b_1530921.html. 58 “Kelly Rigg: G8 Deaf to Climate Change Warning by International Energy Agency,” The Huffington Post, 21 May 2012. Date of access: 27 February 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly‐rigg/g8‐deaf‐to‐climate‐change‐warnings_b_1530921.html. 59 “Kelly Rigg: G8 Deaf to Climate Change Warning by International Energy Agency,” The Huffington Post, 21 May 2012. Date of access: 27 February 2013. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly‐rigg/g8‐deaf‐to‐climate‐change‐warnings_b_1530921.html.


Post-summit reactions by eNGOs were thus unanimous in their criticism of G8 inaction on climate change, the issue deemed by eNGOs as the most significant environmental problem of the twenty-first century. On 15 June 2012, a month after the summit and the subsequent reactions from members of the Global Call for Climate Action, TckTckTck.org published an article entitled “Sustainable Countries are Happier Countries.” Summarizing the findings of the Happy Planet Index (HPI), released annually by the New Economics Foundation, the Global Call for Climate Action noted that Costa Rica, Vietnam and Colombia topped the index, whereas “G8 nations are less happy, less sustainable.”60 Of the HPI scores of G8 countries, the author noted:

The UK ranks ahead of all other G8 nations and come top of EU nations in the Happy Planet Index. But the UK’s HPI score is 48/100 which ranks it behind Jamaica, Mexico and Norway in terms of efficiency. Like most other high income countries, its low overall score is caused by a large ecological footprint, of 4.7gha per capita – if everyone consumed as much as the UK we would need almost 3 planets to maintain our consumption. The USA fares even worse in 105th position out of 151 countries.

Lough Erne Summit Participation Policy Papers, Press Statements, and Utilization of the Media In the lead up to the Lough Erne summit, policy recommendations and press statements were released by eNGOs such as Friends of the Earth US, Greenpeace International, the Global Call for Climate Action, and WWF-UK. The most significant policy papers released in this period, however, were written not by civil society actors dedicated solely to advocacy on environmental issues, but NGOs working in the areas of development and human rights. As part of their larger agenda of human development issues, InterAction, ONE, and Oxfam each put forth detailed policy asks regarding resource management and governance. In a policy paper dated December 2012, InterAction provided a number of recommendations to the G8 related to environmental issues. As part of its broader recommendations on anti-corruption and transparency, the network of NGOs called upon the G8 to improve global transparency standards in regards to natural resource and land governance.61 Noting the positive steps taken by the US and the EU, InterAction urged all G8 member states to implement similar domestic legislation.62 Specifically, the organization highlighted the need for open, competitive and transparent bidding processes, and transparency in the areas of 60 “Sustainable Countries are Happier Countries,” The Global Call for Climate Action, 15 June 2012. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://tcktcktck.org/2012/06/sustainable‐countries‐are‐happier‐countries‐report/29371. 61 “G8 Policy Paper: 2013 G8 Summit Recommendations, Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” 12 February 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy% 20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf. 62 “G8 Policy Paper: 2013 G8 Summit Recommendations, Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” 12 February 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy% 20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf.


budget and revenue.63 InterAction also called upon G8 countries to promote implementation on a global level of the Voluntary Guidelines on the Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests, which seeks to ensure large-scale land acquisitions do not have a harmful effect on local peoples and the environment.64 Concerning the issues of food security and agriculture, the group asked the G8 to promote small-scale agricultural projects and environmental sustainability among developing countries.65 In a Guardian article dated 26 March 2013, Ed King of Responding to Climate Change wrote of the UK’s decision to keep climate change off the Lough Erne summit agenda as a key issue to be addressed by G8 leaders.66 King stated that:

Blocking climate change from the main agenda appears an odd move given the profile it has had at previous meetings. A significant portion of last year’s Camp David G8 Declaration was devoted to outlining how the eight countries were committed to low carbon energy pathways, limiting the global temperature below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels and phasing out fossil fuel subsidies.67

In his article, King also included a quotation from Will Straw of the Institute for Public Policy Research on the climate record of the Cameron administration and the 2013 G8 Presidency’s lack of leadership on the issue:

The government’s refusal to use its G8 presidency to promote global action on climate change further undermines its claims to be the ‘greenest government ever.’ If the world is to reach agreement in 2015 on binding carbon targets, as our leaders claim is their ambition, then rich countries must get their act together. An agenda for development focused on ‘trade, transparency and tax’ is to be supported but if we don’t tackle climate change, all other efforts will be in vain.68

63 “G8 Policy Paper: 2013 G8 Summit Recommendations, Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” 12 February 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy% 20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf. 64 “G8 Policy Paper: 2013 G8 Summit Recommendations, Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” 12 February 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy% 20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf. 65 “G8 Policy Paper: 2013 G8 Summit Recommendations, Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” 12 February 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy% 20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf. 66 “Key Cameron Advisor Blocks Climate Change from G8 Agenda,” The Guardian, 26 March 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/26/cameron‐adviser‐blocks‐climate‐change‐g8. 67 “Key Cameron Advisor Blocks Climate Change from G8 Agenda,” The Guardian, 26 March 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/26/cameron‐adviser‐blocks‐climate‐change‐g8. 68 “Key Cameron Advisor Blocks Climate Change from G8 Agenda,” The Guardian, 26 March 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/26/cameron‐adviser‐blocks‐climate‐change‐g8.


In response to King’s questions regarding the inclusion of climate change on the main agenda for the Lough Erne summit, a spokesperson for the Cameron government said that climate change remained a “legacy issue” for the G8, meaning that it would be discussed sometime during the 2013 summit.69 The spokesperson also said that climate change was an “important issue” for the G8 and that the Cameron administration was “in discussions with G8 partners on how best to follow up these important issues.”70 In a letter dated 1 April 2013, Greenpeace International, Friends of the Earth US, the Sierra Club, WWF-UK and 27 other eNGOs, industry associations, and civil society actors addressed the UK Prime Minister’s Adviser for Europe and Global Issues, Ivan Rogers, on the issue of illegal logging. The undersigned asked Rogers to ensure that leaders would address the global problem of illegal logging at the upcoming G8 summit. Although noting the progress made since the G8 first committed to counter illegal logging at Gleneagles, the undersigned groups argued that “illegal logging continues to pose a significant threat to forests globally.”71 The groups noted that while some member states such as the US have taken strong action on the issue, other G8 countries have not implemented effective policies to prohibit the importation of illegal timber.72 The undersigned recommended that, in keeping with previous commitments, member states agree to a timeframe for the adoption and implementation of laws prohibiting the importation of and trade in illegal timber products; that domestic firms be required to conduct full and transparent investigations into their supply chains; and that a timeframe for the full achievement of previous commitments by the G8 be established, especially in regards to its pledged support for effective forest governance and oversight by civil society groups in timber-producing developing countries.73 In an 11 April 2013 press release written in response to protests by climate activists outside the G8 foreign ministers’ meeting in London, UK, Friends of the Earth Executive Director Andy Atkins addressed the environmental policies of three G8 member states:

Canadian tar sands oil is one of the world’s dirtiest transport fuels. It produces more greenhouse gas emissions than conventional oil and its extraction is hugely destructive for the environment. Keystone XL may be key to exporting tar sands oil but the US administration has pledged to act on climate change and must reject it – they can’t fight climate change and invest in one of the most carbon-intensive fossil fuels on the planet. Canada is lobbying hard to export tar sands oil to Europe. UK

69 “Key Cameron Advisor Blocks Climate Change from G8 Agenda,” The Guardian, 26 March 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/26/cameron‐adviser‐blocks‐climate‐change‐g8. 70 “Key Cameron Advisor Blocks Climate Change from G8 Agenda,” The Guardian, 26 March 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2013/mar/26/cameron‐adviser‐blocks‐climate‐change‐g8. 71 American Forest and Paper Association et al. to Ivan Rogers, 1 April 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. www.fne.asso.fr/letter‐sherpag8uk_april2013.pdf. 72 American Forest and Paper Association et al. to Ivan Rogers, 1 April 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. www.fne.asso.fr/letter‐sherpag8uk_april2013.pdf. 73 American Forest and Paper Association et al. to Ivan Rogers, 1 April 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. www.fne.asso.fr/letter‐sherpag8uk_april2013.pdf.


Ministers must make tackling climate chance the priority and help keep tar sands out of Europe.74

In an article dated 15 May 2013, ONE staff member Lauren Pfeifer summarized the findings of the Revenue Watch Institute’s annual Resource Governance Index and argued that the report, which measures transparency and accountability in the oil, gas, and mining sectors of 58 countries, demonstrated the need for G8 action on resource transparency.75 According to the study, only 11 of the 58 profiled countries have adequate standards of transparency in these sectors, and poor resource governance affects the 450 million people who live in resource-dependent countries.76 Based on the perceived need for transparent and accountable resource governance, ONE offered two policy recommendations for the G8: firstly, that member states require domestic gas and mining firms to publicly disclose the payments they make to developing country governments; secondly, that the G8 combat the phenomenon of anonymous shell companies by requiring public disclosure of the beneficial ownership of firms in the extractive industries.77 In an article dated 22 May 2013, TckTckTck.org publicized the “G8 Wake-Up Call” app, created by the European Wind Energy Association (EWEA) to allow environmental advocates to send direct messages to G8 leaders urging the phasing out of fossil fuels subsidies and the adoption of renewable energy.78 On the following day, the Sierra Club also posted an article on its website publicizing the “G8 Wake-Up Call” app and encouraged readers to get involved in the advocacy events scheduled for Global Wind Day on 15 June.79 In an undated document, Oxfam put forth detailed policy recommendations for the Lough Erne summit agenda in five key areas, including land transparency; agricultural investments; and natural resource transparency and accountability.80 In regards to land, Oxfam called upon G8 member states to ensure that domestic regulation requires transparency and accountability

74 “Friends of the Earth: Tar Sands Protest Outside G8 Meeting,” Friends of the Earth UK, 11 April 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/press_releases/tar_sands_protest_outside_G8_meeting_11042013.html. 75 “2013 Resource Governance Index: More Reasons Why the G8 Should Support Transparency in June,” ONE, 15 May 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.one.org/us/2013/05/15/2013‐resource‐governance‐index‐more‐reasons‐why‐the‐g8‐should‐support‐transparency‐in‐june/. 76 “2013 Resource Governance Index: More Reasons Why the G8 Should Support Transparency in June,” ONE, 15 May 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.one.org/us/2013/05/15/2013‐resource‐governance‐index‐more‐reasons‐why‐the‐g8‐should‐support‐transparency‐in‐june/. 77 “2013 Resource Governance Index: More Reasons Why the G8 Should Support Transparency in June,” ONE, 15 May 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.one.org/us/2013/05/15/2013‐resource‐governance‐index‐more‐reasons‐why‐the‐g8‐should‐support‐transparency‐in‐june/. 78 “Send a Message to G8 Leaders: Ditch Fossil Fuels for Renewable Energy,” The Global Call for Climate Action, 22 May 2013. Date of access: 25 May 2013. http://tcktcktck.org/2013/05/new‐app‐calls‐on‐g8‐leaders‐to‐ditch‐fossil‐fuels‐for‐renewable‐energy/52158. 79 “Big New Investments in Wind Energy Across the Country and Around the World: Compass,” The Sierra Club, 23 May 2013. Date of access: 25 May 2013. http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/2013/05/ big‐new‐investments‐in‐wind‐energy‐across‐the‐country‐and‐around‐the‐world.html 80 “Oxfam Recommendations on the G8 Agenda 2013,” Civil 20, no date. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.g20civil.com/upload/iblock/3b8/g8oxfam.docx.


