 Author |
 Post
|
 |
|
Samori Sombel Sy
Joined: Apr 20, 2005
Posts: 8 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Soft-spoken
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Male & 26
Country: United States
Province/State: New Jersey
City: Hackensack
|
making the g8 accountable
October 17, 2005 - 05:57 AM
|
|
I beleive the G8 should be accountable and responsible. Clearly and simply because it is their corporations that are acting in africa and the developed world. And it's these same corporations the employ people without giving them health benefits, and paying them minimum wage. And on top of this it's the G8 countries who enable poor countries to manufacture medecine for malaria and HIV/AIDS. So they have to be accountable.
I think the only way to make the G8 accountable is by bringing the less developed countries to the table by ensuring that when we are talking about debt forgiveness and aid there is an independent voice, all in a civil matter. It is also unexeptable that human right experts are not at the table with the G8 to discuss what needs to be done about poverty. There is no democracy in the way the G8 operates.
My question to you is how do you make the G8 accountable?
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Fa Sy
Joined: Oct 17, 2005
Posts: 4 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Tongue-tied
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Female, 29
Country: United States
Province/State: District of Columbia
City: Washington
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
October 23, 2005 - 04:44 AM
|
|
Well let me tell u some: the G8 doesnt beleive it is acountable. Why? Reality check: what is the G8?a group of 8 of the world's richest countries . what does it do? it talks, lol supposedly to make plans and policy about trade, debt and aid.And yes, these 8 men at the G8 have the power to change the lives of 800 millions lives.These men have the power to make 'poverty history', to make poverty end. But do they care? that is the question.
Poor countries do not need no free trade , we need trade justice. What the G8 does is force poor countries to liberalize their economies through conditions attached to aid and loans.They dont allow poor countries to protect their infant industries or their farmers . Did u know that the G8 system robs the developing world of an estimated $700 billion in lost earnings every year?(with free trade). This system helps the rich get richer and the poor get poorer.sO how do u make the G8 accountable you ask? Make them care! But how can they care since there is limited membership on the G8 that excludes the needs and views of poor countries.The G8 focuses on its own economic needs, and pursues policies that will benefit G8 members. This is often done at the expense of other countries in the world.I can't see any of the G8 nations being prepared to sacrifice their own capitalist agendas to help in any real way.If making Africa strong and independant doesnt benefit the G8 nations, they will not allow it to happen.
Also through the G8, member countries can make deals and compromises with one another and then form powerful alliances to exert influence on international institutions.
Imagine that you are in an organization in which everyone is supposedly equal. However, a small group of people meets separately without you, decides how it is going to act, and is able to dominate the organization. Would you feel that the organization is credible?
What poor countries should do since they cant force the G8 to be accountable even though they must be acountable for these problems that they do create, is form their one G8, how about a P8( the poor countries version lol)It's only Africa that will develop Africa. Africa's slow growth in the last three decades coincided with the heavy flow of aid. Free aid has had zero effect on the continent and it doesn't take rocket science to realise that zero plus zero never gives a positive.
There's an old saying that goes something like "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but teach him to fish and you feed him for life." Lets take care of our own economies, thats our only way of salvation
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Lewis Best
Joined: Mar 23, 2002
Posts: 113 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Chatterbox
User is
Offline
Gender & Age: Male, 23
Country: Australia
Province/State: New South Wales
City: Hornsby
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
October 23, 2005 - 06:17 AM
|
|
Yes, the G8 is a group of the world's richest 8 countries. Yes, the men of the G8 DO have the power to change the lives of over 800 million people worldwide. Yes, these men DO have the power to make poverty history.
Whether the G8 cares or not about developing countries and making poverty history is not something that we should be asking. However, we do need to be keeping the G8 countries, along with all developed countries, accountable. Accountable to the Millennium Development Goals and accountable to the 0.7% GNI countries agreed to over 30 years ago.
How do we keep such countries accountable? The world's united voice is more powerful than one, so why not use the world's voice to keep these countries accountable. The G8 leaders, and the leaders of the world, cant ignore the collective voice of many.
Yes, "give a man a fish and you feed him for a day, but teach him to fish and you feed him for life." This is what sustainable development is all about. Free trade does not necessarily mean fair trade. More and better aid is needed, and the world's countries must respond to the needs of the international community.
In an essentially democratic world, true democracy would not ignore those living in poverty.
Yes, the test of a nations character is how they deal with those on the fringes of society. In the long run, the test of humanity is how humanity recognises and responds to the global problem of poverty. Hopefully it is not too late to respond in the right way.
