Calls in Morocco to foil G-8 summit

Activists of the Morocco section of an international anti-globalisation association joined together to call for foiling the upcoming summit of the Group of 8 (G-8), arguing the summit "only seeks to impose rich countries' will on the rest of the world."

"All anti-globalisation NGOs, associations and groups throughout the world should mobilize to foil this summit," said the activists of the offshoot of ATTAC, an organisation set up in 1998 in France to fight unbridled liberalism.

The G-8 -- made up of the United States, Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and Russia -- is scheduled to meet June 1-3 in the Alpine town of Evian, France.

The activists, who convened a conference on the fringes of the preparatory meeting of the Mediterranean Social Forum to be held in Barcelona in 2004, rejected what they called "a world where inequality between the have and the have-nots will still persist."

They slammed the G-8 intention "to dominate the wealth of the South as it is the case for Iraq."

"We should not be misled by the divergences between G-8 member countries because the next G-8 meeting will be the "summit of reconciliation to finally share the Iraqi oil wealth," said Jean Lock Cipierre representing ATTAc /France.

Cipierre wished that the Avian meeting will be the last encounter of the G-8. "The first G8 summit took place in 1975 in France and we hope the last one will also be in France," he said.

The activists also warned against dangers looming on developing countries, particularly because of water shortages.

Mehdi Lahlou representing (ATTAC-Morocco) highlighted the dangers that countries of the south face due to the interference of international financial institutions in this realm. The policies of these institutions do not serve the interests of developing nations, he said.