of investors registered in or raising capital in their countries for agricultural investment in developing countries.81 Such a process would entail publicly disclosing the environmental impact assessments of these investment projects, among other criteria.82 In the background section for its agricultural investment policy recommendations, Oxfam noted that insufficient public finance in developing countries has increased the vulnerability of local peoples to climate change.83 Oxfam thus highlighted as a key area for G8 investment the support of agricultural research focused on the development of technologies and practices that are environmentally sustainable.84 Regarding natural resource transparency and accountability, Oxfam called upon the G8 to make implement a number of interrelated policies: the enactment of domestic legislation on information disclosure by extractive industries on a project-by-project basis; the disclosure of this information to the public by G8 governments, and the provision of assistance to elected representatives and civil society actors in using this data to hold governments and industries in developing countries accountable; and G8 support for the Open Contracting initiative and its application to extractive industries.85 Pre-Summit Protests On 13 April 2013, sixty environmental activists protested outside the G8 foreign ministers’ meeting in London, UK.86 Friends of the Earth UK and 350.org were among the local and international eNGOs responsible for the protest.87 The activists sought to convince US Secretary of State John Kerry to reject the proposed Keystone XL pipeline project.88 Other messages for the Kerry and other G8 leaders included increased action by his government on the issue of climate change and a ban on tar sands imports into Europe.89

81 “Oxfam Recommendations on the G8 Agenda 2013,” Civil 20, no date. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.g20civil.com/upload/iblock/3b8/g8oxfam.docx. 82 “Oxfam Recommendations on the G8 Agenda 2013,” Civil 20, no date. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.g20civil.com/upload/iblock/3b8/g8oxfam.docx. 83 “Oxfam Recommendations on the G8 Agenda 2013,” Civil 20, no date. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.g20civil.com/upload/iblock/3b8/g8oxfam.docx. 84 “Oxfam Recommendations on the G8 Agenda 2013,” Civil 20, no date. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.g20civil.com/upload/iblock/3b8/g8oxfam.docx. 85 “Oxfam Recommendations on the G8 Agenda 2013,” Civil 20, no date. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.g20civil.com/upload/iblock/3b8/g8oxfam.docx. 86 “Activists Rally Outside G8 and Send Kerry a Message: Say No to Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline,” 350.org, 11 April 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://350.org/en/about/blogs/activists‐rally‐outside‐g8‐and‐send‐kerry‐message‐say‐no‐keystone‐xl‐tar‐sands‐pipeline. 87 “Activists Rally Outside G8 and Send Kerry a Message: Say No to Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline,” 350.org, 11 April 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://350.org/en/about/blogs/activists‐rally‐outside‐g8‐and‐send‐kerry‐message‐say‐no‐keystone‐xl‐tar‐sands‐pipeline. 88 “Activists Rally Outside G8 and Send Kerry a Message: Say No to Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline,” 350.org, 11 April 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://350.org/en/about/blogs/activists‐rally‐outside‐g8‐and‐send‐kerry‐message‐say‐no‐keystone‐xl‐tar‐sands‐pipeline. 89 “Activists Rally Outside G8 and Send Kerry a Message: Say No to Keystone XL Tar Sands Pipeline,” 350.org, 11 April 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://350.org/en/about/blogs/activists‐rally‐outside‐g8‐and‐send‐kerry‐message‐say‐no‐keystone‐xl‐tar‐sands‐pipeline.


On 15 June 2013, Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland will be hosting an anti-fracking demonstration as part of the mass protests planned for central Belfast on that day.90 Friends of the Earth plans to build a three-dimensional model of a frack pad, to be used during the demonstration.91 The eNGO also plans to march with a 100 metre piece of blue cloth, decorated with images of contaminated waterways and the names of local rivers located near fracking sites, which it says will represent a polluted river.92 Public Awareness Events/Workshops As part of the G8 Counter Summit in Belfast, UK, eNGOs and other civil society actors have organized a Fairer World Festival of talks, debates, concerts, film screenings, and exhibitions, to take place prior to and during the summit.93 These public awareness events are one aspect of a larger collaborative undertaking by NGOs, as detailed in the following section. Collaborative Efforts Environmental advocacy groups have collaborated with trade unions and other NGOs to organize a mass march and rally through Belfast on 15 June.94 Environmental groups involved in the planning include Friends of the Earth.95 The collaborative effort, which organizers have stated will “challenge the policies and priorities of the G8 leaders,” will include a Fairer World Festival of public awareness events.96 In a statement regarding the G8 Counter Summit, the protest committee said:

Our organizations represent many different interests but we are united in a commitment to the creation of a world that is fair and just for all. We believe that achieving social, economic and environmental justice must be central to political decision-making. We will co-ordinate a festival of events to coincide with the G8 summit, including a major public demonstration in Belfast calling for a fairer world.97

90 “Friends of the Earth Newsletters,” Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland, 15 May 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/newsletters/regactni_201305_40116.html. 91 “Friends of the Earth Newsletters,” Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland, 15 May 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/newsletters/regactni_201305_40116.html. 92 “Friends of the Earth Newsletters,” Friends of the Earth Northern Ireland, 15 May 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2012. http://www.foe.co.uk/resource/newsletters/regactni_201305_40116.html. 93 “G8 Protest rally Could Clash with Obama Visit,” Belfast Telegraph, 14 May 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local‐national/northern‐ireland/g8‐protest‐rally‐could‐clash‐with‐obama‐visit‐29263414.html. 94 “G8 – March & Festival Planned for Belfast on Saturday 15th June,” Irish Congress of Trade Unions – Northern Ireland Committee, 13 May 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.ictuni.org/news/2013/05/13/g8‐march‐festival‐planned‐for‐belfast‐on‐saturday/. 95 “G8 – March & Festival Planned for Belfast on Saturday 15th June,” Irish Congress of Trade Unions – Northern Ireland Committee, 13 May 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.ictuni.org/news/2013/05/13/g8‐march‐festival‐planned‐for‐belfast‐on‐saturday/. 96 “G8 – March & Festival Planned for Belfast on Saturday 15th June,” Irish Congress of Trade Unions – Northern Ireland Committee, 13 May 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.ictuni.org/news/2013/05/13/g8‐march‐festival‐planned‐for‐belfast‐on‐saturday/. 97 “Protest Rally Planned Ahead of G8 Summit,” Belfast Newsletter, 13 May 2013. Date of access: 22 May 2013. http://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/regional/protest‐rally‐planned‐ahead‐of‐g8‐summit‐1‐5085427.


G8-Civil Society Initiatives There do not appear to be any initiatives jointly organized by the G8 and eNGOs in the lead up to the Lough Erne summit.


Human Rights Organizations Derakhshan Qurban-Ali

Introduction Human Rights Organizations were key civil society actors at the May 2012 Camp David Summit in the United States of America. Amnesty International, Oxfam International, InterAction, and the Global Call to Action Against Poverty (GCAP) were the principle actors that focused on issues relating to human rights. These organizations pursued various actions and strategies to engage with the G8, including policy, press statements, utilization of the media, protests, and collaborative efforts with other NGOs in order to maximize outcomes and prompt action from the G8. Key goals included: increased accountability from the G8 in order to better track progress; concrete plans to deliver promised aid committed at previous summits; food security; continued support for transitions in the Middle East and North Africa. In general, human rights organizations were dissatisfied with the G8’s actions to promote human rights and called for increased accountability and further actions to meet summit commitments. Since the last G8 summit, multiple human rights organizations have been active in calling for action with regards to the upcoming summit. In response to the upcoming G8 summit, Amnesty International has publically stated that human rights and international development must be high on the agenda and that security and policing arrangements must fully respect the rights of peaceful protest.98 InterAction published a paper that outlines the condensed recommendations to the G8 of over 40 NGOs, drafted by the G8/G20 Advocacy Alliance. Their recommendations focus on four core areas expected to be on the agenda: accountability; anti-corruption and transparency; food security, nutrition and agriculture; and sexual violence in war.99 A focal issue among various organizations has been progress and human rights in Africa. The notable progress since the last summit in the UK in Gleneagles has spurred many human rights organizations to call for initiatives on transparency and tax in order to better enable citizens to hold their leaders accountable. As the Congo prepares to mark 20 years since the first gross violation of international humanitarian laws, Save the Congo has lead an appeal to the G8 to commit to making accountability for international human rights violations among other crimes of international concern.100 Moreover, they are calling for direct budgetary and military support to governments affected by the human tragedy in the Congo and ask that the G8 end impunity for the M23 leadership and those who have committed serious human rights 98 Agency reporter, “Human rights must top G8 agenda at 2013 summit, says Amnesty,” 20 Nov 2012. Date Accessed: 19 May 2013. http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17433 99 John Ruthrauff, “2013 G8 Summit Recommendations Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” December 2012. Date Accessed: 21 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy%20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf 100 The Guardian, “G8 must act on Congo human rights abuse,” 26 February 2013. Date Accessed: 29 May 2013. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/26/g8‐congo‐human‐rights‐abuse


abuses. Notably, they implore the arrest of Bosco Ntaganda and his transfer to the international criminal court.101 Camp David Summit Outcomes Multiple human rights organizations expressed their reactions to the outcomes of the 2012 Camp David G8 Summit. Prior to and during the summit, Amnesty released press statements requesting leaders of the G8 take bold action to support human rights in the Middle East and North Africa in response to the Arab Spring.102 Amnesty asked that the G8 leaders support protesters and that they should promote democracy in the Middle East and North Africa. The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition was commended by various NGOs such as World Vision and ONE as a vital action in the fight against extreme poverty in Africa. ONE was pleased with President Obama’s commitment to sustain the L’Aquila promises on funding and policy coordination, but they are disappointed by the lack of concrete measures to sustain the aforementioned support. They called on the British Prime Minister David Cameron to continue the conversation on food security at the 2013 G8 Summit. ONE also noted their disappointment that the Camp David Declaration did not mention the importance of transparency in the extraction of natural resources.103

World Vision was disappointed with the G8’s commitment to transparency and accountability. Adam Taylor, Vice President for Advocacy with World Vision, stated “It’s ironic that the G8 has referenced its commitment to transparency and applauded themselves for this year’s accountability report – yet the leaders still haven’t shared it with the people most affected by these issues…While we applaud the real progress that has been made on food security and nutrition, if we had to give the G8 a grade right now, it would be ‘incomplete.”104

Oxfam published multiple articles criticizing G8 leaders for failing to meet past commitments. They pointed out that the G8 leaders failed to renew measurable funding and policy commitments to help address global food security.105 The leaders were not willing to commit resources that would allow them to fulfil the commitments they made in L’Aquila.106 The very strong relationship between food security and human rights makes this commitment a priority for Oxfam. 101 The Guardian, “G8 must act on Congo human rights abuse,” 26 February 2013. Date Accessed: 29 May 2013. http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/feb/26/g8‐congo‐human‐rights‐abuse 102 “Report on Civil Society and the 2011 G8 Deauville Summit,” G8 Research Group, 28 February 2012. Date of access: 29 May 2013. http://g8live.org/wp‐content/uploads/2012/03/Deauville‐Civil‐Society‐Report.pdf 103 Jim Wallis, “NGOs React to Obama's New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, Camp David Declaration,” 21 May 2012. Date Accessed: 29 May 2013. http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/05/21/ngos‐react‐obamas‐new‐alliance‐food‐security‐and‐nutrition‐camp‐david‐declaration 104 Jim Wallis, “NGOs React to Obama's New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, Camp David Declaration,” 21 May 2012. Date Accessed: 29 May 2013. http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/05/21/ngos‐react‐obamas‐new‐alliance‐food‐security‐and‐nutrition‐camp‐david‐declaration 105 “G8 to poor countries: It’s not you, it’s me,” 19 May 2012. Date Accessed: 19 May 2013. http://www.oxfam.org/en/grow/pressroom/pressrelease/2012‐05‐19/g8to‐poor‐countries‐its‐not‐you‐its‐me 106 Ibid.


