Post your thoughts/ideas/musings on global poverty and climate change for Policywonk - Mumsnet's blogger at the G20 summit...

[JustineMumsnet]

Ok so hurrah, Policywonk is to be our Mumsnet representative inside the London Summit as part of G20Voice initiative - a group of 50 bloggers connecting the rest of the world with the G20 world leaders.

There is more information about the project at here but in short G20Voice has been organised by a coalition of non-profit organisations Oxfam GB, Comic Relief, and Save the Children with the support of the Blue State Digital and the UK Government. They have convinced the UK Govt to allow 50 bloggers into the summit with equal access to the mainstream media.

It's a 3 day programme starting April 1st the day before the summit and ending the day after. Day one will be about providing the bloggers with information and helping them get to know each other so that they can understand the issues they and their readers care about. It will be fairly unstructured along Barcamp/Unconference lines. We want the bloggers to decide the priorities and the questions they ask the next day.

The day of the summit will consist of a stream of people from the G20 delegations. They'll be asked to speak with the bloggers either en-masse or at round table discussions. People outside the summit can join in via Skype or phone lines.

The analysis day is about feedback from the bloggers and experts from Govt and NGOs on the decisions and announcements from the Summit.

All three days will be filmed and a video and audio stream will be available.

The main themes are global poverty and climate change/the environment but as they say on the website: 'This is the plan but in reality the event belongs to the bloggers. Everyone attending will have the chance to shape the schedule themselves.'

So anyway, that's the background and here's the thread for discussing your thoughts on global poverty and climate change in particular.

Wow, MT. I gotta say that seems like an eccentric post to me. I could argue with you about it all night but this isn't about what I think I guess

So let's throw it open to the board! Yes I know I sound like David Brent. If there are other people on here who mistrust the information we're being given about climate change, and they want to post here to let me know about it, then we'll try to come up with something.

Your point about resource distribution is interesting, but you know there's no one central body that is directing resources to deal with climate change. There are just individual governments, local and national, making a bloody big hash of things. You say conspiracy, I say cock-up.

The suggestion about having a central source of unspun information... I just don't see how that would work. I don't believe it's possible to present information in an entirely bias-free way.

Erm, sorry if this reads like pissing on your chips. It is genuinely interesting to read other points of view.

ILove

As far as I can make out, there's no one big successor to Kyoto: there's just an ongoing process of negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. There seems to be a meeting every year. The next big one will be in Copenhagen in December.

I guess the simple question to ask of the US would be: are there any plans to ratify the Kyoto Treaty? (The US has signed it but never ratified it.)

The US has always insisted that it will accept binding targets only when such targets are also applied to developing nations, and particularly to China. Obama seems to have said that he will accept binding targets, but I'm not sure whether that's conditional on China having binding targets too. Maybe that's what we need to ask?

100x I've been waiting for someone to mention Nestle - you're the first!

As I understand it, the difficulty lies in getting the Code enforced. It's not law in most countries (although it is backed up by legislation in the UK). Campaigners seem to be targeting the WHO and UNICEF to enforce it.

I can't quite see how we would shoehorn this one in to a governmental conference, though I'm open to suggestions.

Hi Maiakins

Good point about ring-fencing funds for education/health

Is it really the case that we just hand over the money to governments with no say in how it's spent? Doesn't quite a lot go to development orgs/NGOs on the ground?

Would you say that more should be done to ensure that the funds go where they're suppose to go?

This is an interesting issue - on the one hand, lots of people are rightly concerned about rampant corruption/kleptocracies. On the other hand, it's infantilising to say 'here's some cash, but we're going to tell you exactly how to spend every last penny of it.'

I don't know much about this issue though so would love any insights or more informed opinions.

Hi oops and thanks for the vote of confidence

I know the article you mean - it was GlaxoSmithKline. You're right, haven't heard anything since.

Interesting issue, but again, how to address it at governmental level? Maybe governments should give incentives to drug companies to follow suit?

