WHY CLOSE THE G8? (audio from the film)

This is the audio from a short film called "Why Close The G8?" made in advance of the G8 Summit protests in Scotland this july. It makes a great audio soundscape intro to some of the issues and lists some of the major protests planned.

(MP3 - 14 mins 14secs - 48kbps mono - 4.9MB)

http://radio.indymedia.org/uploads/whycloseg8_final.mp3

The film was made by the Camcorder Guerillas in Scotland and was released on May 1st 2005 - find out how to get hold of a copy of the film here:

http://www.camcordergerillas.net/g8_home.htm

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There's an additional bit at the end where the more info website addresses for the main G8 mobilisations that appeared as subtitles at the end of the film are read out:

http://www.dissent.org.uk

http://www.g8alternatives.org.uk

http://www.makepovertyhistory.org

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ABOUT THE FILM:

Why Close the G8?

In case you haven't heard - the G8 is coming to Scotland

'Who are the G8? What do they do? What do they talk about? and why does it matter?

This short film gives a brief history of the G8, and explores the issues that they will be discussing at Gleneagles. It goes on to give voice to people who are protesting and finishes off with how people can get involved and what they can do in their everyday life to resist the G8.

The film is a short, sharp and concise call to action. It is part talking head and part animation.

Why are the Camcorder Guerillas making this film?
In the summer of 2005 the leaders of the worlds 'most powerful economies' will be gathering in Gleneagles, Perthshire in Scotland. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to descend on Scottish soil to protest against the G8 - and with good reason - but do the people of Scotland really know what the protests or the G8 are about. This film aims to inform people about the G8 and give voice to the people who are protesting against it.

The G8 has over the last quarter century emerged as the central forum for global governance, and until relatively recently they have managed to meet and plan in secrecy, making decisions and controlling the systems that affect all of life on earth. They are an unelected and unaccountable body of power and have a distinctive agenda which puts economic growth and in particular the interests of their own economies above all else.

Since the G8 came into being the gap between rich and poor has widened tenfold. Climate change threatens to wipe out life on earth as we know it within our lifetimes and the G8 are not addressing this issue. People are beginning to wake up to the G8's agenda and we at the Camcorder Guerillas are committed to putting across the issues that the mainstream media is choosing to distort or ignore.

Camcorder Guerillas via Indy

Comments

Hide the following 4 comments

Oops Typo error in Camcorder Guerillas URL

25.05.2005 16:07

The URL for film info should be:

http://www.camcorderguerillas.net/g8_home.htm

oops

Free Distro

25.05.2005 18:25

Why not release it as a Torrnet file?

Torrent User

Can somebody explain?

31.05.2005 17:20

I don't want to open myself up to abuse here but in the interest of being better informed I have to ask........ Why do you want to close G8? I'll admit to a distinct lack of knowledge about finer details and the points mentioned in this article but isn't this one of the best chances there is to end poverty in Africa? I was under the impression that this was one of the main aims this year?

If it is wouldn't it be better to let them meet and protest peacefully about other issues that people feel are important?

Robin

Response to Robin

01.06.2005 09:39

"but isn't this one of the best chances there is to end poverty in Africa? I was under the impression that this was one of the main aims this year?

If it is wouldn't it be better to let them meet and protest peacefully about other issues that people feel are important?"

I understand your point and the difficulties that the protestor's opposing their (G8's) stance on this issue presents to the general (uninformed; not their fault; blame the media!) public. The thrust of the G8 argument to eradicate poverty is to open up markets in developing countries to inward investment and capitalism. This will basically amount to exploitation of those countries' people and resources with the almost sole purpose of increasing the profits of Western multinationals and corporations. The problem is how can we get the public (and the developing and impoverished countries' goverments and public) to recognise this for the trojan horse it is.

If the above is in any way wrong or too simplistic, can someone correct or add to this argument as I am fairly new to this stuff myself.

There is a book available called Arguments Against the G8 which goes in depth on the issues (poverty, climate change, civil liberties, war and imperialism etc etc).

If you can get to Edinburgh I would recommend going to the G8 Alternatives summit on Sunday 3rd July (see www.g8alternatives.org.uk for all the details) where the alternatives (to the current policies and neo-liberal agenda) will be presented and debated. The following page is also an interesting dissection of the underlying G8 agenda:

http://www.word-power.co.uk/platform/The-G8-Why-Be-Angry

Cheers,
Donald.

Donald

UK Indymedia