What is the G-20 and why should we Protest?

Many people do not know what the G20 is or why we should care about what goes on there. Sure we all see the protest videos of riot cops pushing protesters around but why is this happening? I will attempt to give a brief overview for those who don't know.

The Group of Twenty (G-20) Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors was established in 1999 to bring together systemically important industrialized and developing economies to discuss key issues in the global economy. The inaugural meeting of the G-20 took place in Berlin, on December 15-16, 1999, hosted by German and Canadian finance ministers.

Who will chair the meeting this year?

The Republic of Korea is honored to chair the Group of Twenty in 2010

What is the G20 mandate?

The G-20 is the premier forum for our international economic development that promotes open and constructive discussion between industrial and emerging-market countries on key issues related to global economic stability. By contributing to the strengthening of the international financial architecture and providing opportunities for dialogue on national policies, international co-operation, and international financial institutions, the G-20 helps to support growth and development across the globe.

Who attends the G-20?

The G-20 is made up of the finance ministers and central bank governors of 19 countries:

* Argentina
* Australia
* Brazil
* Canada
* China
* France
* Germany
* India
* Indonesia
* Italy
* Japan
* Mexico
* Russia
* Saudi Arabia
* South Africa
* Republic of Korea
* Turkey
* United Kingdom
* United States of America

Why was the G-20 created

The G-20 was created as a response both to the financial crises of the late 1990s and a growing recognition that key emerging-market countries were not adequately included in the core of global economic discussion and governance. Prior to the G-20 creation, similar groupings to promote dialogue and analysis had been established at the initiative of the G-7. The G-22 met at Washington D.C. in April and October 1998. Its aim was to involve non-G-7 countries in the resolution of global aspects of the financial crisis then affecting emerging-market countries. Two subsequent meetings comprising a larger group of participants (G-33) held in March and April 1999 discussed reforms of the global economy and the international financial system. The proposals made by the G-22 and G-33 to reduce the world economy's susceptibility to crises showed the potential benefits of a regular international consultative forum embracing the emerging-market countries. Such a regular dialogue with a constant set of partners was institutionalized by the G-20 creation in 1999.

What are some of the ongoing goals of the G-20?

The G-20 Finance Ministers were tasked from the Pittsburg Summit to take forward work in the following areas;

* Framework for Strong, Sustainable, and Balanced Growth
* Strengthening the International Financial Regulatory System
* Modernizing our Global Institutions to Reflect Today's Global Economy
* Reforming the Mandate, Mission, and Governance of the IMF
* Reforming the Mission, Mandate, and Governance of Our Development Banks
* Energy Security and Climate Change
* Strengthening Support for the Most Vulnerable
* Putting Quality Jobs at the Heart of the Recovery
* An Open Global Economy

The above is official information from the G-20 website: www.g20.org...

Why should we protest the G-20?

The G-20 is not a televised event. The Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors who attend the G-20 on behalf of each country are making policy about our financial futures at the least, that the American people or anyone else has NO say in. They collectively decide Our Future.

These banks are private institutions who influence all world Governments and world events. Many Presidents such as Obama attends this summit.

Note that not all of these countries are allies with The Unites States. We may actually be going to war with some of these countries very soon. Does it make since that the financial leaders of these countries then are agreeing together to make financial policy that effects us all? I think Not.

The member countries represent 80% of the world’s trade, two-thirds of the world’s population, and roughly 90% of the global gross national product.

www.mentalfloss.com...

Quite simply, this is one face of the New World Order. These people change the way we buy and sell, the way we live, the structure of our whole economy. We as The People of a Sovereign Nation has no say in these matters.

With pending wars with N. Korea, Iran, The Gulf Oil leak Crisis, The Terrorist and Illegal Aliens coming over the border and occupying our Country's lands I wonder what they are doing up in Toronto to help fix these problems, or are they deciding on how best to make money off the tragedy of others like financial institutions often do.




[edit on 30-6-2010 by JohnPhoenix]

Originally posted by JohnPhoenix
Quite simply, this is one face of the New World Order. These people change the way we buy and sell, the way we live, the structure of our whole economy. We as The People of a Sovereign Nation has no say in these matters.

Too true. We woke up one morning to find they had changed our Prime Minister last week.

They are there to decide what to do with us, not to listen to us.

Wicked cool of you man, S&F for you...
Thanks...

Originally posted by NuclearPaul

Originally posted by JohnPhoenix
Quite simply, this is one face of the New World Order. These people change the way we buy and sell, the way we live, the structure of our whole economy. We as The People of a Sovereign Nation has no say in these matters.

Too true. We woke up one morning to find they had changed our Prime Minister last week.

They are there to decide what to do with us, not to listen to us.

You can't live in a totally democratic system where people are listened to, that would be anarchy. I mean, people are dumb.... just look at wikipedia, and... oh wait .

S&F

[edit on 30/6/2010 by SassyCat]

Oh no.. A group of leaders from 20 of the worlds wealthiest and powerful economies come together to debate world affairs and direction..

