From phil.graham@mailbox.uq.edu.au Tue Aug 1 10:07:14 2000 Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2000 09:34:32 +1000 From: Phil GrahamReply-To: gkd@phoenix.edc.org To: gkd@phoenix.edc.org Subject: [GKD] Protest at the G8 Summit http://www.summitwatch.net/story.php3?type=ok&id=10 The poor can't eat web, say campaigners as they burn lap top 2000-07-22 13:54 The beach of Nago was lit up at dusk today, as campaigners ceremonially set fire to a lap top computer. The dramatic action was taken to express campaigner's disgust with the G8 failure to produce a new deal on debt in their official announcement yesterday. Instead the G8 have trumpeted a new IT initiative that it claims will help bridge the 'digital divide'. The lap top was burnt in sight of Busena, the venue of the G8 Summit in the background. As it blazed, the screen on the lap top read: "This is worth nothing until you Drop the Debt - G8 Summit, Okinawa, July 2000". Tomoo Machiba, a Japanese activist that sacrificed his laptop for the protest said: "I was willing to do this to show my anger at the G8 leaders who have been blind to the needs of the poor." Whilst agreeing that the digital divide needs to be addressed, Jubilee 2000 argues that tackling the debt divide is a far higher priority for tackling poverty. The failure of the G8 to agree to a new deal on debt which would cancel larger amounts of debt for more countries makes their IT initiative meaningless. Without cancelling the debts, poor countries will never have the resources to build the infrastructure to support IT. Jubilee 2000 UK Director, Ann Pettifor, said: "After their complete failure on debt, the G8 leaders have no credibility at all. If they are hungry, the poorest people in the world cannot eat lap tops. An internet connection will not help them survive malaria or TB. Of course information technology is important. But until they drop the debt, these G8 gestures are empty." -------------------------------------------------------------------- Opinions expressed in this email are my own unless otherwise stated. Phil Graham Lecturer (Communication) Graduate School of Management University of Queensland 617 3381 1083 www.geocities/pw.graham/ www.uq.edu.au/~uqpgraha http://www.angelfire.com/ga3/philgraham/index.html --------------------------------------------------------------------