The G8 summit is composed of eight world economic and powerful blocks namely, United States, Russia, Germany, France, Japan, Italy, United Kingdom, and Canada. In this summit, there have been issues that arise; for instance, expansion of the membership in the forum to reflect the presence of the multi-polar world. In 2012, the G8 summit met at Camp David in the United States.
The European Union was one of the participants. These members used the occasion to resolve differences among themselves and offer mutual encouragement and discuss some issues that face the entire globe like food security. Some of the agendas during this meeting reveal how leadership and initiative intertwine.
These members do have to mobilize other countries worldwide in order to overcome some of the global challenges. For example, in ensuring food security, they have ensured that Asian and African countries are involved in massive agricultural activities. Notably, countries like US goes ahead to offer incentives and other support to farmers who are interested in continuous production.
In addition, the members agreed to increase capital flow to African rich agricultural areas and adoption of modern technology. This was to be facilitated by the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition; this body had to mobilize and coordinate with the private sectors to alleviate close to 50 million people from poverty by ensuring a strong and inclusive economic growth.
There have been also continued multilateral and bilateral relations to facilitate investment in African countries to address completely the global food security. During last year’s meeting, the members agreed to engage African leaders in understanding the challenges they undergo in realizing sustainable development.
Evidently, this group has a well-organized initiative to reduce poverty level in the whole globe. Moreover, the G8 formed the Muskoka initiative to deal with global health of newborns and other children. They formed this initiative with a view of achieving the Millennium Development Goals of 2015.
On the second agenda of energy and climate change, the G8 members have shown proper leadership skills by acting as examples in realizing a cleaner and safer environment. Specifically, the members have opted to implement their own energy strategies that reduce emissions into the environment and even encourage low carbon emission policies.
Additionally, they have replaced traditional fuels with renewable sources of energy to ensure sustainable and safer environment. Leadership requires the implementors to be among the first to adopt the desired changes. Therefore, the members lead by example in advising other countries to follow suit.
For instance, China rate of gas and effluent emissions had attracted their attention since it is in its industrialization age. Further, the G8 have encouraged energy trade and even removed obstacles that could hinder access to the market globally. Obviously, good leadership skills require the initiator to be at the forefront in implementing a proposal, a scenario that is reflected by the G8.
On the other front, these members are also employing different and diverse mechanisms to convince other countries to act in the same way. In general, this is a great initiative. Additionally, the G8 have shown great leadership skills in attempts to improve the global economy. Good leaders always involve all the stakeholders in decision-making processes before actual implementation process.
They also recognize that each country world over have potentials and right measures. On the other part, the summit members recognize the need for a stable Eurozone. Specifically, the recovery of Greece’s economy and remain members of the Eurozone. The members’ agreement to act in unison to see to it that the Eurozone crisis ends signifies true leadership and initiators, who like to meet their goals and objectives.
The leaders tackled the cause and strains on the Eurozone in order to ensure confidence and stable economic growth. Furthermore, the G8 are offering support for peaceful international trade and encouraging regional integration and open markets to minimize trade barriers and cost of trade. The leadership at the G8 shows concerned individuals for all.
Remarkably, these members are among the world richest nations, yet they discuss issues inclusive to the poor nations. At Camp David, the US president, Barack Obama, chaired the meeting in which the interests of other regions were exclusively discussed, such as the Euro crisis. Moreover, the summit decision to support closely the economic transition in Afghanistan using their resources reveals a group that is out to ensure a stable world economy.
They also offer support to the African civil society through mobilization of the private sectors to provide a suitable environment for their operation. The G8 initiatives show a group that is out to offer good leadership and, at the same time, involve all stakeholders on the ground.
The G8 meeting in May 2012 shows individuals who are truly committed in productive partnership that can help the entire globe from the economic, political, and social front. Particularly, the mobilization programs that the summit has undertaken to ensure food security and productive healthcare for the children shows that they have the power to command the people or all nations to follow suit.
Particularly, these initiatives require a group that is fully committed in ensuring that they are implemented and even goes ahead to offer financial support as well as accommodating the views of the target group. Therefore, initiative and leadership are two parameters that must go together.