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Jacob Baiden Odame
Joined: Feb 22, 2005
Posts: 1 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Tongue-tied
User is
Offline
Country: Ghana
City: Winneba
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
October 27, 2005 - 11:18 AM
|
|
I really appreciate how you have argued. I also personally
believe that developing countries should not put all their
hoppes in the G8. I side with the fact that they are rich and can really help the world in some way. But developing countries should stand up boldly, brace themselves like men, change their attitudes and and change their economies. We can never achieve the MDG's if for example there is no good governace and proper accountability by governments of developing countries. So I believe goverments of developing countries, especially in Africa, my own continent should draw the rigt policies that will suite us and also exercise a high level of transparency in the management of funds to avoid corruption , which is a set back to the attainment of the MDG's.
I believe there is hope, but developing countries should know that even if the G8 gives out multi-billion dollars,it is only our behaviours and attitudes with respect to proper management of funds and proper accountability that will make us realise the MDG's.
Greetings BoNo-Fan and Fasy and Samori. Bye.
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Anu maheshwari
Joined: Jun 14, 2005
Posts: 1148 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
 Virtual Volunteer
Gender & Age: Female, 27
Country: India
Province/State: Maharashtra
City: Pune
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
July 2, 2006 - 10:51 AM
|
|
Accommodate concerns of poor nations: Kamal Nath
"Opening up markets must take into account social and economic realities"
Geneva: As the World Trade Organisation talks collapsed here on Saturday, Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said the most substantial results must be achieved in the areas where the greatest distortions lie, in particular trade distorting subsidies that displace developing country products, threaten the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of poor farmers and which have been prohibited for industrial goods for several decades.
``Market access will be an important component of a successful round but market opening in developing countries must take into account their social and economic realities,'' he said in a statement.
He outlined a six-point minimum agenda for any future talks, including reduction in trade distorting subsidies and agriculture tariffs in particular in products of special interest to developing countries.
He said the talks should aim at substantial reduction in industrial tariffs based on the principle of less than full reciprocity in reduction commitments, meaningful special and differential treatment provisions for developing countries.
Future talks should finalise modalities for duty-free and quota-free access for least developed countries and accommodate concerns of small and vulnerable economies like the cotton farmers of Africa.
U.S. Trade Representative Susan Shwab was, however, optimistic that talks could move forward in the coming weeks.
``While we have clearly reached something of an impasse, does that mean the round is dead? The answer is no, we do not believe so,'' she said.
``The U.S. is prepared to engage in this in the most constructive manner possible,'' she added.
WTO Director General Pascal Lamy said the Trade Ministers were refusing to show any flexibility and engage in negotiations to cut farm subsidies and tariffs on industrial goods.
Brazil and India — who lead the powerful G-20 block of developing countries — form part of G-6 along with the EU, US, Japan and Australia. A compromise among the six players is regarded as key to ending the nearly five-year-old deadlock at the 149-member WTO because of adamant posturing by the developed countries on cutting farm subsidies that were denying market access to developing countries.
Despite no headway so far, there was some optimism that an agreement could be reached by the end of July as key players are keen to arrive at a consensus so that talks move forward for conclusion by year-end. — PTI
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Hayk
Joined: Dec 20, 2005
Posts: 964 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
Virtual Volunteer
Country: Egypt
Province/State: Al Qahirah
City: Al Qahirah
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
July 2, 2006 - 01:47 PM
|
|
SamoriToure wrote:
I beleive the G8 should be accountable and responsible. Clearly and simply because it is their corporations that are acting in africa and the developed world.
I believe G8 shouldnt be responsible. As said, G8 is a grouping of countries which besides a common name G8 and the fact of a certain above-average level of life have nothing else
in common, nor they want to.
Secondly, lets not forget that the gap between corporations and states is ever more increased. Corporations, such as IBM, which have above 300,000 employees might themselves be considered an entity such as state with their own government and "people" spread around the world.. Big corporations nowadays use their bargaining power and leverage it the way they want, sometimes even to pressurize on their own or other governments..
All G8 can do is to help and collaborate but it will not be and it cannot be responsible for the rest of the world because its up to the rest of the world to becomeresponsible for themselves and stop depending on outside assitance, or at least diminish the dependece by fostering local policies which will lead to imporovements in economic andpolitical fields and all positive consequences..
And it's these same corporations the employ people without giving them health benefits, and paying them minimum wage.
Outsourcing, i believe, is what you mean here..
Then well yes, people in developing country get less than those in developed countries for the same job... But it is shown that this is win-win in long-term with such prominent examples as Singapore, Malaysia and Taiwan.. all being some time ago "exploited" by the West for their cheap manpower and now rejoicing..