Lamine Ndiaye, Pan Africa Head of Economic Justice at Oxfam noted, "The New Alliance is neither new nor a true alliance. The rhetoric invokes small-scale producers, particularly women, but the plan must do more to bring them to the table.” Oxfam called on G8 leaders to join President Obama to commit resources to recommit their level of investments and resources. Ndiaye commented that the new alliance “is a nice complement at best, a deflection at worst.”107

Michael Klosson, Save the Children's Vice President of Policy and Humanitarian Response, stresses “The New Alliance should maintain a high level of transparency and accountability for both public and private partners. The agency also calls on the G8 to ensure strong local civil society participation in the Leadership Council. The people benefitting from this initiative must have a voice in its design.”108 Lough Erne Summit Participation Policy Papers, Press Statements and Utilization of the Media Amnesty International has been at the forefront of human rights civil society organizations and has made numerous statements regarding the upcoming G8 Summit. Amnesty International has stated that human rights and international development must be priorities at the G8 Summit. Furthermore, they asserted that security and policing arrangements must respect the rights of peaceful protest at the summit itself.109 Every year, problems arise as a result of the restrictions placed on the rights of people to protest the summit in a peaceful manner, resulting in a diminished public space for engagement.110

Following the announcement that the summit would be held in Ireland, Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland Programme Director of Amnesty International UK, urged: “With war, repression and extreme poverty blighting the lives of billions of people, the summit is an opportunity for G8 leaders to face up to the world's most pressing problems… We look to them to ensure that respect for universal human rights will be the hallmark of their deliberations and decision-making in 2013."111 Amnesty’s press statement on 20 Nov 2012 stated “human rights and international development must top the agenda for world leaders when they assemble in Northern Ireland next June.”112 Patrick Corrigan continued: “We look

107 Jim Wallis, “NGOs React to Obama's New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, Camp David Declaration,” 21 May 2012. Date Accessed: 29 May 2013. http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/05/21/ngos‐react‐obamas‐new‐alliance‐food‐security‐and‐nutrition‐camp‐david‐declaration 108 Jim Wallis, “NGOs React to Obama's New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, Camp David Declaration,” 21 May 2012. Date Accessed: 29 May 2013. http://sojo.net/blogs/2012/05/21/ngos‐react‐obamas‐new‐alliance‐food‐security‐and‐nutrition‐camp‐david‐declaration 109 Agency reporter, “Human rights must top G8 agenda at 2013 summit, says Amnesty,” 20 Nov 2012. Date of access: 19 May 2013. http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17433. 110 Agency reporter, “Human rights must top G8 agenda at 2013 summit, says Amnesty,” 20 Nov 2012. Date of access: 19 May 2013. http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17433. 111 Agency reporter, “Human rights must top G8 agenda at 2013 summit, says Amnesty,” 20 Nov 2012. Date of access: 19 May 2013. http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17433. 112 Agency reporter, “Human rights must top G8 agenda at 2013 summit, says Amnesty,” 20 Nov 2012. Date Accessed: 19 May 2013. http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17433


to them to ensure that respect for universal human rights will be the hallmark of their deliberations and decision-making in 2013.”113 The organization stressed the need to respect human rights both during the summit in the UK, as well as within their global objectives outlined for the year.

Amnesty International UK, as well as REDRESS and TRIAL welcomed the Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence In Conflict, which declares that rape and other serious sexual violence amount to war crimes and grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.114 They also called on member nations to enforce laws that will allow them to effectively enforce the Declaration.115 Pre-Summit Protests Various civil society organizations intend to stage protests preceding the G8 Summit. Most are expected to be non-violent, but anti-capitalist protestors have issued a map of targets in London where people can “show their anger” towards the G8 Summit leaders.116 Among these targets are international banks and hedge funds. A rally is expected that includes various trade unions and councils, such as the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions.117 Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth are also expected to attend. The groups hope to bring people together to challenge the policies and priorities of the G8 leaders meeting in Ireland in June 2013. The civil society groups have organized a Fairer World Festival that includes talks, debates, concerts, film screenings and exhibitions that will run prior to and during the summit. A formal statement on the festival is entitled 'G8 2013: time for a fairer world'.118 The civil society organizations commented, "Our organisations represent many different interests but we are united in a commitment to the creation of a world that is fair for all. We believe that achieving social, economic and environmental justice must be central to political decision-making. We will coordinate a festival to coincide with the G8 summit, including a major public demonstration in Belfast".119

113 Agency reporter, “Human rights must top G8 agenda at 2013 summit, says Amnesty,” 20 Nov 2012. Date Accessed: 19 May 2013. http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/17433 114 “G8 commitment to tackle impunity for rape in conflict welcomed by human rights groups,” 12 April 2013. Date of access: 19 May 2013.http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_ details.asp?NewsID=20728. 115 “G8 commitment to tackle impunity for rape in conflict welcomed by human rights groups,” 12 April 2013. Date of access: 19 May 2013.http://www.amnesty.org.uk/news_ details.asp?NewsID=20728. 116 Reuters, “Anti‐G8 protesters issue map of London capitalist targets,: 10 May 2013. Date of access: 5 June 2013. http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/10/us‐britain‐g8‐protests‐idUSBRE9490LP20130510. 117 Claire McNeilly, “G8 protest rally could clash with Obama visit,” 14 May 2013. Date Accessed: 29 May 2013. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local‐national/northern‐ireland/g8‐protest‐rally‐could‐clash‐with‐obama‐visit‐29263414.html 118 Claire McNeilly, “G8 protest rally could clash with Obama visit,” 14 May 2013. Date Accessed: 29 May 2013. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local‐national/northern‐ireland/g8‐protest‐rally‐could‐clash‐with‐obama‐visit‐29263414.html 119 Claire McNeilly, “G8 protest rally could clash with Obama visit,” 14 May 2013. Date Accessed: 29 May 2013. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local‐national/northern‐ireland/g8‐protest‐rally‐could‐clash‐with‐obama‐visit‐29263414.html


Public Awareness Events/Workshops With respect towards public awareness events, the Dublin Alternative G8 will be holding a series of workshops, events and seminars that attempt to counter the agenda proposed at the G8 Summit from 17 June to 18 June 2013.120 The topics of discussion range widely, from cultural imperialism, Palestine, food sovereignty and land grabs in Africa, to migration and Bahrain’s Struggle against Sectarian Dictatorship.121 Some broader themes include “Building Anti-Imperialistic Networks in the 21st Century, the suppression of progressive secular politics by the institutionalization of sectarianism in Ireland and the Arab World, slave labour in the Global South, political prisoners, Libya, and the Latin American Revolution.122 The event was a product of collaboration between more than 20 different civil society organizations, including the Independent Worker’s Union, the Communist Party of Ireland, Legal Observers Ireland, and Anti-Racism Network Ireland.123 Also expected in attendance are Amnesty International and Friends of the Earth.124 Monday June 17th will host lectures, seminars, and anti-imperialist discussion, with national and international guest speakers, and a night of revolutionary dance and song. Tuesday June 18th will feature a mass demonstration in Dublin Centre in commemoration of the 1913 Dublin Lockout. 125 Police in Ireland are anticipating security concerns during an “alternative” G8 summit in Ireland designed by those opposed to global austerity measures.126 Among the participants in the demonstrations are trade unionists, anti-war activists, charities, anti-fracking organizations, environmentalists, and pro-Palestinian lobbyists; the areas of protests are scattered throughout the UK, notably in Belfast, Dublin, and London.127

Collaborative efforts InterAction is a leading advocate for international relief and development programs and the prime representative of U.S.-based international NGOs.128 Their coverage of G8/G20 events include the Nutrition for Growth event (8 June 2013), and a Golden Thread of Development event (15 June 2013) will be held in London prior to the summit.129 InterAction also 120 Dublin G8 Alternative 2013, “List of Seminars and Workshops for the Dublin Alternative G8 Summit,” 30 May 2013. Date Accessed: 31 May 2013. http://dubaltg8.org/?m=201305 121 Dublin G8 Alternative 2013, “List of Seminars and Workshops for the Dublin Alternative G8 Summit,” 30 May 2013. Date Accessed: 31 May 2013. http://dubaltg8.org/?m=201305 122 Dublin G8 Alternative 2013, “List of Seminars and Workshops for the Dublin Alternative G8 Summit,” 30 May 2013. Date Accessed: 31 May 2013. http://dubaltg8.org/?m=201305 123 Dublin G8 Alternative 2013, “List of Seminars and Workshops for the Dublin Alternative G8 Summit,” 30 May 2013. Date Accessed: 31 May 2013. http://dubaltg8.org/?m=201305 124 http://www.northernsound.ie/news/g8‐counter‐summit‐planned‐for‐belfast/ 125 Dublin G8 Alternative 2013, “List of Seminars and Workshops for the Dublin Alternative G8 Summit,” 30 May 2013. Date Accessed: 31 May 2013. http://dubaltg8.org/?m=201305 126 “Protestors plan ‘alternative’ G8 in Ireland,” 5 April 2013. Date Accessed: 1 June 2013. http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/protestors‐plan‐alternative‐g8‐in‐ireland‐590298.html 127 “Protestors plan ‘alternative’ G8 in Ireland,” 5 April 2013. Date Accessed: 1 June 2013. http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/protestors‐plan‐alternative‐g8‐in‐ireland‐590298.html 128 “G8/G20 Summits”, 2013. Date Accessed: 21 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/work/g8g20 129 “G8/G20 Summits”, 2013. Date Accessed: 21 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/work/g8g20


recommends that G8 leaders address the three core areas of accountability, anti-corruption and transparency, as well as food security and nutrition. In particular, they call on the G8 member actions to implement and enforce previous commitments relating to The Open Government Partnership and Anti-Corruption Conventions like the UN Convention Against Corruption (UNCAC) and the OECD’s Anti-Bribery Convention (OECD Convention).130 InterAction has been highly active in engaging the G8 leaders and published a detailed G8 Policy Paper entitled, “2013 G8 Summit Recommendations Lough Erne, United Kingdom.”131 The paper was drafted by the G8/G20 Advocacy Alliance composed of more than 40 NGOs, think tanks and trade unions. In this particular paper, the Alliance offered recommendations on accountability; anti-corruption and transparency; food security, nutrition and agriculture; sexual violence in war, as well as fragile states and newborn, child and maternal health.132 They called on the US to take a leading role in engaging the G8 on these matters. John Ruthrauff, Director of International Advocacy for Interaction, observes, “a notable lack of transparency threatens to undermine the credibility of the G8 and its commitment to ensuring that aid is delivered effectively.”133 With regards to Accountability, InterAction’s Summit Recommendations endorse directing the Accountability Working Group (AWG) to collect input from international organizations, recipient governments and civil society, mandating the AWG to initiate transparent practices by publicly identifying all G8 working groups, as well as making public the AWG annual report 30 days before the G8 summit.134 For Anti-Corruption and Transparency, the G8 Policy Paper recommends the implementation and enforcement of international Anti-Corruption Conventions, implementing effective anti-money laundering actions while continuing to support asset recovery initiatives, and expanding global transparency standards in natural resource and land management.135

130 John Ruthrauff, “Can G8 Leaders be Accountable at Lough Erne?” 10 May 2013. Date Accessed: 19 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/blog/can‐g8‐leaders‐be‐accountable‐louch‐erne 131 John Ruthrauff, “2013 G8 Summit Recommendations Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” December 2012. Date Accessed: 21 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy%20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf 132 John Ruthrauff, “2013 G8 Summit Recommendations Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” December 2012. Date Accessed: 21 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy%20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf 133 John Ruthrauff, “Can G8 Leaders be Accountable at Lough Erne?” 10 May 2013. Date Accessed: 19 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/blog/can‐g8‐leaders‐be‐accountable‐louch‐erne 134 John Ruthrauff, “2013 G8 Summit Recommendations Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” December 2012. Date Accessed: 21 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy%20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf 135 John Ruthrauff, “2013 G8 Summit Recommendations Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” December 2012. Date Accessed: 21 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy%20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf


