* Team Name
Team Loka-Paala
* Team Email Address (Email will be used for
team communication with/by the U.S. Fund
for UNICEF):
J8team@gmail.com
Team Members
First Name
Last Name
Email address
Ankur
Ahuja
Arjun
Mody
Namrata
Anand
Haran
Sivakumar
10AnkurA@student
s.harker.org
10ArjunM@student
s.harker.org
10NamrataA@stud
ents.harker.org
10HaranS@student
s.harker.org
Gender
(M/F)
M
School / Organization
The Harker School
Date of Birth
(YYYY-MMDD)
1992-05-31
M
The Harker School
1992-11-15
F
The Harker School
1992-12-02
M
The Harker School
1992-12-03
2) G8 Summit agenda issues
Focusing on selected G8 agenda topics, describe two ways you would recommend to G8
leaders to solve each problem. Please write up to 300 words to describe two ideas for
each topic below.
A. The Environment and Climate Change
Describe two ideas for ways G8 countries can achieve sustainable and efficient
energy supply, energy consumption reduction and other measures to curb global
warming and better protect the integrity of the environment.
Climate change poses the greatest danger to humanity. Today’s industrialized
nations should develop an international carbon cap-and-trade scheme similar to the one
included in the Kyoto Protocol, yet with more aggressive emissions reductions targets.
According to Emily Figdor’s congressional testimony, “scientists … have identified a 2o
Celsius rise in global temperature … as a rough threshold between damaging and
catastrophic global warming,” and have recognized that only capping our total carbon
emissions can prevent this temperature rise. Moreover, if this policy is to succeed, it
must include developing countries. China recently overtook the United States as the
world’s leading carbon dioxide emitter. According to Bill Richardson, former Secretary of
Energy, increased use of renewable energy technology by developed nations will spur
cooperation with countries such as China, making clean energy less expensive and
more accessible. However, in addition to large policy-oriented changes, governments
can implement smaller changes, such as subsidizing public transportation, increasing
incentives for people to carpool, or encouraging citizens to plant trees. These smaller
steps will shift the mindsets of many, making average citizens more involved in solving
this global crisis.
Our group also wishes to inspire young children. Media shapes young children’s
perspectives significantly; therefore, a multimedia campaign for environmental
advertisements would allow children to start thinking in broader terms from a very young
age itself. The promotion will be headed by a cheerful and informative mascot: Loka
“Pal.” This globe-shaped buddy will combine popular culture and education to inspire
children around the world to become environmentally conscious. Loka Pal would
advocate small steps that children could take independently such as turning off lights
and not wasting water to instill a sense of environmental responsibility. These two
measures ensure that action is taken by people of all ages at both the international and
individual level.
B. HIV and AIDS
Infectious diseases such as HIV and AIDS, malaria and tuberculosis are a major
burden on the health and productivity of people – particularly children - in many
low-income countries. Describe two measures to help curb one or more diseases
that can be undertaken by G8 leaders.
According to Mr. Dalit Ezhilmalai, India’s former Minister of State for Health,
“creating awareness about HIV/AIDS and protecting oneself [is] the only solution.” As
such, the G8 leaders must promote education in regions like sub-Saharan Africa and
South East Asia, where HIV/AIDS is most prevalent. After enlightening the youth of the
consequences of unprotected sex, governments should make sure that condoms are
available to them. Because many of these people are too poor to buy condoms, the G8
leaders should provide loans to subsidize the sale of condoms, perhaps making the first
dozen especially low for families who show interest. To further inculcate the
ramifications of unprotected sex, the packages that contain the condoms should include
some pithy yet alarming statistics that spur the reader into spreading the word to the
community, effecting a grassroots reform. An informed generation will only give rise to a
protected one, leading to successful change.
Leaders of the G8 countries should take advantage of their position in the
forefront of technology to tackle the issue of malaria. To innovatively purge malaria, the
target must shift from victim to vector—the infamous mosquito. Since scientists have
already been able to quantify the number of people at risk of contracting malaria by using
supercomputing technology, governments should go one step further and provide funding
for research into technology, such as the laser gun currently being developed which can
zap millions of mosquitoes. A less technological solution with equally enormous
implications would be supporting the development of Vestergaard Frandsen’s PermaNet
curtains. If G8 leaders were to aid in its production, they would be protecting inhabitants
from malaria for longer periods of time, making the investment much more valuable.
