AS FAMINE again raises its ugly head in Africa, the world's richest nations are poised to meet in Birmingham at the G8 summit.
Many of their bankers are concerned not to relieve poverty and hunger, but to recover debts from bankrupt African countries. Estimates suggest external debts of African countries add ed up to over $200 billion in 1995 - more than double the 1985 figure.
Plans for "recovery" drawn up by the World Bank and the IMF assume that African countries can sustain an external debt equivaient to twice their annual export earnings - incurring massive interest charges, and imposing new austerity on workers and peasants to line the coffers of Western bankers.
An alternative view will be spelled out at the People's Summit, coordinated by the New Economics Foundation to coincide with the G8 Summit on May 15-17.
Discussions on Friday 15th will include an African and Caribbean People's Summit, a debate on Sustainable Employment, and a session looking at Crimes Against the People.
Saturday will see a People's Forum on Globalisation, a Jubilee 2000 Coalition rally on cancelling the debt, and a P8 Summit, with eight of the poorest countries.
Details from 0121 616 2000, or People's Summit website http://www.gn.apc.org.peoplessummit98.