Food Security, Nutrition and Agriculture recommendations include supporting national plans to scale up nutrition and declaring targets to reduce stunting over a three-year period. Furthermore, the report asks that the G8 leaders ensure pledges are met and robust financing is secured for multilateral mechanisms. Lastly, InterAction advises improvements to the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition accountability mechanisms and publicizing partner letters of intent with detailed plans for the implementation of the intended goals.136 Recommendations on Fragile States focus on achieving the Millennium Development Goals, while making sure that conflict and violence within fragile states are addressed. Also noted is the importance of supporting mechanisms and institutions that enhance local and international dispute resolution efforts as well as national and local capacities for mediation, while building on past food security efforts by focusing attention on child malnutrition in fragile states.137 InterAction requests that the G8 leaders sustain and pursue their “A Promise Renewed” pledge by increasing funding and pursuing policies that help developing countries improve newborn, maternal and child health, particularly for the most vulnerable segments of society. They recommend pursuing policies that help developing countries address crosscutting barriers to health and services and building coordinated health systems.138 When addressing sexual violence in war, the G8 Policy Paper advises the G8 leaders pledge to promote gender equality and address the root causes of sexual violence in their state-building and conflict resolution efforts. Recommendations include committing to providing robust and integrated survivor response services in each country and region in which they operate, while encouraging each member state to develop, review and implement a National Action Plan (NAP) on Women, Peace, and Security, which the G8 should include in its annual accountability report.139

136 John Ruthrauff, “2013 G8 Summit Recommendations Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” December 2012. Date Accessed: 21 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy%20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf 137 John Ruthrauff, “2013 G8 Summit Recommendations Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” December 2012. Date Accessed: 21 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy%20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf 138 John Ruthrauff, “2013 G8 Summit Recommendations Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” December 2012. Date Accessed: 21 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy%20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf 139 John Ruthrauff, “2013 G8 Summit Recommendations Lough Erne, United Kingdom,” December 2012. Date Accessed: 21 May 2013. http://www.interaction.org/sites/default/files/2013%20G8%20Policy%20Paper%20FINAL%20%282‐12‐13%29_0.pdf


G8-Civil Society Initiatives There have been no G8-Human Rights Organizations initiatives in the lead-up to the Summit.


Service-Based Humanitarian Organizations Alexandre Ribeiro Dos Santos Introduction Humanitarian organizations provide a broad spectrum of aid aimed at protecting human lives, alleviating suffering, and protecting human dignity during, and following, times of crisis.140 Some humanitarian organizations advocate for state and non-state actor protection of human rights. These are distinguished from the subgroup of service-based humanitarian organizations which are mandated to deliver particular services to affected areas. Service-based aid is intended to be a temporary provision of material relief service, food, coordination, communications, or a combination of any, or all of these.141 Predominant, international service-based humanitarian organizations include CARE International, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Doctors Without Borders, Oxfam International, and World Vision International. Combined, these organizations independently and neutrally dispatch transport and medicine, and coordinate emergency response. These organizations have promulgated the interests of stricken communities at earlier G8 summits, calling for increased G8 engagement in the issues of healthcare, food security and malnutrition, sustainability, education, and maternal health. On 9 July 2008, Oxfam International openly criticized G8 members for failing to fulfill “aid, climate change, and health care promises” made at the Gleneagles Summit.142 On 30 June 2008, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, represented by its secretary general Bekele Geleta, called upon G8 leaders to address “the growing rise in food prices that has a devastating impact on the everyday life of millions of vulnerable people throughout the world.”143 In 2010, CARE International appealed for the placement of special G8 attention on maternal health, which remains one of the least advanced of the Millennium Development Goals.144 On 26 June 2010, they “commend[ed] the Government of Canada for making maternal, newborn and child health the signature initiative for the 2010 G8 Summit,

140 “Defining Humanitarian Aid,” Global Humanitarian Assistance: A Developmental Initiative, no date. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/data‐guides/defining‐humanitarian‐aid. 141 “Defining Humanitarian Aid,” Global Humanitarian Assistance: A Developmental Initiative, no date. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://www.globalhumanitarianassistance.org/data‐guides/defining‐humanitarian‐aid. 142 “Little progress at the G8 in Japan,” Oxfam America, 9 July 2008. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://www.oxfamamerica.org/articles/little‐progress‐at‐the‐g8‐in‐japan/. 143 “Food security/International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)/IFRC’s new secretary general urges G8 to invest more in long‐term action,” African Press Organization, 4 July 2008. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://appablog.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/food‐security‐international‐federation‐of‐red‐cross‐and‐red‐crescent‐societies‐ifrc‐ifrc%E2%80%99s‐new‐secretary‐general‐urges‐g8‐to‐invest‐more‐in‐long‐term‐action/. 144 “Maternal Health Meeting at Number 10 Downing Street,” CARE International, 25 January 2010. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2010/01/maternal‐health‐meeting‐sarah‐brown‐20090125.asp.


and for committing significant new money.”145 However, CARE International also expressed discontent with “G8 leaders who, as a group, failed to step forward and back the Canadian ‘Muskoka Initiative’ with adequate funds.”146 Camp David Summit Outcomes In the weeks prior to the Camp David Summit, Oxfam supporters sent thousands of tweets and letters to pressure G8 leaders to “help 50 million people lift themselves out of poverty.”147 During the Summit, the organization held two media demonstrations in support of the same message, with activists dressed like the G8 leaders.148 On 25 May 2012, the letter addressed to President Barack Obama for 15 May 2012, was posted on the World Vision website. The letter, signed by 15 activists and representatives of several non-governmental organizations, communicates a range of concerns regarding the global food system, and urges President Barack Obama to act ambitiously at the Camp David Summit.149 On 18 May 2012, Save the Children’s Vice President of Policy and Humanitarian Response applauded “President Obama for refocusing world attention on the ‘injustice of chronic hunger’ and the importance of nutrition in a child’s first thousand days.”150 On 19 May 2012, Oxfam America’s Director of Aid Effectiveness, Gregory Adams, issued a statement on the outcomes of the Camp David Summit. Regarding G8 leaders’ objection “to continue efforts to invest in developing country agriculture,” Adams said that “the G8’s unwillingness to sustain their promises comes as the challenges facing poor people around the world are only getting harder.”151 Adams commended the United States and the United Kingdom for fulfilling their pledges to address global hunger, made at the L’Aquila 145 “CARE Gives G8 a Yellow Card for Performance on Maternal Health; Pleads with World Leaders to Fill Remaining Funding Gap at Upcoming Millennium Development Summit,” CARE International, 26 June 2010. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2010/06/g8‐disappointment‐with‐leaders‐20100626.asp. 146 “CARE Gives G8 a Yellow Card for Performance on Maternal Health; Pleads with World Leaders to Fill Remaining Funding Gap at Upcoming Millennium Development Summit,” CARE International, 26 June 2010. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://www.care.org/newsroom/articles/2010/06/g8‐disappointment‐with‐leaders‐20100626.asp. 147 “G8 Leaders set a bold goal, with a questionable plan to achieve it,” Oxfam America, 21 May 2012. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://politicsofpoverty.oxfamamerica.org/2012/05/21/g8‐leaders‐set‐a‐bold‐goal‐with‐a‐questionable‐plan‐to‐achieve‐it/. 148 “G8 Leaders set a bold goal, with a questionable plan to achieve it,” Oxfam America, 21 May 2012. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://politicsofpoverty.oxfamamerica.org/2012/05/21/g8‐leaders‐set‐a‐bold‐goal‐with‐a‐questionable‐plan‐to‐achieve‐it/. 149 “Letter to President Obama: Stopping Hunger at the G8,” World Vision, 25 May 2012. Date of access: 25 February 2013. www.worldvision.org/resources.nsf/main/press‐G8‐briefing/$file/US‐International‐joint‐campaign‐letter‐to‐G8‐leaders.pdf. 150 “NGOs react to Obama’s announcement on food security,” World Vision, 18 May 2012. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://www.worldvision.org/content.nsf/about/20120518_NGO‐reaction‐food‐security‐obamaannouncement?open&lid=react&lpos=main. 151 “G8 to poor countries: It’s not you, it’s me,” Oxfam America, 19 May 2012. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://www.oxfamamerica.org/press/pressreleases/g8‐to‐poor‐countries‐it2019s‐not‐you‐it2019s‐me.


Summit.152 Oxfam also urged G8 members to join the handful of members that made pledges to the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program.153 On 26 June 2012, World Vision released a statement on the G8 Camp David Annual Accountability Report. In its statement World Vision “affirms that the G8 has improved its accountability and transparency with its newest report tracking the Group of Eight’s commitments to international health and development, yet notes with disappointment the mixed progress in fulfilling those promises.”154 In summation, the reactions of service-based humanitarian organizations, concerning the outcomes of the Camp David Summit, were mixed. Lough Erne Summit Participation Policy Papers, Press Statements, and Utilization of the Media On 25 March 2013, CARE International affirmed in a press release its support for British Foreign Secretary William Hague’s Preventing Sexual Violence Initiative.155 CARE International also confirmed its role in helping to steer the initiative.156 However, the organization urged G8 leaders to consider additional funding for projects that also support “urgent medical care, psychosocial support, [and] legal advice” to survivors of sexual violence in key countries.157 CARE International called for the G8 to aid in the propagation of “home-grown projects.” Projects should target “men and boys to change their attitudes towards women and address inequality [.]”158 In this press release, Geoffrey Dennis, Chief Executive of CARE International UK, admits “that changing men’s attitudes to women

152 “G8 to poor countries: It’s not you, it’s me,” Oxfam America, 19 May 2012. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://www.oxfamamerica.org/press/pressreleases/g8‐to‐poor‐countries‐it2019s‐not‐you‐it2019s‐me. 153 “G8 to poor countries: It’s not you, it’s me,” Oxfam America, 19 May 2012. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://www.oxfamamerica.org/press/pressreleases/g8‐to‐poor‐countries‐it2019s‐not‐you‐it2019s‐me. 154 “World Vision Statement on G8 Camp David Accountability Report,” World Vision, 26 June 2012. Date of access: 25 February 2013. http://www.worldvision.org/resources.nsf/main/press‐statements/$file/G8‐Accountability‐Report‐2012.pdf. 155 “G8: Hague Plan For Sexual Violence Prosecutions Must Be Matched By Practical Support For Women Survivors,” CARE International, 25 March 2013. Date of access: 13 May 2013. http://www.careinternational.org.uk/news‐and‐press/latest‐press‐releases/2312‐g8‐hague‐plan‐for‐sexual‐violence‐prosecutions‐must‐be‐matched‐by‐practical‐support‐for‐women‐survivors. 156 “G8: Hague Plan For Sexual Violence Prosecutions Must Be Matched By Practical Support For Women Survivors,” CARE International, 25 March 2013. Date of access: 13 May 2013. http://www.careinternational.org.uk/news‐and‐press/latest‐press‐releases/2312‐g8‐hague‐plan‐for‐sexual‐violence‐prosecutions‐must‐be‐matched‐by‐practical‐support‐for‐women‐survivors. 157 “G8: Hague Plan For Sexual Violence Prosecutions Must Be Matched By Practical Support For Women Survivors,” CARE International, 25 March 2013. Date of access: 13 May 2013. http://www.careinternational.org.uk/news‐and‐press/latest‐press‐releases/2312‐g8‐hague‐plan‐for‐sexual‐violence‐prosecutions‐must‐be‐matched‐by‐practical‐support‐for‐women‐survivors. 158 “G8: Hague Plan For Sexual Violence Prosecutions Must Be Matched By Practical Support For Women Survivors,” CARE International, 25 March 2013. Date of access: 13 May 2013. http://www.careinternational.org.uk/news‐and‐press/latest‐press‐releases/2312‐g8‐hague‐plan‐for‐sexual‐violence‐prosecutions‐must‐be‐matched‐by‐practical‐support‐for‐women‐survivors.