Thus, to handle malaria, G8 leaders should tap into nascent research and innovative
manufacturing to best ensure results.
C. A third topic of your choosing
Every year, the leaders at the G8 Summit discuss the world’s most pressing
issues, of which there are many. Topics could include the financial crisis, the
global food crisis, education, etc. Please identify a global issue you feel is
particularly relevant to your team and to young people around the world and
describe a response that you think G8 leaders should support.
It is a universal axiom that education is the key to success. The main barriers
preventing global education are cost and opportunity. Since the G8 countries last
convened, the number of schools offering free education has significantly increased. The
problem of creating schools is also being addressed. The Obama administration alone
has promised two billion dollars to the “Global Education Fund” and ten billion dollars to
the Education for All Act. With many countries tackling these challenges, our team
wishes to address the two pressing issues of how to aid families relying on child labor
while creating long-lasting schools.
It is paramount that schools are created through a community effort. The
successful integration of a school into both a society and its culture is vital in ensuring
that school’s longevity. International efforts should be focused on using funds to create
new part-time jobs for parents of potential students. These parents can help in building,
maintaining, and running the schools; these jobs will help establish the schools as a
permanent part of the society and also create extra income allaying financial worries of
parents. To do our part to help global education, our school supplied Gansu, a province
in China, with pigs, cows, and goats to create small businesses to supplement parents’
income, through a non-profit organization, Free the Children. This practice can be
broadened with further international aid to encompass more regions and establish other
sources of income such as crops. Schools can also offer classes where students learn
valuable skills while manufacturing goods that can be sold for a small profit. These
classes will be akin to woodshop or craft classes offered in America. By incorporating
community life with education and containing programs that provide parents with
additional income, new schools will be both viable and enduring.
3) References
HIV and AIDS Essay
Avasthi, Amitabh. “Education Slowing AIDS in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Medical News
Today 23 Mar. 2009. 29 Mar. 2009 <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com>.
Kingsbury, Kathleen. “A Better Deal on Malaria.” Time 26 Feb. 2009: 56.
Lorie, Anouk. “’Star Wars’ Scientists Create Laser Gun to Kill Mosquitoes.” CNN
[London] 16 Mar. 2009, Intl. ed. 29 Mar. 2009 <http://www.edition.cnn.com>.
Wong, Grace. “Map Offers Hope in Fight against Malaria.” CNN [London] 24 Mar. 2009,
Intl. ed. 29 Mar. 2009 <http://www.edition.cnn.com>.
Epstein, Helen. The Invisible Cure: Africa, the West, and the Fight Against AIDS. New
York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007.
Avert. 20 Feb. 2009. 29 Mar. 2009 <http://www.avert.org/aidseducation.htm>.
“Creating Awareness about HIV / AIDS, the Only Solution.” Popline. 29 Mar. 2009
<http://www.db.jhuccp.org/ics-wpd/popweb/>.
“Goal 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and Other Diseases.” United Nations Millennium
Development Goals. United Nations. 29 Mar. 2009 <http://www.un.org/
millenniumgoals/aids.shtml>.
“Malaria Facts.” CDC Malaria. 11 Apr. 2007. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
29 Mar. 2009 <http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/facts.htm>.
“2008 Report on the Global AIDS Epidemic.” UNAIDS. UNICEF. 29 Mar. 2009
<http://www.unaids.org>.
Vestergaard Frandsen: PermaNet. 29 Mar. 2009 <http://www.vestergaard-frandsen.com/
permanet.htm>.
The Environment and Climate Change Essay
Vidal, John, and David Adam. “China Overtakes US as World’s Biggest CO2 Emitter.”
Guardian 19 June 2007. 29 Mar. 2009 <http://www.guardian.co.uk>.
