The anti-capitalist group StopG8 say that the NGO coalition the ‘If Campaign’ will only worsen the problems of poverty and hunger that it claims to be addressing.
They add that the If campaign was established as a way of engineering public approval for the New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition, which includes some of the world’s largest agribusinesses, and that by supporting it the big NGOs such as Oxfam and Save the Children have put their own interests and image above the needs of the world’s poorest people.
The New Alliance on Food Security and Nutrition was launched by Barack Obama at the last G8 summit. It includes huge multinationals such as Monsanto and Unilever and aims to ‘mobilise private capital’ for investment in food production in Africa. Critics argue that it is just a way of using public money to allow corporations greater access to land and resources in Africa.
Several anti-poverty groups have refused to join the If campaign and strongly criticised its approach, saying that it fails to address the root causes of global poverty. [1] However, other NGOs see it as an opportunity to show their ‘influence’ on governments and so attract more donations.
Tomorrow, on 8 June, the If campaign has organised an event in Hyde Park called ‘The Big If’ which has been endorsed by celebrities such as David Beckham. At the same time a ‘guerrilla gardening’ counter demonstration will take place in central London. [2]
StopG8 says that if we are to have a chance of making a better world to live in we need bring about an end to capitalism, an economic system in which the wealthy few oppress and exploit the many, and in which our lives, our dreams, our dignity, and our futures can be bought and sold for someone’s profit. [3]
StopG8 formed to mobilise against the UK G8 summit, and have organised a week of action in the run-up to it, including a ‘Carnival against Capitalism’ on 11 June targeting the rich and powerful in London’s West End. The group has published a map of 100 capitalist targets in the West End [4]
ENDS
[1] For example see http://waronwant.org/news/latest-news/17790-war-on-want-and-the-if-campaign and http://www.wdm.org.uk/if
[2] http://www.waronwant.org/news/events/17885–g8-fuelling-hunger-with-false-solutions
[3] https://network23.org/stopg8/ideas/capitalism/
[4] https://network23.org/stopg8/j11-carnival-against-capitalism/j11-map-of-the-capitalist-west-end/ StopG8
Media policy: StopG8 is a network of individuals. Although individual group members might discuss their views and politics with journalists, there are no official spokespersons, and no-one represents the group. For this reason, StopG8 cannot give live interviews. However, we can respond by writing, if you send your questions to stopg8@riseup.net. Please note that we might not be able to get back to you immediately.