- What is the “J8”?
- Why was the J8 created? What is its purpose?
- Where and when will the Junior 8 Summit take place?
- What will the participants do at the J8?
- What themes will the participants discuss at this year’s J8?
- Who will participate?
- When did the first J8 conference take place? How many J8 conferences have taken place since then? Have they all been the same, or have they changed over time?
- Do the J8 summits take place in the same place and at the same time as the G8 summits?
- Who will lead the J8 summit? Who supports the participants? Who coordinates and manages the events?
- How are participants for the J8 2009 selected?
- How will the participants communicate with each other?
The Junior 8 Summit, or “J8,” is a companion conference for young people to the annual Group of 8 Summit of world leaders, also known as the G8.
The G8 Summit is an annual meeting of leaders from the eight major industrial democracies, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. At the G8 Summit, the leaders of those eight countries meet to discuss the major economic and political issues facing their own countries and the international community as a whole, and to agree on strategies for solving the world’s problems.
At the J8 Summit, a group of selected adolescent participants from the G8 countries, and other countries around the world, meet to connect with other young people, and share their concerns and their ideas with each other. Most importantly, they speak directly to the G8 leaders about the priorities of all young people, and give their own recommendations for how to solve the world’s problems.
The J8 Summit is a parallel event to the G8 summit. It takes place at approximately the same time, in a location near the G8 summit. Each of the G8 countries is represented by a team of young people at the J8 summit, and there are also teams of young people from the non-G8 countries whose leaders have been invited to the G8 summit. Participants at the J8 Summit discuss and propose solutions for the same issues and themes which the government leaders discuss at the G8 Summit.
The J8 Summit also intersects with the G8 Summit. Participants from the J8 have the opportunity to speak and appeal directly to the leaders attending the G8 Summit, and present their ideas, opinions, and proposals on the topics which the government leaders are also discussing. By doing so, they ensure that the ideas and concerns of all children and young people become part of the agenda of the G8 Summit.
2. Why was the J8 created? What is its purpose?
The Right to Participation: Everyone benefits
The most important purpose of the Junior 8 Summit is to give children and young people an opportunity to speak directly to world leaders, decision makers and the public about their own experiences, ideas, and concerns.
All children and young people share a fundamental right to participate in voicing their opinions and sharing in the decision about all matters that affect them. The J8 Summit was created as one of many institutions and traditions worldwide to uphold and protect this right.
This opportunity for dialogue and exchange brings benefits to the participants in the J8, the leaders of the G8 countries, children and young people in the G8 Countries, and the international community as a whole.
Children and young people from the G8 countries and beyond
The J8 summit was created to build a feeling of global citizenship among all children and young people. The participants are representatives of their peers, so all children and young people, in both G8 and non-G8 countries, gain a stronger, more unified voice as global citizens, and add their opinions and concerns to this global dialogue. They become part of the solution of the problems that affect them today, and that all of the world’s citizens will face in the future.
J8 Participant
The young people who participate gain knowledge about important issues and challenges facing the world today, and how their governments, and other governments, are responding to those challenges. They also gain experience and skills by working with each other and with government leaders to design and agree upon practical solutions to world problems. They create new friendships and connections with other young people with similar concerns, and build networks so that they can continue to work together after the summit ends.
All children and young people
The J8 Summit provides all children and young people world-wide with peer representatives who advocate for their needs and concerns directly to the G8 leaders.
When the J8 summit ends and the participants become J8 alumni, the other children and young people in their home countries gain an important resource for representation and advocacy. J8 ambassadors are responsible for continuing their work as advocates for and representatives of children in their countries and countries throughout the world. J8 ambassadors share the information, skills, and contacts they have gained as participants in the J8 conference with other young people in their home countries. They continue to work to promote dialogue between children and decision makers in their country.
Leaders of the G8 countries
The leaders of the G8 countries gain an opportunity to learn more about the needs and concerns of an important group of the citizens from their own country: the children and young people. When leaders have a chance to learn directly from young people about their own experiences and perspectives, they are better able to create policies and strategies to solve the world’s problems and build a better future.
The international community
Citizens of all countries, adults and young people alike, benefit when their leaders know and understand the issues and concerns facing the world’s children. Everyone benefits when children have the opportunity to learn and grow to their full capacity, and are empowered to make positive contributions to their communities and societies.
3. Where and when will the Junior 8 Summit take place?
The J8 Summit will be held in Rome, Italy. The J8 will take place from 5th to 12th July (with participants arriving on 4th July and departing on 13th July).
