Last month tens of thousands of people came together in Toronto, ON to pressure and G/8 and G/20 leaders for change. Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, United Kingdom, and the United States make the G/8. The European Union, Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, South Korea, Turkey, United Kingdom, and United States constitute the G/20.
International relations and the global economy were on the top of the agenda for this 36th meeting of world leaders. This all carried a theme of “recovery and new beginnings,” something, on some level, we can probably all agree on.
However, the “recovery and new beginnings” theme stems much deeper into humanity than those four words could ever capture and this could not be more visible than through the hundreds of events and thousands people standing, marching, shouting, and, most importantly, collaborating for change. The People’s G/8 and G/20 Summit and Oxfam Canada’s Gender Justice Summit were a part of that movement to better our world.
The People’s Summit and Gender Justice Summit (GJS) both took place a week before the G/8 and G/20 Summit. Although a billion dollars worth of security could be seen at almost every street corner, there was a steady and strong presence of nonviolent activism. The GJS brought speakers and change makers from all reaches of the globe to demand rights for women. The themes of the GJS surrounded food security and climate change, maternal health, women’s rights in humanitarian response, and the culture of gender-based violence. The synergy created by everyone in attendance was stronger than the looming security force.
We live in a crazy world and a majority of the craziness can contributed to the idea that anyone person is better or worse or entirely different than any other person. Solidarity combats this. At the summits, activism was brought out of its silos and all causes were important and all activists were in united and valued. Environmentalists, reproductive health specialists, social workers, youth leaders, and more were present. The North, South, East and West all had a voice.
Activism and unity are on the rise. The climb of new Oxfam Action Corps groups and members is just one piece of evidence that supports this. The people we are fighting to save need us to continue with this trend to tear down injustices. Working in solidarity through nonviolence is a threat to all of those who deny others the right to humanity. Let’s be loud, let’s be united, and let’s be heard because justice is never served by those who are silent.