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Anu maheshwari
Joined: Jun 14, 2005
Posts: 1148 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
Virtual Volunteer
Gender & Age: Female, 27
Country: India
Province/State: Maharashtra
City: Pune
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
July 2, 2006 - 03:29 PM
|
|
mnopq wrote:
SamoriToure wrote:
I beleive the G8 should be accountable and responsible. Clearly and simply because it is their corporations that are acting in africa and the developed world.
I believe G8 shouldnt be responsible. As said, G8 is a grouping of countries which besides a common name G8 and the fact of a certain above-average level of life have nothing else
in common, nor they want to.
All G8 can do is to help and collaborate but it will not be and it cannot be responsible for the rest of the world because its up to the rest of the world to becomeresponsible for themselves and stop depending on outside assitance, or at least diminish the dependece by fostering local policies which will lead to imporovements in economic andpolitical fields and all positive consequences..
Of course developing world is trying to get back on its feet after centuries of exploitation by a handful of countries from the developed world.
Now countries like India have gained enough standing and bargaining power so as to ask for a permanent seat in the SC.
In Organisations like the WTO , India and Brazil are becoming powers to reckon with as the developed nations do need lucrative markets to sell their products and they also need the labour force to keep their economy running.
Hence the G8 cannot impose their decisions as they did before . Now they have to make some allowances to the developing world in order to keep the negotiations in their own favour.
Even a developing nation like India and a transition economy like Iran makes concession for the LDCs so it shouldnt be difficult for the Developed countries to be a little more responsible and at the least fulfil the commitments they have already made at the DOHA round.
The Developing world is not even asking for new agreements !
This post was edited on: 2006-07-02 at 03:30 PM by: anuriandima84
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Anu maheshwari
Joined: Jun 14, 2005
Posts: 1148 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
Virtual Volunteer
Gender & Age: Female, 27
Country: India
Province/State: Maharashtra
City: Pune
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
July 3, 2006 - 03:17 PM
|
|
check this out;
G8 pledges - from optimism to anger
Stalled plans
Looking back, it appears that the journey towards global equity has not even begun - we are still negotiating the route.
Critical issues on tariff barriers, which could make a difference for Africa, and which were supposed to be followed up at World Trade talks in Hong Kong are on the rocks.
Protesters urged the G8 to tackle global poverty
I followed the ministers to Hong Kong in December 2005 to hear more on the G8 promises and finally I made up my mind: We are in a political circus and Africa is just being tossed around.
A year since the G8 meeting, we are still questioning the fairness of the global trading system. Even our governments do not know how to fully address development issues.
Poverty is not an academic issue and it can be eliminated if there is political will to do it. What joy does the world find in inequity?
Agricultural subsidies in some of the richest nations - totalling some $350bn (£192bn; 279bn euros) a year - were meant to be eliminated, ending unfair competition between developed nations' produce and unsubsidised African produce.
We are still asking when that will happen.
Distant target
A 2013 date has been put as the deadline for members of the European Union to agree to eliminate farm subsidies.
It is a long wait for Africa and it is surprising that African nations are being told to open up their manufactured goods markets while the US, Europe, and Japan delay similar moves.
Looking at all that has happened after the G8, one wonders whether the promised changes will come in our lifetime.
We were taken for a ride and looking back I feel angry, or just terribly cheated.
Next stop is Russia and Africa is off the agenda. For me, Gleneagles now seems more like a bad dream.
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Hayk
Joined: Dec 20, 2005
Posts: 964 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
Virtual Volunteer
Country: Egypt
Province/State: Al Qahirah
City: Al Qahirah
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
July 6, 2006 - 12:53 PM
|
|
anuriandima84 wrote:
Of course developing world is trying to get back on its feet after centuries of exploitation by a handful of countries from the developed world.
Now countries like India have gained enough standing and bargaining power so as to ask for a permanent seat in the SC.
In Organisations like the WTO , India and Brazil are becoming powers to reckon with as the developed nations do need lucrative markets to sell their products and they also need the labour force to keep their economy running.
Lets see. China being already several years in WTO is not fully complying to all its requirements most notably the intelectual property and piracy issues...same goes with India..
Plus again, its a myth considering china or India the homogenously booming markets... Several big cities and their surroundings in each of these two countries indeed are and all outsourcign and trade exchange happen mostly with that few cities.. But going a bit far from Bangalore or Beijing i m not sure its as good as one claims... lack of dictribution channles, lack of infrastructure etc... Both of these countries have still to develop a lot to have a country-universal development rate..