4. What will the participants do at the J8?
In the first days of the J8 summit, all of the participants will meet together to share the stories of their lives and experiences. They will also make presentations to each other about the information they have gathered on the three themes of the J8 Summit, and any other proposals or materials they have prepared. Based on these conversations, they will decide on their shared priorities and goals, and prepare their statements and recommendations for the G8 leaders.
A smaller group of participants, representing the entire team, will present their final conclusions and recommendations in a face-to-face meeting. At the last J8 Summit in 2008, these face-to-face meetings with government leaders included one participant from each of the G8 country teams, and one from the team representing the non-G8 countries.
Participants will also participate in media events and activities at the J8, such as press conferences, press releases, and interviews. Celebrities, UNICEF Goodwill Ambassadors, political and social leaders will also participate in media events to promote awareness of the J8 and of global issues affecting children.
Italian young people and youth organizations will meet and share ideas with the participants during some of the events. The participants will also have a chance to explore the area around Rome through field trips to local cultural sites.
5. What themes will the participants discuss at this year’s J8?
The topics participants will discuss at this year’s J8 events are:
- Child Rights in the context of the global financial crisis
- Climate Change
- Development efforts in Africa
- 4th theme to be selected by participants
Exploring the issues
The participants will explore each of these topics through research before and during the Summit, and through discussions about their own lives and experiences. In their work together, the participants will give special attention to how each of these issues affects children in their own countries, and world wide.
Solving problems
Participants will make recommendations for how to solve these problems to the G8 leaders, ensuring that children’s and young people’s concerns are addressed in those solutions. The participants will also plan strategies for how they will work with other children and young people to take action to solve global problems, and to make sure that world leaders continue to listen to their voices.
The Junior 8 Summit, or J8, is an annual forum involving youngsters aged 14 to 17 hailing from all over the world. Boys and girls chosen to represent G8 member States and other emerging countries (China, Brazil, India, Mexico, South Africa and Egypt) address the same issues as those on the Summit agenda and draft recommendations for the leaders
The participants to the J8 Summit will be between the ages of 14 and 17 years old. Because the majority of participants will be below the age of 18, many will be accompanied by adult chaperones.
7. When did the first J8 conference take place? How many J8 conferences have taken place since then? Have they all been the same, or have they changed over time?
J8 and C8 2005: Gleneagles, UK
The first “J8 conference” was actually two conferences. UNICEF initiated the first “C8 Children’s Forum” in July 2005. The C8 Children’s forum took place in Gleneagles, UK, with children from the G8 countries, and from developing countries. The same year, Morgan Stanley International Foundation held a J8 competition, and organized the J8 Summit, with 96 children from some of the G8 countries participating.
Since the first C8 and J8 Conferences in 2005, there has been a J8 Summit accompanying each year’s G8 Summit.
J8 2006: St. Petersburg, Russia
The Government of the Russian Federation invited UNICEF to help to prepare a J8 summit in 2006, when the G8 was held in that country. Morgan Stanley International Foundation and UNICEF worked together to select participants for that conference.
That year, for the first time, a group of eight children from the J8 summit, one from each G8 country, held a face-to-face meeting with the G8 leaders. At that 40 minute meeting, they presented their recommendations on the main themes of the J8.
J8 2007: Wismar, Germany
In 2007, the Government of Germany welcomed the chance to host a J8 conference, and invited UNICEF to lead the summit in Wismar. This time, eight children from each of the G8 countries served as participants, along with ten children representing developing countries around the world.
At the J8 in 2007, the participants again had the chance to speak directly to the G8 leaders at a one hour meeting. As in 2006, the young people at the meeting included one participant representing children from each of the G8 countries. This year, they were also joined by a participant from Tanzania, who represented children from the developing countries. At the meeting, the participants presented a statement representing all of the participants’ opinions and recommendations entitled “The Wismar Declaration” to the G8 leaders.
In addition to those meetings, participants in the J8 Summit 2007 also had other opportunities to speak directly to government officials and other key decision makers. All 74 participants met face-to-face with Germany’s Chancellor Angela Merkel. They also met with the First Spouses of the G8 leaders.
J8 2008: Chitose, Japan
In 2008, the Government of Japan welcomed the J8 2008. 39 participants from each G8 country, as well as one young person from each world region participated. J8 Summit 2008 was held in Chitose City, Hokkaido, Japan from 1-10 July.