What question would we ask?

Hello wilf. Yes, absolutely.

'Mr Brown, do you agree with mumsnetters that we should tax the rich until the pips squeak?'

Habb will look at that COPD link

MT - animal dung is a common fuel for indoor cooking fires in developing countries and its effects on air quality are particularly awful (edited an article about it once and it's stuck in my head ever since).

Policy, I think the question should go something like this:

"President Obama stated in his inaugural address that the American way of life won't be changed. Was this in reference to: a) terrorism b) the environment c) his choice of puppies in the White House "

Also, is it right that countries such as Australia per the Kyoto Protocol, have increased their carbon emissions as a target, or should countries attempt to reduce as a target?

Lastly, should environmental crimes be prosecuted as criminal?

Right then Rhubarb - determined to cause an international incident as ever

My understanding of the Zimbabwe situation is that it has been firmly handed to the African nations to deal with. Handily, South Africa and the African Union will both be represented at the Summit, so if we get some access to them we can ask them something about it. Basically, Mugabe is just about power-sharing with the MDC now, but obviously the country is falling apart and everyone's waiting for Mugabe to die, I think.

Anyway, what question do you think we should ask?

China - quite agree with you in principle. I think the answer to 'What are they going to do about it' would probably be 'Our economy is growing like a runaway train and all of these problems will be solved in the medium-to-long term'.

If you can get me some links to specific info. about the orphanages (oh God that's going to be upsetting isn't it) then maybe that would be a good one?

Crikey ILove, you startled me there

Good point about what he said in the inaugural address - could definitely work that one in.

Hello Bramshott and thanks

I must admit I've stared at that list of blogger categories and I can't imagine which one I'm supposed to fall into. I'm waiting to find out who the others are so that I can locate myself a bit more. Because it's all about meeeeee

Or you could just ask about Aretha's hat

Apparently the Smithsonian Museum asked for Michelle Obama's dress, and the children's dresses; to have on display for historical purposes.

And Aretha Franklin was asked for her hat. Rumor has it that she said, 'no' on the basis that she, as an African/American wanted to look at that hat every day as it was a reminder of how far the African/American people have progressed...

OK folks

Can anyone find me a contact email for Sarah Brown? Don't want to go through the Downing St site really, it would probably take ages to get through to her and we don't have long.

Aretha's not a woman to argue with, is she?

Thank you mistlethrush, that's interesting.

cloudwalker - don't know whether Justine and co have any budget for photos. I was planning on bringing my own camera to take snaps to post on the blog. But if you want to meet up while you're there, feel free to email me - [email protected]

Hello stuffit - I'm quite cynical myself. I'm sure most of the business done will be about the West's economic crisis - everything else will be firmly sidelined I expect.

I will try my best to convey some of the atmosphere.

Deep corporate lobbying sounds interesting - do you know much about it/any links?

Hello spider - good point.

I don't know much about the Kingsnorth issue. Is it a carbon capture scheme? Doesn't the government claim that it will help the UK to achieve its carbon reduction targets? I'm not saying that the government is correct - just that we want to ask questions that don't allow room for stock responses.

Can anyone fill me in?

Hey, look at that! I've finished my homework.

Contact for Sarah Brown pleeeeease. C'mon, this site is stuffed with journos.

sorry no personal mobile numbers for Obama, Sarah Brown or Terry Wogan but just a quick (and unhelpful) post to say:

1. Good Luck and hope you really enjoy it.
2. Don?t worry too much on the general issues everyone will be reporting/blogging etc and try to focus on the "mumsnet" angle and soaking up the nuances and atmosphere - much more interesting and revealing than the bleated standard statements the pollys usually spout. 3)Take plenty of photos if you are allowed 4)Totally agree that a lot of it is likely to be about the same few statements "fiscal stimulus" "not our fault, it is a global downturn" and "safely steering us through difficult times" but hope that the smaller talk sessions and the informal discussions might give you the opportunity to draw them away from the bigger, vaguer topics and onto more specific issues
3. Did I say have fun?

