16 July 2006
“Junior 8” Tell G8 Leaders Education Is Key to Solving Problems
Student delegates also present recommendations on health care, energy
St. Petersburg, Russia -- World leaders meeting at the Group of Eight (G8) summit in Strelnya, Russia, had the opportunity July 16 to hear suggestions and ideas from a younger group of leaders, known as the Junior 8 (J-8), who were tasked with discussing the same issues on the agenda as their adult counterparts.
Eight student delegates from each of the G8 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom) were selected to participate in the event, and, in their July 15 "Address to the Leaders," they decided -- after five days of discussions on energy security, education, infectious diseases and tolerance -- that "education is the key solution to all of our world’s problems."
The J-8 presented its final document to the G8 leaders and, for the first time, a representative from each delegation was given an opportunity to discuss it with their respective head of state ahead of the first working luncheon at the summit.
ACCESS TO HIGH-QUALITY EDUCATION
The J-8 delegates said education should be "accessible, equal for everyone and of high quality," and suggested ways of informing people of the vital importance of a good education through means such as radio, role models, and organizations designed to inform children that "education is the key to success."
The students also proposed incentives to attend school, such as providing free food, medical vouchers and immunizations, and locating water wells nearby in countries where drinking water is not readily accessible.
They called upon the business community to contribute by giving a percentage of every sale to a "Global Industry Olympics," which would use the funds to "feed the poor, heal the sick, build education facilities, provide extra money for teachers salaries, provide education to children and create sustainable economic development projects."
The J-8 also called attention to the problem of child abuse, among other forms of violence, asking G8 countries to take measures such as signing the Convention on the Rights of the Child and using funds to fight against abuse worldwide.
To encourage tolerance, they called for greater communication and education to increase familiarization between different nations, traditions and religions, as well as between a country’s immigrant and native populations.
UNIVERSAL, FREE, BASIC TREATMENT FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES
The J-8 document said countries can combat infectious diseases through "education, prevention, treatment, and respect," with the main goal of having free basic treatment for everyone facilitated by free diagnostic checks, open borders for medicine and doctors and the development of scientific research.
The students proposed HIV-prevention programs to educate people at schools and in rural areas about prevention, as well as "free accessible male and female condoms especially in developing countries along with information." They suggested distributing free mosquito nets to combat the spread of malaria, and free vaccinations against tuberculosis.
In order to fight the stigmatization that often exists of those who are living with HIV or other infectious diseases, the students suggested that role models could educate people on the need to respect those who are afflicted.
RECYCLING AND DIVERSIFICATION OF ENERGY SUPPLIES
The J-8 final document said that by encouraging recycling, more energy can be saved, and by being aware of this, "we as young people, must have a serious attitude about conserving energy."
They proposed an extra tax on electricity and oil products to both discourage over-use and help fund alternative energy sources such as wind, solar and hydroelectric power, and biomass fuels. They also called for tightened security for nuclear reactors and waste, as well as more research into finding more environmentally friendly ways to dispose of nuclear waste.
The students requested that the Kyoto Protocol, a measure intended to combat global warming, be "expanded and updated" with a new focus upon "the diversification of energy supplies and the development of energy partnerships," and asked for G8 support in order to encourage other countries to sign the accord.
The Kyoto Protocol, an amendment to the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change, was negotiated in Kyoto, Japan, in December 1997. Countries that ratify this protocol commit to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and five other greenhouse gases, or engage in emissions trading if they maintain or increase emissions of these gases.
The J-8 also asked G8 countries to contribute money to fund an independent organization to coordinate energy trading, research and partnerships around the world.
"We believe that the best way to support developing countries with energy issues is to help them by sharing technologies such as solar panels or wind farms, investing infrastructure, and also encouraging them to implement facilities on their own," they said.
EXPANDED INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION IN J-8
The students set goals for themselves, as "the adults of tomorrow," to educate others through their daily lives, actions and attitudes.
"We see ourselves as global citizens, who have to care about everything that goes on in the world. We pledge that our passion will live on after the Summit and we call upon the youth of the world to join us. We believe in our ability to change the world," they said in their conclusion.
Although the students said they took various points of view into consideration, including videoconferences with children in South Africa, Mexico, Thailand and Egypt, they encouraged even greater participation in future J-8 summits. "If we are trying to find solutions for global issues, then we need global views, because we can’t decide for other people," they said.
INFLUENCE OF J-8 ON G8 DISCUSSIONS
A senior Bush administration official told reporters at the Foreign Press Center in Washington July 11 that the J-8 is "an alternative or parallel summit," and upon its conclusion, the 13- to 17-year-old students meet directly with the G8 leaders and "present the findings of their independent program."
Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is hosting the summit, told reporters July 15 that after meeting with the J-8 participants on July 14, he was "very impressed by the deep interest these young people are taking in serious discussions amongst themselves."
In a July 10 article by the Associated Press, UNICEF executive director and former U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman said she expected that the G8 leaders would listen to the findings of the J-8 and "it will probably influence what they say in and around the G8 summit."
She said the student delegates were taking their mission "very, very seriously," and that "more and more people are seeking out the voices of youth as they look to different global priorities."
For ongoing coverage of the G8 meetings, see G8 Summit 2006, St. Petersburg, Russia. See also Education and Environment.
The full text of the "Address to the Leaders," an audio link to the J-8 briefing with G8 leaders, and additional information by and about the J-8's participation at the 2006 summit in St. Petersburg is available on the organization's Web site.