Even a developing nation like India and a transition economy like Iran makes concession for the LDCs so it shouldnt be difficult for the Developed countries to be a little more responsible and at the least fulfil the commitments they have already made at the DOHA round.
Lets nto forget that once a coutnry gets used to smth its really hard to make it change its habit, especiyll to its detrimental side for profit of some other country.. its natural and even more so with developed coutries and especially in agricultural issues which quite a few especially european countries still cherish..I dont condone it, moreover i m against that but its like this...
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Anu maheshwari
Joined: Jun 14, 2005
Posts: 1148 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
Virtual Volunteer
Gender & Age: Female, 27
Country: India
Province/State: Maharashtra
City: Pune
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
July 7, 2006 - 02:26 PM
|
|
mnopq wrote
Lets see. China being already several years in WTO is not fully complying to all its requirements most notably the intelectual property and piracy issues...same goes with India..
Plus again, its a myth considering china or India the homogenously booming markets... Several big cities and their surroundings in each of these two countries indeed are and all outsourcign and trade exchange happen mostly with that few cities.. But going a bit far from Bangalore or Beijing i m not sure its as good as one claims... lack of dictribution channles, lack of infrastructure etc... Both of these countries have still to develop a lot to have a country-universal development rate..
well considering the gap in the income of the rich and the poor ...comparing the ratio of Incomes of the porrest 10% to the richest 10% , India's figures are not very differnt from that of US !
http://hdr.undp.org/statistics/data/indicators.cfm?x=146&y=1&z=1
Also check this article on BBC ;
Inequality in South Asia is large but not as large as in much of the rest of the world.
Even smaller inequality means much greater hardship for the poor in South Asia
Let us consider the ratio of income earned by a country's richest 10% and the poorest 10%. The ratio for India is 7.3. That is, the richest 10% of the population is a little over seven times as rich as the poorest 10%.
All South Asian nations have similar ratios.
This is a lot of inequality but not as much as in China which has a ratio of 18.4 or the United States 15.7.
.........
The focus will have to be on creating private-sector jobs with the complementary use of a few well-directed subsidies.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/5116596.stm
And that is what we are achieving with the BPOs and the IT boom ! In Mumbai there are jobs for everyone....companies are desparate to get candidates ...of course this is not the case everywhere in India...but the boom is spreading quite fast. And ten to twenty years down the line change will be remarkable.
to be contd...
This post was edited on: 2006-07-07 at 02:37 PM by: anuriandima84
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Anu maheshwari
Joined: Jun 14, 2005
Posts: 1148 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
Virtual Volunteer
Gender & Age: Female, 27
Country: India
Province/State: Maharashtra
City: Pune
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
July 7, 2006 - 02:38 PM
|
|
Also check this out ;
The proposed economic community, known to Indian technocrats by the acronym JACIK, would combine the economic might of Japan, ASEAN (the Association of South-east Asian nations), China, India and Korea, creating an enormous market of more than three billion people and a total gross national product (GNP) of over seven trillion dollars.
http://www.ipsnewsasia.net/bridgesfromasia/node/66
Of course the developed countries are not expected to be totally selfless but as Stan lee said ' with great power comes greater responsibilty " and if the US can march into a nation without a UN mandate and make claims of fulfilling its duty to safeguard democracy in the world ...the welfare of Iraqi people ...blah blah...then surely " G8 should have no problem with being more accountable to at least their own promises .
No body is asking for more....No Oliver Twists here ....we only want them to be more accountable.
Coming to UNSC - in its present state is slowly loosing its power and appeal...unless it is expanded to be more representative there is no future!
Cheers!
Anu
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Hayk
Joined: Dec 20, 2005
Posts: 964 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
Virtual Volunteer
Country: Egypt
Province/State: Al Qahirah
City: Al Qahirah
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
July 8, 2006 - 01:56 PM
|
|
anuriandima84 wrote:
Also check this out ;
The proposed economic community, known to Indian technocrats by the acronym JACIK, would combine the economic might of Japan, ASEAN (the Association of South-east Asian nations), China, India and Korea, creating an enormous market of more than three billion people and a total gross national product (GNP) of over seven trillion dollars.
http://www.ipsnewsasia.net/bridgesfromasia/node/66
Of course the developed countries are not expected to be totally selfless but as Stan lee said ' with great power comes greater responsibilty " and if the US can march into a nation without a UN mandate and make claims of fulfilling its duty to safeguard democracy in the world ...the welfare of Iraqi people ...blah blah...then surely " G8 should have no problem with being more accountable to at least their own promises .
No body is asking for more....No Oliver Twists here ....we only want them to be more accountable.
