By Fiona McMurran
The G8 and the G20 Summits are making headlines. But there’s an alternative that’s not received much attention in the media.
It’s called The People’s Summit. And it doesn’t cost a billion dollars. As a matter of fact, it doesn’t cost the taxpayer anything.
Taking place this coming weekend, June 18 through 20, at Ryerson University in downtown Toronto, the overall theme of the 2010 People’s Summit is Building a Movement for a Just World. Civil society’s “counter Summit” brings together community organizers, activists, non-governmental organizations, independent media, artists, workers, ordinary people—to educate, empower, and ignite positive change.
Sponsored by a host of citizen groups, such as the Council of Canadians, and environmental, social justice, labour and peace organizations, the People’s Summit is an alternative to the ’self-appointed, undemocratic assembly of the world’s wealthiest countries.’
The three-day program features some 100 workshops, film screenings, panels, strategy sessions, art, performance, and lectures, organized into five thematic streams: Global Justice; the Environment and Climate Change; Human Rights and Civil Liberties; Economic Justice; and Building the Movement.
It’s an amazing program, with something for just about everybody. You can find details at http://peoplessummit2010.ca/section/18 Just click on The Program (on the left of the page).
And, on Friday, June 25, come to the Council of Canadians’ Shout Out for Global Justice! It’s an evening of entertainment and inspiration with prominent international activists/speakers such as COC chair Maude Barlow, author-activist Naomi Klein and Democracy Now! host Amy Goodman presenting on the need for action on climate, water, economic and social justice.
Tickets are going fast! Find out more at http://www.canadians.org/g20/event.html .
(Fiona McMurran is a Welland resident and Niagara representative for the not-for-profit, nation-wide advocacy group, The Council of Canadians.)
(Click on Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on our greater binational Niagara region.)
Niagara At Large 
Well written. Well put. Some of the people scheduled to speak are outstanding. Maude Barlow’s small book on Canadian history is the best I’ve read. She, I’d certainly like to hear, had I known of this unique ‘summit’ in time. The various environmental and other topics lined up for discussion are of continuing interest and great concern. It would be very helpful if NAL later were to publish a sequence of articles outlining key points decided. Finally, is any action contemplated? Or is this a ‘talk only’ summit?
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What’s a Billion?if you are a politician a Billion dollars is chump change, The Province spent one Billion for an E-Health system to streamline record collecting and centralizing patients medical information, do we have a system, no we don’t ,one billion gone with the wind andnow mre closed Hospitals. One Billion dollars to register guns of all shapes and sizes , a headache for rural Canadians and natives who need long guns to control coyotes and other varmints that prey on their livestock, meanwhile hundreds of gangbangers are blowing each other away with unlicenced weapons, another failure. One Billion dollars for security for the G8 & G20, a little better deal for the taxpayers,the folks around Deerhurst recieved a gazebo and some new side walks, Toronto has a man made lake, a better deal for the taxpayers than the other deals , I need a new driveway, anybody got a spare Billion ?
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That seems to be more preferable to these once a year gab fests that are costing taxpayers more and more money and with what result?
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