Poor people's summit held in Mali
Release 6/5/2003:6:14:30 AM
http://www.dubaiphotomedia.com/default.asp?displayid=3781About 400 people, belonging toNGOs, farmers, herders, women's groups, teachers and students from six African countries and four non-African ones,gathered there for a summit that is the antithesis to the high security of the G8 summit in France.
Instead of staying in air-conditioned comforts and drinking champagne the G8 leaders should come to Siby and have a look at the reality, observers said.
Head of Mali's banana producers, handed out his produce free to visitors and villagers alike. He arrived with 100 kilograms of bananas,his donation to the poor people's summit,which he says he supports entirely.
Aminata Toure Barry, Head of the Malian chapter of Jubilee 2000, which organised the Siby gathering, says they were able to raise only about $12,000 to bring 400 people to Siby where they would be lodged and fed for four days.
The poor people's summit discussed the same themes as the G8 summit.