would be slow and difficult, but it was [not] insurmountable.”159 CARE International offered leaders six recommendations to combat sexual violence. These are: increased funding for “basic services needed by survivors of sexual violence,” increased presence of UN sexual violence experts “to ensure better coordination of activities on the ground during conflict,” increased support of “home-grown initiatives,” increased support of initiatives involving men and boys, enforcement of zero tolerance of sexual violence among justice and security programs, and sexual violence prevention training among peacekeeping forces. On 11 April 2013, Chief Executive Dennis and Alice Allen, Head of Advocacy at CARE International UK, made similar statements in several television and radio interviews.160 In a separate press release, CARE International, among other service-based humanitarian organisations, urged the UK Government to invest £425 million GBP annually in small-scale agriculture.161 This recommendation is “in line with the Enough Food For Everyone IF campaign.”162 The press release states that investing “in the productivity of small-scale farmers” is the only “realistic way of meeting the Zero Hunger Challenge of eradicating hunger by 2025.”163 On 22 May 2013, OXFAM International published statistics alleging “governments are letting people hide at least $18.5 trillion USD in offshore tax havens.”164 OXFAM International urged its supporters to utilize social networks to pressure G8 leaders into discussing solutions for tax evasion in international tax haven states. The address calls G8 leaders: to consider a fair, global deal to share taxation information, to commit to publicizing “the ownership of companies and other assets,” and to “agree on a black list of tax havens” and their effective management.165 Pre-Summit Protests On 13 May 2013, Amnesty International Northern Ireland announced on its Facebook page the organization’s intentions to publicize and participate in a march and rally, hosted by the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, in Belfast, United

159 “G8: Hague Plan For Sexual Violence Prosecutions Must Be Matched By Practical Support For Women Survivors,” CARE International, 25 March 2013. Date of access: 13 May 2013. http://www.careinternational.org.uk/news‐and‐press/latest‐press‐releases/2312‐g8‐hague‐plan‐for‐sexual‐violence‐prosecutions‐must‐be‐matched‐by‐practical‐support‐for‐women‐survivors. 160 CARE media coverage on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, CARE International. Date of Access: 13 May 2013. 161 Hunger Alliance Press Release, CARE International, 29 April 2013. Date of Access: 13 May 2013. 162 Hunger Alliance Press Release, CARE International, 29 April 2013. Date of Access: 13 May 2013. 163 Hunger Alliance Press Release, CARE International, 29 April 2013. Date of Access: 13 May 2013. 164 “Tax on the ‘private’ billions now stashed away in havens enough to end extreme world poverty twice over,” Oxfam International, 22 May 2013. Date of access: 23 May 2013. http://www.oxfam.org/en/eu/pressroom/ pressrelease/2013‐05‐22/tax‐havens‐private‐billions‐could‐end‐extreme‐poverty‐twice‐over. 165 “The G8 must take action on tax dodging and tax havens!” Oxfam Ireland, 22 May 2013. Date of access: 23 May 2013. http://blogs.oxfam.org/en/blogs/13‐05‐22‐g8‐must‐take‐action‐tax‐dodging‐and‐tax‐havens.


Kingdom, on 15 June 2013.166 The march and rally are to be accompanied with planned “talks, debates, concerts, film screenings and exhibitions.”167 Amnesty International Northern Ireland and the Northern Ireland Committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions openly support and work with the IF Campaign.168 Collaborative Efforts On 23 January 2013, 100 charitable developmental organizations launched the IF Campaign with the purpose of urging Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, David Cameron to “leverage action on ending global hunger.”169 The number of organizations that make up this coalition has grown to more than 150 and includes OXFAM International, Save the Children, World Vision International, CARE International, and Amnesty International, among others. The four pillars of change supported by members of the IF campaign are: aid, tax, land, and transparency.170 G8-Civil Society Initiatives To acknowledge the IF Campaign, UK Prime Minister David Cameron has agreed to host a Hunger Summit in London on 8 June 2013.171 In an article in the EU Observer, Prime Minister Cameron declared that the Lough Erne Summit “will be focused on three ways in which we can support the development of open economies, open governments and open societies to unleash the power of the private sector: advancing trade, ensuring tax compliance and promoting greater transparency."172 166 “G8 2013 ‐ Trade Unions Join With Civic Groups For A Fairer World, Amnesty International Northern Ireland,” Amnesty International Northern Ireland Facebook Page, 13 May 2013. Date of access: 23 May 2013. https://www. facebook.com/pages/Amnesty‐International‐Northern‐Ireland/109850892443666. 167 “G8 2013 ‐ Trade Unions Join With Civic Groups For A Fairer World, Amnesty International Northern Ireland,” Amnesty International Northern Ireland Facebook Page, 13 May 2013. Date of access: 23 May 2013. https://www. facebook.com/pages/Amnesty‐International‐Northern‐Ireland/109850892443666. 168 “G8 2013 ‐ Trade Unions Join With Civic Groups For A Fairer World, Amnesty International Northern Ireland,” Amnesty International Northern Ireland Facebook Page, 13 May 2013. Date of access: 23 May 2013. https://www. facebook.com/pages/Amnesty‐International‐Northern‐Ireland/109850892443666. 169 “Anti‐hunger Campaign 'If' Launches With Call For G8 to Act,” The Guardian United Kingdom Edition, 23 January 2013. Date of access: 23 May 2013. http://www.guardian.co.uk/global‐development/2013/jan/23/anti‐hunger‐campaign‐if‐g8‐act. 170 “A Guide to IF,” Enough Food For Everyone, no date. Date of access: 23 May 2013. http://enoughfoodif.org/about‐campaign/guide‐if. 171 “G8 Summit Briefing,” Enough Food For Everyone IF, April 2013. Date of access: 13 May 2013. http://enoughfoodif.org/sites/default/files/IF_G8_summit_briefing.pdf. 172 “A G8 Meeting That Goes Back to First Principles,” EU Observer, 21 November 2012. Date of Access 13 May 2013. http://euobserver.com/opinion/118265.


Faith-Based Organizations Carmen Celestini Introduction Faith-based organizations (FBOs) provide a multi-faith perspective to the voices of those advocating for social change. Their policy papers, awareness campaigns, response papers, fact sheets, utilization of social media and multi-platform approaches provide a voice for those who are voiceless or subaltern within society. Issues that are addressed by the FBOs include: human rights, government transparency, agricultural and food advocacy, children and women’s rights and heath care, and sustainability. Traditionally poverty, climate change, peace initiatives, economics, and water safety have been core campaign issues. The Red Cross in its journal the International Review of the Red Cross characterizes faith based organizations as “having one or more of the following: affiliation with a religious body; a mission statement with explicit reference to religious values; financial support from religious sources; and/or a governance structure where selection of board members or staff is based on religious beliefs or affiliation and/or decision-making processes based on religious values.”173 Lough Erne Summit Participation Policy Papers, Press Statements and Utilization of the Media An alliance of FBOs and secular organizations has been created for the “Enough Food For Everyone IF” campaign. They have come together to lobby the G8 leaders to act on four main issues that affect global food issues. The four issues are providing aid to stop hunger and poverty, limiting tax loopholes for large companies, land rights for poor farmers, and transparency for government and corporate actions.174 FBOs involved in IF include the Methodist Tax Justice Network, Save the Children, World Vision, CAFOD, Islamic Relief, ONE, Oxfam, and Christian Aid, amongst many others. As part of the G8 summit in Northern Ireland, FBOs involved in IF are calling for supporters to protest publicly in the streets.175 CAFOD’s Chair of Trustees Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster John Arnold said of CAFOD’s involvement in IF and the planned G8 protest, “The problem is not a shortage of food. There are deep inequalities in the food system that means hungry people don’t get the food they need to live. We can put that right, and we’re here to ensure politicians understand that and

173 Ferrism Elizabeth, “Faith‐based and secular humanitarian organizations,” International Review of the Red Cross. Volume 87, no. 858, June, 2005. http://www.ikrk.org/eng/assets/files/other/irrc_858_ferris.pdf Date of Access: 3 May 2013. 174 A Guide to IF –Enough Food for Everyone. Date of Access: 14 May 2013. http://enoughfoodif.org/about‐campaign/guide‐if 175 What’s Happening When – Enough Food For Everyone. Date of Access: 14 May 2013. http://enoughfoodif.org/get‐involved/whats‐happening‐when


take that message up the chain so it reaches the G8 with force.”176 In a movement leading up to the G8 Summit hundreds of members of religious orders, priests and lay associates met with MPs on the 15th of May to push for action on global hunger.177 This movement was led by CAFOD, the official Catholic aid agency for England and Wales. One of the organizers Sister Pat Robb CJ, said of the 15th of May meeting and the planned demonstration on the 8th of June, “Big demonstrations…make the government acknowledge that people from all backgrounds have a voice, that they’re prepared to take part and that the world is watching.”178 In addition to demonstrations 80 religious leaders sent a letter to the G8 leaders lobbying for support of the issues being brought forward by IF,179 this letter also appeared in The Financial Times.180 Pre Summit Protests Christian Aid, a social justice organization working globally to eradicate poverty, is organizing an event in England to coincide with IF events in Ireland. On Saturday the 8th of June, a prayer service was organized, followed by a march through central London, which concluded with an event in Hyde Park with speakers and activists.181 According to Christian Aid, more than a thousand people attended the ecumenical service, and also stayed to hear from prominent speakers such as Bill Gates, Danny Boyle, and Christian Aid Chair Dr. Rowan Williams.182 Tearfund, an international Christian aid and development agency who works to end poverty and injustice globally asked Christians across the UK to set alarms on their cell phones to ring at 1:08pm each day leading up to the G8 summit and to also pray that the G8 leaders would make the right decisions on behalf of the poor. Tearfund also encouraged all church members to send a postcard to David Cameron with the message “There is enough food for everyone IF.”183 The organization also had postcards that congregations could order. During

176Labor Leader Ed Miliband Tells Hundreds of Religious and Clergy to “Keep the Pressure on” in the Fight Against Global Hunger – CAFOD, 16 May 2013. Date of Access: 19 May 2013. http://www.cafod.org.uk/News/Press‐Centre/Press‐releases/Ed‐Miliband‐at‐religious‐lobby 177IF campaign: Religious Orders to Lobby MPs for Food for All – CAFOD, 8 May 2013. Date of Access: 14 May 2013. http://www.cafod.org.uk/News/Campaigning‐news/IF‐Religious‐lobby 178IF campaign: Religious Orders to Lobby MPs for Food for All – CAFOD, 8 May 2013. Date of Access: 14 May 2013. http://www.cafod.org.uk/News/Campaigning‐news/IF‐Religious‐lobby 179 Global Religious Leaders Call on G8 to ‘Strike at Causes of Poverty’‐ ENS, 5 April 2013. Date of Access: http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2013/04/05/global‐religious‐leaders‐call‐on‐g8‐to‐strike‐at‐causes‐of‐poverty/ 180 About the Interfaith G8 Engagement – Church of England. Date of Access: http://www.churchofengland.org/our‐views/international‐affairs/the‐uk‐g8/about‐the‐g8/interfaith‐g8‐engagement.aspx Accessed May 16, 2013 181 #BigIF London G8 event – Christian Aid Society, 8 June 2013. Date of Access: 9 June 2013. http://www.christianaid.org.uk/ActNow/if‐enough‐food/if.aspx 182 #BigIF London G8 event – Christian Aid Society, 8 June 2013. Date of Access: 9 June 2013. http://www.christianaid.org.uk/ActNow/if‐enough‐food/if.aspx 183Tearfund Event Sends A Prophetic Message to the G8 – Down and Dromore, 26 April 2013. Date of Access: 20 May 2013.http://www.downanddromore.org/news/2013/04/Tearfund‐event‐sends‐a‐prophetic‐message‐to‐the‐G8#.UZ51_iugkWU


the summit Tearfund is organizing an event in a church in Belfast, with music, children’s activities and prayers for the G8 leaders.184 ONE is an organization advocating for the elimination of extreme poverty and preventable disease. Its founder Bono has recently publicly stated that through food programs for Africa and government transparency, extreme poverty could be eliminated by 2030. 185 ONE is requesting that the people sign a petition, which they will deliver to the G8 leaders asking them to commit to goals on malnutrition and transparency.186

