At this year's G8 summit of advanced industrialized nations in Genoa, Italy, history was made. Not because anything concrete was done, but for the worst possible reason: A demonstrator lost his life during protests against the meeting. Now the antiglobalization movement has a martyr, and the G8 must re-evaluate its actions and its purpose. If it does, then some good may come of this tragic episode. A failure to go beyond expressions of sympathy and condemnations of the more violent protestors would discredit the entire summit process.
True to form, the latest summit produced much of the rhetorical boilerplate to which the world has become accustomed. The summiteers promised free and open debate on globalization and pledged to make it work for all citizens and especially the poor. The communique noted that "drawing the poorest countries into the global economy is the surest way to address their fundamental aspirations." There were no details concerning actual plans to cut the import barriers that deny the poorest nations of the world the chance to do just that. The leaders renewed their support for universal primary education by 2015, and they promised again to provide money for the United Nations' HIV initiative.
The G8 leaders met for the first time with African leaders during their summit. Those meetings yielded an African initiative that British Prime Minister Tony Blair called "a kind of Marshall Plan for Africa." The plan would provide debt relief and would focus on "democracy, transparency, good governance, rule of law and human rights." Details are scarce, but the G8 is to name a special envoy to talk to African leaders and prepare a detailed plan for next year's get-together.