Thirty-nine young people – four from each of the G8 countries and one from each of the UNICEF regions in the developing world – gathered for the Junior 8 - an international youth conference that parallels the G8 Summit in July. One child each came from: Barbados, Cote d'Ivoire, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Nepal and South Africa
8. Do the J8 summits take place in the same place and at the same time as the G8 summits?
The J8 conferences always take place in the same country as the G8, but often in a different nearby city. Being in a different city gives the young participants in the J8 conference some “space” away from the hectic environment of the G8 conference, so that they can concentrate on their own discussions and proposals. This approach also reduces crowding at the site of the G8, which helps the host country to maintain a secure environment for the G8 leaders.
9. Who will lead the J8 summit? Who supports the participants? Who coordinates and manages the events?
Several different organizations and agencies work together in a partnership to make the J8 happen. Each takes on different roles and responsibilities.
The government of the country which hosts each year’s G8 is also the host of each J8 summit. This year, the Government of Italy is the host of the G8 and J8 summits. All of the other organizations and governments that support the J8 summit, and the participants, are the guests of the host country’s government. The Government of Italy also provides some of the financial support for the event.
UNICEF is the lead partner of the group of agencies who support and coordinate the J8 summit. The Italian Committee for UNICEF coordinates the “Joint Working Group for J8 Summit 2009,” and provides logistical support to all of the organizations who work in partnership to support the event.
UNICEF National Committees in each of the G8 countries are responsible for selecting the young people who will represent their countries. They also support participants as they prepare for the conference, ensuring that they have all of the information and resources they will need. The National Committees also arrange for all participants under 18 to be accompanied by chaperones to support them and ensure their safety.
Private organizations and foundations also provide important financial support.
During the conference, UNICEF provides a team of facilitators and other staff who will support the participants throughout the J8 events. They support the participants by facilitating workshops and discussions, and ensuring that the participants have the resources they need for their work. Trainers who specialize in media and communications will work with the participants to prepare for their interactions with media and journalists, and to support them in using online platforms in their work together. The team will also include experienced youth facilitators, and may include former child participants to past summits.
Other members of the team of adults will coordinate logistical issues, such as accommodation, food, and transportation. The entire team of adults works closely with the chaperones to ensure that the participants are safe and comfortable.
Other experts, such as government officials and specialists working for UNICEF or nongovernmental organizations, may also support the participants in learning more about the J8 themes by giving presentations during the J8 workshops.
The participants in the summit have the most important role in “leading” the J8 events and activities. Just like the leaders at the G8, the participants are responsible for understanding the key issues, representing the views of the other young people they represent, learning from each other’s ideas, thinking of solutions, and making proposals. With support from the facilitators, they will take on the role of facilitating their own discussions. The adults who are present at the conference are responsible for supporting the participants, but not for leading, supervising, or managing their ideas or choices.
10. How are participants for the J8 2009 selected?
The UNICEF National Committees of each of the G8 countries are responsible for selecting participants to the J8 from their respective countries. The UNICEF Regional Offices and Country Offices are responsible for selecting each of the participants for the team which will represent non-G8 countries.
Each UNICEF National Committee and Regional Office designs and carries out their own selection process, using a method that they feel will be effective and fair, and which will ensure that as many children as possible have a chance to apply to be participants at the J8 Summit. The J8 website is used for the selection process in Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom, and Russia has its own national competition to select its delegates.
The selection process is somewhat different in each country, but all UNICEF offices follow a few basic principles:
1) The young people selected as participants have the responsibility to represent other young people from their countries, and from around the world at the J8 summit. For this reason, participants should be committed to representing the views of others.
2) An important part of participants’ roles and responsibilities is to share ideas with others, and with government leaders. Participants should have strong communication skills that enable them to discuss and advocate on global issues of concern to young people.
3) The participants should show that they understand and have a strong interest in the topics to be addressed by G8 leaders.
4) The young people who are selected as participants should be between 14-17 years old, and currently in secondary school.
5) Because English will be the working language of the J8 summit, participants selected should have sufficient knowledge of English to be able to communicate with children from other parts of the world in that language.
6) The selection and involvement of children should be an open, transparent, and meaningful process. In other words, all young people who apply should understand how and why the participants chosen to attend the J8 were selected, and on what basis other applicants were not selected.
11. How will the participants communicate with each other?
English will be the main working language of the J8, but support from translators and interpreters will be available during the J8 event for speakers of other languages. Simultaneous translation will be provided during plenary sessions. During the working groups and informal sessions, “whisper translation” will also be provided by interpreters and chaperones. Chaperones who accompany the participants will also help with translation during other activities, meals, or rest time as needed.