184 Tearfund Event Sends A Prophetic Message to the G8 – Down and Dromore, 26 April 2013. Date of Access: 20 May 2013. http://www.downanddromore.org/news/2013/04/Tearfund‐event‐sends‐a‐prophetic‐message‐to‐the‐G8#.UZ51_iugkWU 185ONE Petition to the G8 – ONE. Date of Access: 21 May 2013. http://www.one.org/us/transparency/?source=blogUS 186 ONE Petition to the G8 – ONE. Date of Access: 21 May 2013. http://www.one.org/us/transparency/?source=blogUS


Trade Unions Akbar Khurshid Introduction Trade Unions continue to be an engaged and vibrant component of Global Civil Society. The primary actor within this segment is the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC), which comes into existence in Vienna, November 2006.187 ITUC "groups together the former affiliates of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU) and The World Confederation of Labour (WCL) along with trade union organisations which had no global affiliation".188 To be precise, as of 12 November 2012 the organization has more than 174 and a half million members, in 315 affiliated organizations who operate within 156 countries/territories.189 ITUC conducts energetic campaigns -such as promotion of decent working condition, domestic workers 12 by 12, and global inquiries- and focuses on an expanded scope of issues - child labour laws, climate change, development cooperation, global economy, HIV/AIDS, women's rights, youth issues- alongside its established issue portfolio of domestic and international worker rights.190 With this brief overview in mind, there have been particular issue sets and operations associated to Trade unions -crystallized under the ITUC organization- which demonstrates its role in Global Civil Society. Five of the primary concerns among the issue portfolio ITUC seeks to address includes: worker migration and migrant worker rights (1), national politics (2), low labour standards as they relate to human rights (3), showing solidarity with local trade unions especially those being violently attacked (4), and changes within the global information context (5). Worker migration and migrant worker rights includes the need for decent work for migrant worker and strategy meetings to create alternatives to the increasing need to migrate to find work.191 Among the national politics issues are critiquing the November 2012 meeting between IMF (International Monetary Fund), Egyptian Democratic Labour Congress, and Egyptian Civil Society members to discuss a new loan, and advocating both parties in the Israel Palestine conflict respect UN demands for a truce. 192 Thirdly, ITUC connects the issue of low labour standards to human rights by deliberately condemning nations -Pakistan, Bangladesh, Turkey, Egypt, Panama, and the United States of America- under the auspices of International Human Rights Day, or seeking to end 'hiring'

187 About Us. International Trade Union Confederation (Brussels). Date of Access: 27 February 2013. http://www.ituc‐csi.org/about‐us 188 Ibid. 189 Ibid. 190 ITUC's Global 12 By 12 Campaign Champions Domestic Worker Rights. Migrant Rights 27 February 2013. Date of Access: 27 February 2013 http://www.migrant‐rights.org/2013/02/27/itucs‐global‐12‐by‐12‐campaign‐champions‐domestic‐worker‐rights/ 191 Migration: a Decent Work Issue. International Trade Union Confederation (Elejwit) 17 October 2011. Date of Access: 27 February 2013 http://www.ituc‐csi.org/IMG/pdf/9gc_e_06_b_i_‐_migration.pdf 192 Position of Independent Trade Unions towards the International Monetary Fund Loan. International Trade Union Confederation (Cairo) 12 November 2012. Date of Access: 28 February 2013. http://www.ituc‐csi.org/IMG/pdf/egypt_edlc‐efitu_imfstatement_1112.pdf


practises that are equitable to slavery.193 Fourth, ITUC takes a strong stance against violence committed against trade unionists both physical and legal such as in North Africa, in California targeting Colombians, and Turkey.194 Lastly, a new policy issue area the ITUC is engaging in is the contestation of the freedom of the internet as it represents a democratic capacity to exchange knowledge and offer engagement.195 Camp David Summit Outcome Camp David was received by Labour Union civil society actors with welcome over the change towards job creation and growth. This shift is considered positive to Union leaders, with Sharan Barrow of ITUC, Richard Trumka of TUAC (Trade Union Advisory Committee), and John Evans of TUAC, all commenting to that effect on 21 May 2012.196 This commitment by the G8 also signals that part of the Trade Union platforms are being taken seriously and that consultations between Trade Unions and policy makers like the IMF have panned out.197 However, this welcomed shift does not mean that Labour Unions have satisfied their agenda for job creation and continue to advocate the G8 to pull the global economy out of the "worsening job crisis".198 Lough Erne Summit Participation Policy Papers, Press Statements and Utilization of the Media There are two primary bodies within the Labour Union civil society actor segment that publishes major papers, make many statements, and use periodical mass media: ITUC and TUAC. Of the ITUC papers the most important are resolutions that resemble working papers; they have perambulatory clauses and operative clauses. Since the Camp David summit, there has been only one resolution passed by the ITUC; on 13 June 2012 after the G20 summit.199

193 ITUC Statement on International Human Rights Day. International Trade Union Confederation (Brussels) 10 December 2012. Date of Access: 28 February 2013. http://www.ituc‐csi.org/IMG/pdf/ituc_statement_on_international_human_rights_day_final.pdf 194 North African Trade Unionists Arrested and Attacked. Scoop Independent News (Brussels) 24 February 2013. Date of Access: 28 February 2013. http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/WO1302/S00224/north‐african‐trade‐unionists‐arrested‐and‐attacked.htm 195 Stop the Next Grab: What Happened in Dubai? Going To Work From the TUC 2013. Date of Access: 28 February 2013. http://www.goingtowork.org.uk/stop‐the‐net‐grab‐what‐happened‐in‐dubai/ 196 Unions welcome apparent shift by the G8 from austerity to a focus on growth and jobs. International Trade Union Confederation (Brussels) 21 May 2012. Date of Access: 23 May 2012. http://www.ituc‐csi.org/unions‐welcome‐apparent‐shift‐by 197Trade Unions Call on IMF and World Bank to Support Higher Employment Growth and Worker's Rights. International Trade Union Confederation (Washington D.C.) 18 January 2011. Date of Access: May 23 2013. http://www.ituc‐csi.org/trade‐unions‐call‐on‐imf‐and‐world 198 TUAC Calls for action on worsening job crisis at consultations to the OECD Ministerial Council Meeting. Trade Union Advisory Committee (Paris) 12 April 2013. Date of Access: 23 May 2013. http://www.tuac.org/en/public/e‐docs/00/00/0C/AB/document_news.phtml 199 Resolution‐ 2nd Trade Union Assembly on Labour and Environment. International Trade Union Confederation (Rio de Janeiro) 13 June 2012. Date of Access: 23 May 2013. http://www.ituc‐csi.org/resolution‐2nd‐trade‐union


Among the issues that ITUC directly asserts the G8 and G20 must address are: eradication of poverty, environmental sustainability, food security, climate change/global warming, lack of job security, the lack of objective process on social issues over the last twenty years, human rights as the basis of equity, democracy and global governance need to be strengthened, and "social protection is a human right". The operational clauses of the resolution include asking governments to: apply environmental protection policy such as the Conventions on Climate Change, Biodiversity and Desertification, profoundly alter the economic sectors for sustainability, promote social justice through public policy, invest 2% of GDP into green technology, acknowledge social protection is a human right, create instruments to build off the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, strengthen labour legislation, empower the International Labour Organization etc.200 ITUC has also been active in releasing press statements, often giving one every seven days. One of the important caveats to ITUC and Labour Union participation, more broadly speaking, is that these actors tend to speak to the G20 more often than to the G8 during these press releases.201 Examples of this tendency include the above mentioned resolution occurring in tandem to the Rio De Janeiro G20 summit, the L20 Trade Union Statement to the G20 Employment and Labour Minister's Meeting, the L20 Statement to the G20 Summit etc.202 Aside from this, the press releases have focussed on either reacting to current national issues- including areas such as Fiji, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Turkey etc-, releasing policy preferences in response to Global Governance bodies particularly the IMF and World Bank, the Trans-Pacific Partnership Trade Agreement, and the Financial Stability Board.203 Lastly, ITUC uses internet based media in high volumes and in different ways: including the twitter account of Sharan Burrow, current General Secretary of ITUC.204 The two predominant ways ITUC publicizes its activity and agenda are through news feeds, and conducting interviews which usually work cohesively. The News feed rarely goes seven days without being updated and works to bring the ITUC message and angle to daily headlines. In the wake of the tragic collapse of a 'clothing production building' in Bangladesh for example ITUC published the story to express its outrage at clothing companies' callous indifference, publicize practises it considers immoral, and chastise the Bangladeshi government.205 In a

200 Resolution‐ 2nd Trade Union Assembly on Labour and Environment. International Trade Union Confederation (Rio de Janeiro) 13 June 2012. Date of Access: 23 May 2013. http://www.ituc‐csi.org/resolution‐2nd‐trade‐union 201 TUAC‐ITUC Economic Working Group Meets to prepare the L20 input in the G20. Trade Union Advisory Committee (Paris) 8 April 2013. Date of Access: May 23 2013. http://www.tuac.org/en/public/e‐docs/00/00/0C/AA/document_news.phtml 202 L20 Trade Union Statement to the G20 Employment and Labour Ministers' Meeting. International Trade Union Confederation (Guadalajara) 17‐18 May 2012. Date of Access: May 23 2013. www.ituc‐csi.org/l20‐statement‐to‐the‐g20‐summit 203 Second Labour Declaration on the Negotiation of the Trans‐Pacific Partnership Agreement. International Trade Union Confederation (Brussels) 15 March 2010. Date of Access: May 23 2013. http://www.ituc‐csi.org/labor‐declaration‐on‐the,11706 204 Sharron Burrow. Twitter. Incorporated. Date of Access: May 24 2013. https://twitter.com/@SharanBurrow 205 Bangladesh: Clothing Brands Attacked for Callous Indifference. International Trade Unions Confederation (Brussels) 26 April 2013. Date of Access: 23 May 2013. http://www.ituc‐csi.org/bangladesh‐clothing‐brands


separate piece about the same tragedy ITUC publicized a two point plan of action for people around the world, pressuring your domestic government and pressuring specific corporations.206 Another central news piece that ITUC is publishing on, as part of a new initiative, is calling for a revote for the 2022 hosting of FIFA by Qatar. This news story is meant to highlight the perceived failure of FIFA to take worker's rights into consideration, and the Government of Qatar to deliver on change.207 ITUC also makes use of interviews published on their website to strengthen the depth of reporting on issues, like the Bangladeshi factory collapse, tell snapshots of labourers who are suffering as a way to give a face to their struggle, and as a platform to give voice to specialists whose point of view are friendly to ITUC. The TUAC’s specialized advisory role to the OECD (Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development), leads it to publish policy papers that provide input to or revise G20 and OECD policy agendas. Examples of policy papers that advise OECD platforms include areas such as: state ownership and privatization, rule of law and labour rights, and principles of Long Term Investment by Institutional Investors.208 While all of these papers can be considered press statements, there was no identifiable division made by TUAC between the two categories. TUAC also maintains a news feed that specializes in highlighting TUAC activity and relevant economic policy headlines. Most of the news activity published by TUAC is directed towards the OECD and G20; these headlines include issues such as: the youth unemployment crisis, the need for governments to move away from austerity measures, retirement insecurity through pensions etc. 209 Pre Summit Protests Trade Unionists in Northern Ireland plan to protest in Belfast and Fermanagh. Activists from Unite, Britain's biggest union, and North Ireland Public Service Alliance (NIPSA) -which represents thousands of public sector workers in Northern Ireland- said measures had been put in place to prevent demonstrations being hijacked by troublemakers and “violent anti-capitalist thugs”.210

