An international summit that has numbers on its side will take place in Calgary alongside June's G-8 meeting in Kananaskis Country.
The University of Calgary will host a self-proclaimed people's summit in late June aimed at generating ideas and solutions that reflect the three core issues on the agenda of the G-8 summit on June 26 and 27.
More than 1,000 people from across North America and around the world are expected to attend the G6B conference between June 21 and 25, so titled to represent Earth's six billion residents as opposed to the world's eight most powerful leaders.
The conference will include discussion on security, Africa and macroeconomics, the same issues scheduled to be discussed by G-8 leaders at K-Country.
It has the backing of such groups as Amnesty International, UNICEF, Partnership Africa Canada, the International Society for Peace and Human Rights and the Alberta Civil Liberties Association.
Lynn Foster, the conference's co-ordinator, said G6B will develop solutions and ideas that promote economic activities beneficial to people living in all parts of the world, while respecting human rights and the environment.
"The world doesn't need another club like G-8 telling it what to do, working mostly behind closed doors," she said.
"We wanted a voice for the other six billion people on the planet and a conference environment for open debate on the issues that touch us all. We are hoping to achieve awareness of what the issues are, and to work on some positive solutions."
Foster said the event will be peaceful, and said no protests or demonstrations are planned.
It has already attracted the likes of Stephen Lewis, the United Nations special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa and the former Canadian ambassador to the UN, and a former deputy director of UNICEF. Lewis will be the keynote speaker.
Bill Warden, the university's G-8 office co-ordinator, said the campus welcomed G6B.
"We see the conference as an excellent opportunity for students, the faculty and community at large to become engaged in a critical exploration of the issues before the G-8," he said.
"In particular, we strongly support the focus on Africa and the stated intention of African leaders to find new ways to fashion their own destiny and promote good governance."
Michael Embaie, president of the African Community Association, said the G-8 summit provided an opportune time for discussion on African issues, particularly poverty and the debt contributions of Third World nations.
"As Canadians of African origin we felt this would be a very important time for us to have input, to give our point of view," he said.
"African nations are determined to determine their own destiny, and they are calling on the rest of the world to contemplate their efforts. I hope the G-8 summit will hear the calls of Africa and the African people."
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