J8
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The J8 ("junior 8") Global Citizenship programme provides young people from around the world with opportunities to learn more about topical global issues, to debate and discuss these issues, and to take their solutions to world leaders at the G8 summit. J8 is a partnership between Morgan Stanley, UNICEF and the country with the presidency of the G8.
Through an international selection process held each year, teams of young people aged 13 to 17 are chosen to put forward their ideas on the same issues to be discussed at that year’s G8 summit. Selected delegates meet at the same time as the G8 to take part in their own ‘Junior’ summit. During the summit they engage in workshops, roundtable discussions and exercises to help them write a joint communiqué on the G8 agenda issues.
At the July 2006 summit held in St Petersburg, Russia eight young people from each of the countries were given a 45-minute audience with all of the G8 leaders for the first time. Russian President Vladimir Putin told the young people, "This G8 will go down in history as the one in which you participated in our joint work. What you have discussed with your peers…will have a big impact on the outcome of our work."[1]
J8 representatives were present for the July 2007 summit in Wismar, Germany, and will attend the 2008 one in Tōyako, Hokkaidō.
As well as the annual competition, J8 is also an education programme with resources on global issues. The J8 website[2] provides information about all the issues that are on the G8 agenda. The site includes resources for young people and teachers, including fact sheets and lesson plans on relevant topics.