206 Bangladesh: What can you do??? International Trade Union Confederation (Brussels) 22 May 2013. Date of Access: 23 May 2013. http://www.ituc‐csi.org/bangladesh‐what‐can‐you‐do 207 International Unions call on FIFA to rerun the vote for the Qatar 2022 World Cup. International Trade Union Confederation (Brussels) 17 April 2013. Date of Access: 23 May 2013. http://www.ituc‐csi.org/international‐unions‐call‐on‐fifa 208 TUAC Contribution to the OECD public consultation on draft G20 Principles on Long Term Investment by Institutional Investors. Trade Union Advisory Committee (Paris) 17 May 2013. Date of Access: 23 May 2013. http://www.tuac.org/en/public/e‐docs/00/00/0C/C9/document_doc.phtml 209 ILO: Youth Unemployment crisis worsening, immediate and effective action needed. Trade Union Advisory Committee (Paris) 13 May 2013. Date of Access: 23 May 2013. http://www.tuac.org/en/public/e‐docs/00/00/0C/C7/document_news.phtml 210 “Anti‐G8 protests: Police prepared for second wave of demonstrations”. Belfast Telegraph, 12 June 2013. Date of access: 12 June 2013. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/g8‐summit/antig8‐protests‐police‐prepared‐for‐second‐wave‐of‐demonstrations‐29339907.html


Ireland's trade union movement has also taken the exceptional step of asking human rights monitors to oversee the anti-G8 demonstration at the summit amid fears that the right to protest will be hampered amid Northern Ireland's largest-ever security operation to guard world leaders in Lough Erne.211 Public Awareness Events/Workshops The only workshop that was held by Labour Union actors before the summit occurred 15-20 April 2013. The workshop included 17 participants from 9 English speaking African countries. The purpose was to train participants in order to solidify Union presence in the continent through addressing diverse national focal points. The objective of the program is to bring in approximately 10 000 workers into unions per year for each country; with plans to extend these sessions to 10 Francophone African countries.212 However, the main vehicle through which ITUC and Labour Union actors create awareness is through publishing information through the Internet; and running campaigns such as the FIFA revote, and other campaigns mentioned previously. Collaborative Efforts ITUC and Labour Unions have dense networks of collaboration within their own sector; but fewer connections outside their own policy area. However, none of these collaborations were targeted towards the G8 and thus fall outside the scope of this report. G8- Civil Society Initiatives There have been no identifiable collaborations between Labour Union groups and the G8. However, as mentioned before TUAC works extensively with the OECD and G20.

211 McDonald, Henry. “G8 summit: Irish trade unions call in human rights monitors”. The Guardian, 11 June 2013. Date of access: 11 June 2013. http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2013/jun/11/g8‐summit‐trade‐unions‐human‐rights 212 Inaugural Regional Workshop on Organizing Project. African Regional Organization of the International Trade Union Confederation (Lomé) 15‐20 April 2013. Date of Access: 23 May 2013. http://www.ituc‐africa.org/INAUGURAL‐REGIONAL‐WORKSHOP‐ON.html


Education and Celebrity Awareness Campaigns Alexandria Matic Introduction In recent years, education advocacy groups and celebrity activists have used awareness campaigns to pressure G8 countries to take action on a variety of issues, including: the advancement of education rights, improved maternal health, food security initiatives, and the eradication of global poverty. The main objective of these campaigns has been to improve living standards and access to basic rights by holding the G8 accountable to previous commitments and advocating for the inclusion of specific issues on the G8 agenda. Education rights became a prominent civil society issue through the Education for All (EFA) movement, which began as “a global commitment to provide quality basic education for all children, youth and adults.”213 Since its establishment in 1999, the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) has acted as a unified voice for civil society organisations dedicated to advancing the EFA agenda, specifically through its contribution to the creation of six EFA goals at the World Education Forum in 2000.214 Building on this momentum, the Education for All – Fast Track Initiative (EFA-FTI) was established in 2002 and became the concrete framework for achieving EFA.215 Additionally, further commitments to education have centred on the achievement of Universal Primary Education (UPE), which is the United Nations’ second Millennium Development Goal.216 Although advocacy groups have continued to pressure the G8 to make formal commitments to achieving EFA and UPE, access to education has rarely been discussed as a stand-alone issue at G8 summits because it is frequently subsumed under the broader topic of poverty.217 Recently, this has led education organizations to express disappointment with the outcomes of G8 summits and to pursue alternate forums for the discussion of education issues.218 One such example was the Copenhagen conference in November 2011, which brought together heads of state to discuss the Global Partnership on Education (GPE), outside the context of a G8 summit.219

213 “Education for All Movement,” United Nations Education, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, no date. Date of access: 26 February 2013. http://www.unesco.org/new/en/education/themes/leading‐the‐international‐agenda/education‐for‐all/. 214 “About Education for All,” Global Campaign for Education, no date. Date of access: 26 February 2013. http://campaignforeducation.org/en/about‐us/about‐education‐for‐all. 215 “Report on Civil Society and the 2010 G8 Muskoka Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2011. Date of access: May 15, 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2010‐muskoka‐civilsociety.pdf. 216 “The Millennium Development Goals,” Oxfam International, no date. Date of access: 26 February 2013. http://www.oxfam.org/en/campaigns/health‐education/millennium‐development‐goals. 217 Report on Civil Society and the 2011 G8 Deauville Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2012. Date of access: May 15, 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2011‐deauville‐civilsociety‐post.pdf. 218 Report on Civil Society and the 2011 G8 Deauville Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2012. Date of access: May 15, 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2011‐deauville‐civilsociety‐post.pdf. 219 Report on Civil Society and the 2011 G8 Deauville Summit,” G8 Research Group, February 2012. Date of access: May 15, 2013. http://www.g8.utoronto.ca/evaluations/csed/2011‐deauville‐civilsociety‐post.pdf.


Conversely, awareness campaigns that harness the influence of celebrities have been able to significantly influence the issues discussed at G8 summits. Although celebrity activism has been met with criticism in the past, Andrew F. Cooper of the Centre for International Governance Innovation has argued that celebrities have become important diplomatic actors because of their ability to advocate for a cause at the mass level, via media outlets, and at the elite level, through organized meetings with world leaders.220 Bono and Bob Geldof have become leaders in the realm of celebrity activism through their establishment of ONE, an anti-poverty organization that has been engaged with the G8 since the 2005 Gleneagles Summit, at which an additional $25 billion dollars was pledged to effective assistance in Africa by 2010.221 Since then, ONE has continued to promote various anti-poverty and food security campaigns at G8 summits. Building on this success, a number of celebrities, including Celine Dion, Dame Judi Dench, Scarlett Johansson, and Annie Lennox made use of their widespread appeal by sending a letter to the G8 in 2010 advocating for maternal and child health issues.222 Other notable celebrity advocates include Bill Gates, who has engaged with the G8 on development issues through the Bill and Melinda and Gates Foundation. Camp David Summit Outcomes The involvement of education and celebrity awareness campaigns at the 2012 Camp David Summit varied depending on the campaign issues and advocates involved. Education advocacy groups were noticeably absent, as the GCE did not publish any statements or press releases pertaining to the summit’s outcomes. However, the organization did continue to advocate for the achievement of EFA and UPE by running its “Rights from the Start” Global Action Week in April 2012, just before the Camp David Summit.223 In contrast, ONE was highly visible and actively promoted issues pertaining to poverty and food security. In the days leading up to the 2012 Camp David Summit, Bono spoke at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs’ Symposium on Global Agriculture and Food Security, and called for cooperation among leaders to lift 50 million people out of poverty.224 He also advocated for effective initiatives to help African farmers develop their land, in an article for TIME magazine that was directed at the G8.225 Additionally, ONE launched the ONE Street Tweet campaign which printed Twitter users’ messages to the G8 on road surfaces outside the 220 Andrew F. Cooper, “Celebrity Diplomacy and the G8: Bono and Bob as Legitimate International Actors,” The Centre for International Governance and Innovation (Waterloo) September 2007. Date of access: 26 February 2013. http://www.cigionline.org/sites/default/files/Paper_29‐web.pdf. 221 “ONE History,” ONE, no date. Date of access: 26 February 2013. http://www.one.org/c/international/about/944/. 222 “Celebrities urge G8 to reach Millennium Goals to save women and newborns,” Oxfam International, 16 June 2010. Date of access: 26 February 2013. http://www.oxfam.org/en/pressroom/pressrelease/2010‐06‐16/celebrities‐urge‐g8‐millennium‐goals‐save‐women‐newborns. 223 “About GCE’s Global Action Week,” Global Action Week, no date. Date of access: 26 February 2013. http://campaignforeducation.org/en/campaigns/global‐action‐week. 224 Malaka Gharib, “Update: Bono addresses global leaders on hunger, agriculture and transparency at pre‐G8 symposium,” The ONE Blog, 20 May 2012. Date of access: 26 February 2013. http://www.one.org/international/ blog/bono‐addresses‐global‐leaders‐on‐hunger‐agriculture‐and‐transparency‐at‐pre‐g8‐symposium/. 225 Kathy McKiernan, “Bono in TIME in Africa’s ‘resource miracle,’” The ONE Blog, 18 May 2013. Date of access: 26 February 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/bono‐in‐time‐on‐africa’s‐‘resource‐miracle’/.


summit.226 In statement regarding the outcomes of the Camp David summit, ONE President and CEO Michael Elliot stated that G8 leaders took important steps to fight poverty in Africa through the establishment of the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition, but expressed disappointment at the lack of a firm commitment to sustain this initiative.227 Elliot also expressed his organization’s dissatisfaction with the summit’s failure to address the importance of transparency in resource extraction.228 The aforementioned food security initiative was also recognized in a press release issued by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which commended President Obama’s initiative in addressing African agricultural needs.229 In conclusion, while education advocacy groups and celebrity activists generally recognized that progress had been made at the 2012 Camp David summit, these civil society actors also stated that much work still needs to be done in establishing a place for education issues on the G8 agenda and confirming commitments to food security. Lough Erne Summit Participation In the months leading up to the 2013 Lough Erne Summit, Prime Minister David Cameron highlighted several key priorities for the G8, including an opportunity to address agriculture and nutrition issues at a pre-G8 forum, as well as a commitment to make trade, tax, and transparency central issues on the summit agenda.230 As previously stated, ONE specifically demanded reforms in both of these areas following the 2012 Camp David Summit; yet once again, education failed to be identified as a stand-alone priority. As a result, awareness campaigns and organizations supported by celebrities continued to address issues pertaining to food security and transparency with the G8, but education advocacy groups sought other opportunities to further their objectives. Policy Papers, Press Statements, and Utilization of the Media As early as January 2013, ONE made extensive use of the media to communicate its goals for the G8 agenda and assess the progress that states have made since the 2005 Gleneagles Summit, which marked the beginning of the organization’s engagement with the G8. ONE was particularly active through its blog, which featured a category of articles directly

226 Roxane Philson, “Taking it to the Street,” The ONE Blog, 11 May 2013. Date of Access: 26 February 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/taking‐it‐to‐the‐street/. 227 Michael Elliott, “ONE Reaction to G8 Summit: A Beginning on Food Security But Not an End,” ONE Press, no date. Date of access: 26 February 2013. http://www.one.org/us/press/one‐reaction‐to‐g8‐summit‐a‐beginning‐on‐food‐security‐but‐not‐an‐end/. 228 Michael Elliott, “ONE Reaction to G8 Summit: A Beginning on Food Security But Not an End,” ONE Press, no date. Date of access: 26 February 2013. http://www.one.org/us/press/one‐reaction‐to‐g8‐summit‐a‐beginning‐on‐food‐security‐but‐not‐an‐end/. 229 “Bill Gates’ Statement in Response to G8 Food Security Commitment,” Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, 18 May 2012. Date of access: 26 February 2013. http://www.gatesfoundation.org/Media‐Center/Press‐Releases/2012/05/Bill‐Gates‐Statement‐in‐Response‐to‐G8‐Food‐Security‐Commitment. 230 Alan Hudson, “Linking resources to results: A transparency narrative for the G8,” The ONE Blog, 25 February 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/linking‐resources‐to‐results‐a‐transparency‐narrative‐for‐the‐g8/.