Yardley, Jim. “China Says Rich Countries Should Take Lead on Global Warming.” New
York Times 7 Feb. 2007. 29 Mar. 2009 <http://www.nytimes.com>.
Cong. Rec. 19 June 2008: 11 pp. Committee on Energy and Commerce. 29 Mar. 2009
<http://www.energycommerce.house.gov>.
Richardson, Bill. Leading By Example: How We Can Inspire an Energy and Security
Revolution. N.p.: John Wiley and Sons, 2007.
Education Essay
“Advocate.” Global Campaign for Education. 30 Mar. 2009
<http://www.campaignforeducationusa.org/advocate>.
“Current Hot Topics: U.S. FY 2010 Budget.” ONE. ONE. 30 Mar. 2009
<http://www.one.org/c/us/hottopic/263/>.
“Education - EFA Fast Track Initiative (FTI).” Education: Human Development Network.
World Bank. 30 Mar. 2009 <http://go.worldbank.org/8EZE2MXEZ0>.
“World Vision International.” World Vision International. World Vision International.
30 Mar. 2009 <http://wvi.org/wvi/wviweb.nsf>.
Media Essay
Colgan, Ann-Louise. “A Tale of Two Genocides: The Failed US Responses to Rwanda
and Darfur.” PeaceWork 9 Sept. 2006. 29 Mar. 2009
<http://www.peaceworkmagazine.org>.
Poniewozik, James. “Here’s to the Death of Broadcast.” Time 9 Apr. 2009: 61-62. Media
essay
Phoenix, Joaquin, and Don Cheadle, perf. Hotel Rwanda. George, Terry. Lions Gate
Entertainment, 2004.
“Genocide in Rwanda.” United Human Rights Council. 1994. 29 Mar. 2009
<http://unitedhumanrights.org>.
5) Mobilizing others
The Junior 8 Summit is one event in a wider UNICEF strategy to connect and assist
communities of young people in their efforts to make the world a better place. If you
were able to attend the Summit, how would you inspire other young people to become
involved in global issues in your community upon your return?
It is important to start involving children in global issues at a young age, when
their views of the world are being molded and shaped. If we were able to attend the
Summit, we would, upon our return, focus on influencing young members of our
community, from elementary school students to young adults in college.
Young children are often motivated by group activities and drawn to fun,
interactive ideas. We could lead a delegation of students to travel to various schools,
daycare centers, and local libraries to interact with young children and inspire them to
involve themselves in community activities, practice clean health practices, and increase
their basic global knowledge.
Working with state public school systems, we would set in place a weekly Global
Awareness Class, possibly taught by high school student volunteers or UNICEF
representatives. These classes, for elementary school students, would focus on global
issues such as climate change, with an emphasis on small steps that even young children
can take to participate in overcoming these challenges. The specific curriculum would be
set by high school student leaders, selected to head their state’s delegation. This
prestigious board would not only decide the content of the Global Awareness Classes but
motivate older children to take an active role in their communities.
We would use our experiences at the J8 Summit directly to inspire innovation on
key issues within our community; we would plan various annual competitions within our
communities to inspire kids to think broadly about water conservation, nutrition,
education, and HIV/AIDS. For example, we could create “First-Aid Education,” a
competition where students would incorporate all the necessities of basic education into a
small portable format, similar to first-aid kits and available to children across the world.
Some of our other ideas include the creation of a nutritious, long-lasting nutrition bar,
safe, and organic ways to clean drinking water for less than one cent per liter.
We would also work with schools to set up “Living in the Third World—an
immersion in reality.” This would be a one-to-two-day real-life course exposing students
to global problems that affect those living in underdeveloped countries. For example,
non-profit organizations could create short yet intensive curriculums and simulations to
teach young adults about the hardships of life in underdeveloped parts of the world, and
hopefully inspire them to volunteer abroad.
Additionally, the media plays a large role in shaping the worldview of most
children, from television shows for primary school children to videogames for teenagers.
As such, we could create a petition to have games or television shows that have a large
audience of children include positive messages such as environmentalism and the
importance of service in their programs.
With these ideas, we hope to influence young people to take the step we have
taken: to take action and participate actively in the global community.