That is absolutely disgraceful..

We should never talk to our neighboring countries.. we should treat them with contempt and start wars with them instead.

reply to post by Dermo


I think your missing the point.

In America we are taught that this country was founded on Freedom. The USA is a republic that uses a democratic form of government where the citizens have power and influence over the affairs of the country through our collective voices and duly elected representatives that we voted for. We are to be a Sovereign Nation where our voice counts. We cannot be that nation and be By the People For the People if a bunch of greedy power hungry bankers are allowed to dictate our nations policy and go over The People's heads.

Now, if these bankers wanted to lay out their ideas and submit them to a vote by The American People to approve or disapprove I would have no problem with it. Even our Congress as a body has no say in these decisions and the bankers are the ones who have the power and the money to make their wishes happen no matter how the people of any country feel about it. They do as they please.

It is not fair to the People of this nation and the American way of life. It undermines everything our forefathers fought for liberating us from England.

reply to post by JohnPhoenix


I do see the point but its one that Iv come to terms with a long time ago.

My country was also founded on freedom dude so I don't know how the US is any different from us lol. Iv been hanging around with a good few Americans here over the past while and once you guys learn about our constitutions in the EU, ye usually don't bring that stuff up anymore because it comes across as a bit stupid lol

And its not just bankers who are meeting at the G20, its our elected leaders alongside.

"Democracy" is never democracy. We will all just have to deal with it because over the next century, our top elected leaders will get even further away from the average person. Nothing we can do about it.

reply to post by Dermo


Apathy
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Apathy (also called impassivity or perfunctoriness) is a state of indifference, or the suppression of emotions such as concern, excitement, motivation and passion. An apathetic individual has an absence of interest or concern to emotional, social, or physical life. They may also exhibit an insensibility or sluggishness. The opposite of apathy is flow.[1] In positive psychology, apathy is described as a response to an easy challenge for which the subject has matched skills.

Often, apathy has been felt after witnessing horrific acts, such as the killing or maiming of people during a war...

en.wikipedia.org...


[edit on 30-6-2010 by illusions]

so what policies were created by the G20 that have been proven to affect our life (or other countries) ?

I'm not disagreeing with your premise but I see alot of angst going towards this meeting but have seen 0 proof of anything they are actually responsible for.

Originally posted by TXRabbit
so what policies were created by the G20 that have been proven to affect our life (or other countries) ?

I'm not disagreeing with your premise but I see alot of angst going towards this meeting but have seen 0 proof of anything they are actually responsible for.

Great Question! That is part of the problem. Knowing our leaders attend these meetings and are influenced by them. We only have very strictly controlled Media accounts of what the summit talks about.

If we knew first hand what went on behind those closed doors we can then easily see how it shapes out leaders views.

But these policies they are making are not government policies, they are world banking practices policies. He who controls the money controls the country and the People.

Here are some excerpts from an article I found on this issue.

As a Canadian climate activist, I know that I am constantly demanding things of the Canadian government. The usual “Come up with carbon emission reduction targets that would prevent more than 2 degrees warming!” or “Pass the Climate Change Accountability Act,” or, “Stop going to international negotiations unwilling to negotiate!”

But I have a different demand of the G8 and G20 leaders who are meeting in my city this weekend: “Stop thinking that you are a legitimate forum to be discussing global issues like climate change.”

I just got off the phone with a reporter for the CBC who asked me if climate change was on the G20 agenda. I said that it was but in limited form. Then he asked, “then what’s the problem?”

What is the problem?! Where do I even begin?

What does he expect me to say? There is NO problem with letting a group of 20 finance ministers and bank governors talk about how to bring justice to those most impacted by the climate crisis in only LIMTED form. You are right. I will stop protesting.

Only two of the 20 G20 countries (Mexico and Argentina) are en route to meeting their Kyoto agreements. Many of the G20 countries were involved in undemocratically writing up the empty and flawed Copenhagen Accord. And the G20 countries have already put about 200 billion dollars into the oil and gas industry.

The G20 are heavily involved in dictating IMF and World Bank policies which have caused environmental and social crisis in many of the countries it has “aimed” at helping. They do this in the form of Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs) and to that I say: “adjust this” (and then I point to my crooked hat.” Wink!

itsgettinghotinhere.org...

Also here is the official White House propaganda on what the summit supposedly talked about this year.

www.whitehouse.gov...

[edit on 30-6-2010 by JohnPhoenix]

reply to post by illusions


?

I wouldn't call myself apathetic to be honest.. I welcome the unification of mankind and the spread of wealth globally. I understand why people have a problem with Globalization but at the end of the day, without Globalization, Europeans, Americans, Chinese, BRIC etc would have no real wealth..

While people will always suffer, Globalization creates opportunities. No system is perfect however and Globalized capitalism basically breeds capitalism's greed on a global level..

But hey, give me a better and in any way real feasible solution to our problems, peace, wealth distribution, equality and unification without the use of globalization?

I very much doubt anyone here can.. except for a Global system of Top Down Communism which Im not a big fan of tbh.