The Junior 8 Summit
The Junior 8 Summit, or J8, is an annual forum involving youngsters aged 14 to 17 hailing from all over the world. Boys and girls chosen to represent G8 member States and other emerging countries (China, Brazil, India, South Africa and Mexico) and this year Egypt, address the same issues as those on the Summit agenda and draft recommendations for the leaders.
This opportunity to reach shared decisions and to establish a common strategy in a framework based on intercultural debate allows the girls and boys involved to build up an experience of lofty civic value.
The J8 first met in 2006 on the sidelines of the G8 Summit in St. Petersburg and meetings have been held every year since then. There were 39 J8 delegates at the Summit in Toyako, Japan. Their comments and recommendations on climate change, health, poverty and development were enshrined in the Chitose Declaration and in the Young People Action Plan that accompanied it.
The youngsters taking part in the J8 are chosen by the UNICEF National Committees in the G8 member countries. Each country is responsible for its own team and follows its own procedure, while complying with the principle of transparency and with such criteria as gender parity and knowledge of English.
Italy selected the boys and girls who will be representing their country at the J8 2009 Summit. A team of four girls and boys was selected from each of the 14 participating countries.
During the J8, a delegation composed of a representative from each country had the chance to discuss the proposals that emerge from the J8 with the Heads of State and Government on L'Aquila. The topics this year were AIDS, climate change, poverty and economic development. The youngsters were also able to select a topic they believe it important to place on the G8’s international agenda.
For further information please consult the www.j8summit.com/it site.
Programme
6 July
The official inauguration ceremony was held in the evening at the Sala Polifunzionale della Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri. The event was organized with the cooperation of UNICEF, the Italian Prime Minister's Office, the Interior Ministry, the Education Ministry, the Youth Ministry and the Rome Municipal Authority.
7 July
On the second day the representatives of the Junior 8 Summit, who were hosted by the Higher Firefighting Institute in Rome, met in working groups to debate ways and means of addressing and resolving the world's problems. An initial working session devoted to the drafting of a J8 Declaration for submission to the Heads of State and Government Leaders attending the G8 Summit in L'Aquila was held in the late afternoon.
8 July
On the third day, the Junior 8 teams continued to hold debates, with the youngsters presenting the draft of the J8 Declaration in the course of a Plenary Assembly. In the afternoon a delegation composed of a representative from each of the 14 participating countries had the chance to discuss the J8 Declaration with the Heads of State and Government working in the G8 Summit's sessions in L'Aquila.
9 July
This is to be a day of official meetings for the young people in the Junior 8, starting with a meeting with Chamber of Deputies Speaker Gianfranco Fini in the morning. In the afternoon, a delegation comprising one representative from each of the 14 countries involved met with the world leaders gathered in L'Aquila for the G8 Summit, to discuss the J8 Declaration. The meeting was followed by a news conference.
10 July
On the final day of the Junior 8 Summit, the youngsters have been debating and assessing their meetings and the results of their discussions with the Heads of State and Government Leaders held the previous day. An official closing ceremony with Rome Mayor Gianni Alemanno took place in the afternoon, followed by a guided tour of the Capitoline Museums and of the Imperial Fora.
Documents
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Junior 8 Summit 2009 – Rome Declaration
(09/07/09)
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Junior 8 Summit 2009 – The youngsters Action Plan
(09/07/09)
