CALGARY (CP) - Dozens of chairs sit empty at an alternative conference to the G-8 summit - a stark reminder that most Third World delegates have been denied entry visas into Canada.
Conference organizers suspect that most of the 60 delegates invited to the G-6B People's Summit are being muzzled from talking about corruption within their governments and criticizing the powerful G-8 countries. "Their voices of dissent to the G-8 policies might have to do with their denial of entry into the country," said Saren Azer, a G-6B organizer and co-chair of the International Society for Peace and Human Rights.
Please see below for some facts about the G-6B People's Summit
"It's a possibility that it's a political decision to deny them entry."
Of the 60 invited foreign delegates, the only ones definitely expected to make it to the conference that opened Friday are five who managed to get visas.
After some arm-twisting of Immigration Canada officials, another dozen delegates got last-minute visas and were scrambling to catch flights to Canada.
"We're very disappointed because one of the three main issues at the G-8 summit is a focus on Africa and economic and social issues," said Lynn Foster, a G-6B organizer Friday.
"There is no other mechanism for the voice of the people."
Leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized countries are meeting in Kananaskis, a mountain resort west of Calgary, on Wednesday and Thursday. As summit host, Prime Minister Jean Chretien wants Africa to dominate the agenda.
The majority of G-6B delegates who have been denied entry into Canada are from Africa. The rest are from Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. Many barred delegates work for non-government organizations that lobby their governments for human and civil rights.
Immigration Canada spokeswoman Susan Scarlett said Friday her department needs a list of delegates' names to look into the problem.
"It's obviously very, very late and we're now having these kinds of conversations," she said.
Immigration Minister Denis Coderre told the House of Commons last Wednesday he will launch an investigation into the barred delegates.
The G-6B conference is to raise issues that likely won't get on the G-8 summit agenda - worker exploitation, unfair tariffs, and lack of access to education and health care. More than 1,000 participants were expected hear key speakers such as Stephen Lewis, the United Nation's secretary-general's special envoy for HIV/AIDS in Africa and Matthew Coon Come, Grand Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.
In an eloquent speech Friday night, Lewis told the conference that African nations can't possibly move forward until they tackle the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
"I carry around with me the images of young mothers, sitting on makeshift benches in the shade under a tree, 15 or 20 at a time, all of them exhibiting AIDS-related symptoms and urgently, with great dignity, asking who will care for their soon-to-be orphaned children," Lewis said.
"I can't give any answers," he said, and asked: "Why is the war against terrorism sacrosanct, and the war against AIDS equivocal?"
Bereket Selassie, a professor of African studies at the University of North Carolina, said the African delegates denied visas are often muzzled in their own countries while trying to hold their governments accountable for corruption.
"The African leaders historically have been part of the problem," he said. "They have steadily, steadily concentrated power in their hands, excluded the people from consultations in decision-making of very important issues."
Michael Embaie, president of the African Community Association of Calgary, said G-8 leaders have taken a sudden interest in Africa because they realize the continent is riddled with overwhelming problems.
"The G-8 leaders, I think, are just trying to catch up with the issues because it is now getting out of control," he said. "So something must be done."
Africa makes up 11 per cent of the world's population but only 1.6 per cent of world trade.
Next Tuesday, the final day of the G-6B conference, organizers are to give Foreign Affairs Minister Bill Graham a list of economic and social proposals to take to the G-8 leaders.
Leaders at the G-8 summit are expected to unveil an economic action plan for Africa that includes tariff reductions for African exports. G-8 countries now contribute 74 per cent of African aid.
The G-8 includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the United States - plus Russia.
Also invited to the summit are Algeria President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, Nigeria President Olusegun Obasanjo, South African President Thabo Mbeki, Senegal President Abdoulaye Wade and Kofi Annan, secretary general of the United Nations.
Here are some facts about the G-6B People's Summit:
What is it?: A five-day counter-conference to the G-8 summit organized by human rights groups as a forum on issues affecting the world's six billion people.
Where is it? University of Calgary.
Who is attending?: More than 1,000 participants will listen to speeches and take part in debates and workshops.
What are the main topics?: Economics, health, education, democracy and governance, human security, First Nations, the environment and Africa.
Quote: "There is no other mechanism for the voice of the people. The G-8 leaders have a certain perspective - they are very pro-business, pro-corporations which is not always best for the people." Lynn Foster, G6B organizer.
FAIR USE NOTICE: This page contains copyrighted material the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. NoNonsense English offers this material non-commercially for research and educational purposes. I believe this constitutes a fair use of any such copyrighted material as provided for in 17 U.S.C § 107. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner, i.e. the media service or newspaper which first published the article online and which is indicated at the top of the article unless otherwise specified.