Press Release
100s expected in the 3-day Peoples’ Summit
New Delhi, 17.08.2023: In the run-up to the 18th G20 Leaders’ Summit to be held in New Delhi in early September, a host of people’s movements, trade unions, civil society organisations, and concerned citizens are coming together at the We20: Peoples’ Summit on G20, on August 18-20 in New Delhi. The Summit will deliberate on key issues pertinent to the G20 agenda such as agriculture and food security, climate crisis and just energy transition, rising inequalities, labour and employment, alternative ideas of development, democracy and dissent and more.
Several movement leaders, political leaders and social changemakers, including, Teesta Setalvad, Medha Patkar, Jayati Ghosh, Manoj Jha, Harsh Mandar, Arun Kumar, Vandana Shiva, Jairam Ramesh, Brinda Karat, Rajeev Gowda and others will be part of this 3-day Summit beginning in the afternoon on August 18th.
Over 500 delegates from different parts of the country, representing people’s movements, trade unions and CSOs will be taking part in the Peoples’ Summit. These are the people who are impacted by the decisions and recommendations of G20, whether it is on agriculture, trade, digitalisation, health, education and many others.
The Summit will have a total of nine workshops with diverse themes ranging from Global Finance, Big Banks, and its Impact on People, Right to Information, Digital Data and Surveillance, to Reimagining Cities.
India’s G20 Presidency is coming at a crucial time in the history of the world economy. It is therefore important to ask what role India will play in this high table. On one hand, G20 is being projected as a big achievement of this government, with tags like ‘Mother of Democracy’ attached in all advertising, while on the other hand, multiple cases of forced evictions and demolitions are being reported from different states, wherever G20 meetings were held.
The Leaders’ Summit is also being hosted in India by the government at a time when the democratic spaces are fast shrinking, dissent is criminalised and India’s ranking on economic and social indicators is falling fast. Privatisation of key and strategic public sector is carried out to favour few corporate houses, and unemployment and retail inflation are at their peak, impacting common people.
We20: Peoples’ Summit on G20 strives to bring people’s voices to the forefront, and raise their issues and concerns for a more democratic, just and inclusive financial system and political order.
The summit will end on August 20 evening, with a cultural program which will see a host of performances from Jana Natya Manch, Wajood theatre group, songs by Urban Folk and Yalgaar Saathi Band, Poetry from Sabika and a Stand-up act from Sanjay Rajaura among others.
All are invited to be a part of this summit at Surjeet Bhawan in New Delhi on August 18, 19 & 20. For more details and the program schedule, go to the website: https://wgonifis.net/g-20/