Coming to UNSC - in its present state is slowly loosing its power and appeal...unless it is expanded to be more representative there is no future!
Cheers!
Anu
Anu,
What means poverty? In everyday life it means basically incapacity or difficutly of buying necessary (food) products. Considering that in India cost of life is nto high and that even top coprporations are still not paying enourmous amounts of money, compared to Europe, one winds up havign a gap between the richest and the poorest 10% not very high. Or put in other words, rich are not too rich yet,compared to Europe or the US , whereas poor can be very poor.. Thats why the coeeficient is not too high.. But it doesnt in any way mean your economy is stable or homogenous.. it just means India, even in the most booming of its centers, has still to develop to reach European standards.
concerning joining ASEAN or making someother joint economic entity in the region, well that tentative of bringin Asian countries together happened before withotu success.. Even inside ASEAN there were and still are many differences that countries are unable to settle down... Yes, it would be good to have a join Asian economic entity but it will eb quite some time from now i suppose..
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Anu maheshwari
Joined: Jun 14, 2005
Posts: 1148 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
Virtual Volunteer
Gender & Age: Female, 27
Country: India
Province/State: Maharashtra
City: Pune
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
July 8, 2006 - 03:46 PM
|
|
mnopq wrote:
Anu,
What means poverty? In everyday life it means basically incapacity or difficutly of buying necessary (food) products. Considering that in India cost of life is nto high and that even top coprporations are still not paying enourmous amounts of money, compared to Europe, one winds up havign a gap between the richest and the poorest 10% not very high. Or put in other words, rich are not too rich yet,compared to Europe or the US , whereas poor can be very poor.. Thats why the coeeficient is not too high.. But it doesnt in any way mean your economy is stable or homogenous.. it just means India, even in the most booming of its centers, has still to develop to reach European standards.
..
of course , India has not reached the european standard of living ...what i meant was that it is on its way...America took more than 200 years to reach this stage...we are only fifty years old...give our economy some time ...we will be there...
check these out;
http://www.saag.org/%5Cpapers19%5Cpaper1818.html
http://www.blonnet.com/2004/10/31/stories/2004103102000100.htm
India's 24 gems' in Forbes list of rising Asian firms
R.Y. Narayanan
HERE is some good news for India Inc. Twenty four Indian companies figure among `Asia's Rising Companies' listed by Forbes magazine in its latest issue dated November 1.
What is significant is that, in this list, which covers the 100 best smaller-size enterprises in both Asia Pacific and Europe, the number of Indian companies is next only to UK's. And India is ahead of industrial powers such as Japan, Germany, France, Italy and China.
and yes India's rich might not be as rich as their european counterparts. But we will be there and the best example in that direction is Laxmi Mittal who is the third richest in the world after Bill Gates and Warren Buffett.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_billionaires_by_nationality
Indians work positively ...and we surely have the brains ...one billion and a young population....wait and watch....
[i do admit .there are a lot of flaws in the system but the situation is not impossible to handle...things are changing for the better...and we will keep on working to make it better...]
Cheers,
Anu
This post was edited on: 2006-07-08 at 03:51 PM by: anuriandima84
This post was edited on: 2006-07-08 at 04:45 PM by: anuriandima84
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Anu maheshwari
Joined: Jun 14, 2005
Posts: 1148 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
Virtual Volunteer
Gender & Age: Female, 27
Country: India
Province/State: Maharashtra
City: Pune
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
July 8, 2006 - 04:41 PM
|
|
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/spl/hi/guides/456900/456964/html/nn3page1.stm
China's emergence as a world economic power follows years of expansion, with growth of 9% or more the norm.
It is a major exporter and may now be the world's fourth largest economy, having overtaken Italy and possibly the UK and France.
India has also seen dramatic growth - of more than 7% a year - and is the recipient of much foreign investment.
Figures from the Economist Intelligence Unit suggest the US will remain the largest economy in real terms.
But on a measure based on purchasing power, China could overtake the US by 2020.
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
Owulezi
Joined: Apr 4, 2006
Posts: 438 (view all)
Poster Rank:
Blabbermouth
User is
Offline
Country: Nigeria
Province/State: Imo
City: Owerri
|
Re: making the g8 accountable
July 13, 2006 - 12:35 PM
|
|
Quite sure that all said are not done,but may looking at the rate of advertisment on the media this days concerning this issue, all we need to do is to keep encourage all our leaders involved to make sure we remind them of their promises. By doing this, we will creat great change and then our leader will expressly see their responsiblities and accountablity will the follow.
|
|
back to top |
link to this post
|
|
|
Display posts from:
|