Really excited for you!

Hi PolicyWonk. Thanks for picking up the MNH think - and yes, the N is really important - I should have said. The White Ribbon Alliance are excellent on advocacy - would certainly be worth contacting them so you could maybe hitch your star to their wagon. Email for Katy Woods at the UK office is kwoods at whiteribbonalliance dot org
If you said you had access to the Mumsnet millions I'm sure they'd be interested to hear from you. They're very busy at the moment with the "million mums" campaign so may take a few days to get back to you.
As you rightly say, Sarah Brown is their patron, and in fact is very active in the global safe motherhood movement (both in that capacity and more independantly). She's knowledgeable and committed on the issue. I'm afraid I don't have her contact details though.
Best wishes
In terms of what to ask for - greater commitment to, and more funding for MNH. However, to maximise effectiveness this will require a review of funding strategies and the developement of innovative funding channels, where, for instance, different donor countries can pool resources for individual countries or regions.

There also needs to be concensus on the central importance of skilled attendance at delivery. Many countries continue with traditional birth attendant training, but there is unfortunately no real evidence of effectiveness. What's needed is a strong midwifery profession with skills to manage normal deliveries and identify complications, supported by inpatient facilities to deal with emergencies (e.g. c sections, blood transfusions).

Cost is a huge issue - services need to be affordable to all (which in many countries will mean free at point of use).

Other areas that are worth considering (which will also indirectly reduce maternal mortality) are increased access to contraception, and development and enforcement of legislation on age of marriage (in some countries marriage in girls under 15 is common, and they have massive risk of mortality if they give birth). There is also a very strong like with female education - educated women tend to have babies later, and make better use of services.

Sorry for the epic! Do let me know if you want any more info.

errr.. a random "best wishes" appears to have arrived in the middle of the text....

Hi Lemontart - thanks

My head is still spinning and I am WILDLY over-excited so I freely admit that my plans are probably grandiose in the extreme.

One of the reasons I'm asking for information on all of these different issues is so that I can feel thoroughly prepared. I don't imagine I'll get a chance to raise every single one of them - or possibly even most of them - but at the moment I just don't have the faintest idea how this thing is going to work, or which issues are likely to come up. So I want the security of feeling that I've got some reliable info at my fingertips about the major issues, just in case.

I'm sure you're right that the really interesting stuff will take place at the low-key sessions. I'm guessing that the more junior the person we speak to, the more likely we are to have an interesting conversation!

Arctic that is great, thanks. I have emailed Katy Woods. If you know her, you might like to contact her to explain that she's going to be getting a slightly random email from a mumsnetter.

That info is brilliant. I'm off out for a walk in the sunshine but I will sit down and go through it properly later on.

And best wishes to you too.

I like this article on the felt need for international/global regulation of banking.

When the credit crunch first hit, it seemed like a massive step back for globalisation of financial systems -- because an internationalist banking system was having to be bailed out and consequently (more tightly) controlled by national governments. ( "global banks are global in life, but national in death".) States seemed important again.

But over the last few weeks it has become evident that national controls are so inadequate to the task that future banking regulation will have to be undertaken internationally -- by the IMF.

So the failure of international finance will have done as much as its success to undermine the sovereignty of the nation state.

Do global institutions like G20 make individual people stronger or weaker? Do they make national citizens more powerful by allowing their elected governments to tackle international issues in partnership? Or are they an acknowledgement that nations and national electorates are feeble?

Policy- the press office at 10 Downing Street should be geared up to handle this kind of query. I would call them as I would imagine that Sarah Brown's standard approach would be to direct any queries to her directly back to the press office - I cannot imagine that there's an open chatty dialogue between her and any journalist who calls.

when you call them, emphasise what you're writing about, why it's of interest to her, who (and how big) your audience is and then, of course, the tight timeline. If MN has PR people, they might also be able to help out.