related to the G8. On 22 January 2013, ONE posted a blog entry titled “Can this year’s G8 put people first?” which highlighted the NGO’s commitment to hold leaders accountable to promises made at the 2012 Camp David Summit, including the G8’s pledge “to lift 50 million people out of poverty over 10 years though the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition.”231 Additionally, the blog post commented on Prime Minister David Cameron’s central theme for the summit by proposing five reforms, including: greater transparency concerning resources such as aid; disclosure of budget processes; improvements in data collection on the effectiveness of investments; increase accountability through provision of greater capacities for oversight institutions; and agreement on standards that released data should meet.232 ONE continued to advocate for the importance of the G8’s transparency objectives in a blog posted on 25 February 2013, which proposed a “transparency narrative” for the G8, characterized by: the implementation of the International Aid Transparency Initiative (IATI); support for EU laws on extractives transparency; use of existing budget transparency programs; and investment in civil society’s ability to access information that monitors accountability.233 On 21 March 2013, ONE also released a blog addressing specific transparency reforms for dealing with “phantom firms,” the anonymous shell companies that deprive African countries of essential resources by facilitating illegal financial flows.234 Specifically, ONE asked the G8 to commit to publicizing information about who controls companies, and to follow up by reforming European laws on money laundering.235 On the same day, ONE’s blog also responded to a milestone accomplishment, as the UK became the first G8 country to achieve its 0.7% target for international aid as a share of national income.236 Given this achievement, ONE strongly encouraged the UK to exercise its moral authority and leadership at the G8 summit.237 In the weeks that followed these blog posts, European leaders made a key decision that contributed to the achievement of the G8’s transparency goals by requiring that oil, gas, 231 Joseph Powell, “Can this year’s G8 put people first?” The ONE Blog, 22 January 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/can‐this‐years‐g8‐year‐put‐people‐first/. 232 Joseph Powell, “Can this year’s G8 put people first?” The ONE Blog, 22 January 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/can‐this‐years‐g8‐year‐put‐people‐first/. 233 Alan Hudson, “Linking resources to results: A transparency narrative for the G8,” The ONE Blog, 25 February 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/linking‐resources‐to‐results‐a‐transparency‐narrative‐for‐the‐g8/. 234 Alan Hudson, “Ghostbusting: phantom firms and dodgy deals,” The ONE Blog, 21 March 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/ghostbusting‐phantom‐firms‐and‐dodgy‐deals/. 235 Alan Hudson, “Ghostbusting: phantom firms and dodgy deals,” The ONE Blog, 21 March 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/ghostbusting‐phantom‐firms‐and‐dodgy‐deals/. 236 Adrian Lovett, “The UK will become the first G8 country to achieve the aid target,” The ONE Blog, 21 March 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/the‐uk‐will‐become‐the‐first‐g8‐country‐to‐achieve‐the‐aid‐target/. 237 Adrian Lovett, “The UK will become the first G8 country to achieve the aid target,” The ONE Blog, 21 March 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/the‐uk‐will‐become‐the‐first‐g8‐country‐to‐achieve‐the‐aid‐target/.


mining, and logging companies publish their payments to governments, thereby promoting accountability and fighting corruption.238 Bono called the development a “game-changing breakthrough,” and ONE directly contributed to the initiative by gathering more than 162,000 petition signatures.239 In addition to its blogging activities, ONE published a report entitled “Summit in Sight: The G8 and Africa from Gleneagles to Lough Erne” on 3 March 2013.240 The report emphasized that the G8 has made significant progress in achieving the aid, debt cancellation, and health commitments made in the Gleneagles Africa Communiqué.241 It also reaffirmed the importance of the G8’s new commitments to transparency, agriculture, and nutrition, as the return of the G8 summit to the UK presents “an opportunity to renew the partnership between the G8 and the world’s poorest countries.”242 In addition to receiving considerable media coverage, the G8 Presidency 2013 Twitter account acknowledged the report and its transparency goals in a tweet that read: “Thanks @ONEcampaignUK for report on G8 progress since 2005. 2013 @G8 will drive greater transparency along with trade and tax reform.”243 Pre-Summit Protests At the time of publication, celebrity and education awareness campaigns had not participated in any pre-summit protests. However, the Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign, which ONE is a member of, advertised its plans for two protests that will make a direct appeal to G8 leaders “to tackle tax dodging, stop land being taken away from poor farmers, promote transparency by governments and businesses and make sure aid is used to fight malnutrition, and support small farmers.”244 Big IF London is scheduled to take place on 8 June 2013 and Big IF Belfast on 15 June 2013.245 Public Awareness Events/Workshops 238 Eloise Todd, “We did it! Europe takes historic stand against corruption,” The ONE Blog, 10 April 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/we‐did‐it‐europe‐takes‐historic‐stand‐against‐corruption/. 239 Eloise Todd, “We did it! Europe takes historic stand against corruption,” The ONE Blog, 10 April 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/we‐did‐it‐europe‐takes‐historic‐stand‐against‐corruption/. 240 Helen Hector, “ONE publish new report – Summit in Sight: The G8 and Africa from Gleneagles to Lough Erne,” The ONE Blog, 3 March 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/one‐publish‐new‐report‐summit‐in‐sight‐the‐g8‐and‐africa‐from‐gleneagles‐to‐lough‐erne/. 241 “Summit in Sight: The G8 and Africa from Gleneagles to Lough Erne,” ONE Policy Briefs, 28 February 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/c/international/policybrief/4615/. 242 “Summit in Sight: The G8 and Africa from Gleneagles to Lough Erne,” ONE Policy Briefs, 28 February 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/c/international/policybrief/4615/. 243 Helen Hector, “Why our new report has Kofi Annan, Tony Blair and Bob Geldof talking,” The ONE Blog, 6 March 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/why‐our‐new‐report‐has‐got‐kofi‐annan‐tony‐blair‐and‐bob‐geldof‐talking/. 244 “Get Involved: Young People,” Enough Food for Everyone IF, no date. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://enoughfoodif.org/get‐involved/youth. 245 “Get Involved: Young People,” Enough Food for Everyone IF, no date. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://enoughfoodif.org/get‐involved/youth.


Although the Global Campaign for Education (GCE) and the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) held public awareness events in April 2013 that focused on the UPE Millennium Development Goal, they did not directly address the G8. However, education did receive some attention through Chime for Change, a global awareness campaign founded by Gucci to empower women through education, health, and justice initiatives.246 The campaign is known for its famous founding committee which includes Beyoncé Knowles, Salma Hayek, and Gucci’s creative director, Frida Giannini.247 The campaign has planned a global fundraising concert in London called “Sounds for Change” on 1 June 2013, just before the G8 summit.248 The event will include performances by Beyoncé, Jennifer Lopez, John Legend, and Rita Ora among others, and is being produced by Kevin Wall who was involved with the Live 8 concert.249 Collaborative efforts The Enough Food for Everyone IF campaign emerged as the most extensive collaborative effort in the pre-summit period. ONE joined over 100 other organizations, including Comic Relief, Save the Children, Christian Aid, Oxfam, and UNICEF to advocate for fulfilment of aid promises, investment in small farmers, closure of tax loopholes that allow companies to short change poor countries, and commitments to transparency and accountability.250 The campaign also marked a key moment for collaboration among celebrity activists, who took part in a number of initiatives to generate popular interest in the cause. Celebrities including Ewan McGregor, Sienna Miller, and Bill Nighy sent a letter to the UK’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, urging him to maintain his commitments to international aid and work towards a system in which poorer countries are paid the taxes that they are owed by corporations operating within their borders.251 Other celebrities, such as Bill Gates, Orlando Bloom, and members of One Direction also collaborated on promotional YouTube videos for the campaign. Finally, UN FAO Goodwill Ambassador and singer Dionne Warwick and UK musician Joe McElderry partnered with the initiative through The Hunger Project UK to record a charity single entitled, “One World One Song.”252 The launch of the single, which coincides with the third anniversary of World Hunger Day, will be

246 “About Us,” Chime for Change, no date. Date of access: 26 May 2013. http://www.chimeforchange.org/about. 247 “About Us,” Chime for Change, no date. Date of access: 26 May 2013. http://www.chimeforchange.org/about 248 “Concert,” Chime for Change, no date. Date of access: 26 May 2013. http://www.chimeforchange.org/concert 249 “Concert,” Chime for Change, no date. Date of access: 26 May 2013. http://www.chimeforchange.org/concert 250 Adrian Lovett, “ONE big ‘if’,” The ONE Blog, 23 January 2013. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.one.org/international/blog/one‐big‐if/. 251 “Celebrity Letter to the Chancellor,” Enough Food for Everyone IF, no date. Date of access: 20 May 2013. http://enoughfoodif.org/latest/celebrity‐letter. 252 “Press Release IF Campaign,” The Hunger Project UK, no date. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.thehungerproject.co.uk/wp‐content/uploads/2013/05/Enough‐Food‐IF_One‐World‐One‐Song_G8_Hunger‐Project_Press‐Release.pdf.


accompanied by intimate concerts entitled “World Hunger Day Unplugged” throughout London from 26-28 May 2013, at which artists will perform their own renditions of the song.253 G8-Civil Society Initiatives Prime Minister David Cameron will be holding two pre-summit events on development: the first will occur on 8 June 2013 to address agriculture and nutrition, while the second will occur on 15 June 2013 to tackle trade, tax, and transparency.254 Although these events have not been organized explicitly in response to ONE’s demands, they do reflect the organization’s key goals for the G8 and are responsive to the shortcomings the NGO identified at the 2012 Camp David Summit. At the time of publication, ONE’s level involvement at these meetings (as well as the potential involvement of celebrity activists or education groups) could not be confirmed; however, ONE has set out detailed policy guides for addressing these issues in its “Summit in Sight” report.255 Additionally, although she is not directly involved with a celebrity campaign, Angelina Jolie was invited to speak at the G8 foreign ministers meeting in London on 11 April 2013.256 As a UNHCR Special Envoy, Jolie spoke at the launch of the G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict, where she commended the G8 for adopting the declaration’s stance on women and children’s rights, making funding commitments, and promising to include women in peace-making and democratic processes.257

253 “Press Release IF Campaign,” The Hunger Project UK, no date. Date of access: 16 May 2013. http://www.thehungerproject.co.uk/wp‐content/uploads/2013/05/Enough‐Food‐IF_One‐World‐One‐Song_G8_Hunger‐Project_Press‐Release.pdf. 254 “Our G8 Challenge: Transparency and Food Revolutions,” ONE Policy Briefs, 24 May 2013. Date of access: 24 May 2013. http://www.one.org/c/international/policybrief/4684/. 255 “Our G8 Challenge: Transparency and Food Revolutions,” ONE Policy Briefs, 24 May 2013. Date of access: 24 May 2013. http://www.one.org/c/international/policybrief/4684/. 256 “G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict,” GOV.UK, 11 April 2013. Date of access: 26 May 2013. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/g8‐declaration‐on‐preventing‐sexual‐violence‐in‐conflict. 257 “G8 Declaration on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict,” GOV.UK, 11 April 2013. Date of access: 26 May 2013. https://www.gov.uk/government/news/g8‐declaration‐on‐preventing‐sexual‐violence‐in‐conflict.

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