37th G8 summit Facts for Kids

The 37th G8 summit was a big meeting held on May 26–27, 2011. It took place in a town called Deauville in France. Leaders from eight powerful countries gathered to talk about important global issues.

A traditional "family photo" of leaders at the G8 summit in Deauville.

What is the G8 Summit?
- Where Did the 2011 Summit Happen?
Who Attended the Summit?
- Leaders from G8 Countries
- Other Important Guests
What Did They Talk About?
- Key Topics Discussed
- Unexpected World Events
Why Do People Protest G8 Summits?
Did the Summit Help the Local Economy?
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What is the G8 Summit?

The G8, or "Group of Eight," is a group of leaders from eight major countries. They meet once a year to discuss big challenges facing the world. These meetings are called summits. The 2011 Deauville summit was the 37th time these leaders had met since 1975.

France has hosted G8 summits several times before. These meetings are a way for leaders to talk and share ideas. The G8 is not a formal organization with strict rules. It's more like an informal club where leaders can discuss important topics.

Where Did the 2011 Summit Happen?

The 2011 summit was held in Deauville, a beautiful town in France. France was the host country for this meeting.

Who Attended the Summit?

Leaders from the eight main G8 countries always attend the summit. Other important leaders from around the world are also invited to join some of the discussions.

G8 leaders walking to their first meeting at the summit in Deauville.

Leaders from G8 Countries

Here are the leaders who attended from the main G8 countries:

Country		Leader	Title
Core G8 members The host country and its leader are shown in bold.
	Canada	Stephen Harper	Prime Minister
	France	Nicolas Sarkozy	President
	Germany	Angela Merkel	Chancellor
	Italy	Silvio Berlusconi	Prime Minister
	Japan	Naoto Kan	Prime Minister
	Russia	Dmitry Medvedev	President
	United Kingdom	David Cameron	Prime Minister
	United States	Barack Obama	President
	European Commission	Jose Manuel Barroso	President
	European Council	Herman Van Rompuy	President

Other Important Guests

Many other leaders were invited to the summit. They joined some of the discussions. These included leaders from several African countries:

Algeria Abdelaziz Bouteflika, President
Egypt Essam Sharaf, Prime Minister
Ethiopia Meles Zenawi, Prime Minister
Equatorial Guinea Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, President
Senegal Abdoulaye Wade, President
South Africa Jacob Zuma, President
Tunisia Beji Caid el Sebsi, Prime Minister

Other important international leaders and representatives also attended:

Arab League Amr Moussa, Chairman
African Union (AU) Jean Ping, Chairman
New Partnership for Africa's Development (NEPAD)
United Nations Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General

What Did They Talk About?

The host country, France, decided what topics would be discussed at the summit. Their main goals included talking about peace and security around the world.

Key Topics Discussed

Some of the specific topics on the agenda were:

The situation in Afghanistan.
Working with countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
New challenges related to the Internet.
Stopping the spread of very dangerous weapons (called Weapons of Mass Destruction).
How the G8 could help Africa.
Ways to fight against terrorism.
Other political and security issues.

Unexpected World Events

Sometimes, big world events happen just before a summit. These events can add new topics to the discussion. For the 2011 summit, leaders also talked about:

The Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan.
Economic problems in some European countries, known as the European debt crisis.
Choosing a new leader for the International Monetary Fund, an organization that helps countries with financial problems.

Why Do People Protest G8 Summits?

A banner at an anti-G8 protest in Le Havre, saying "G8 dégage" (G8 Go Away).

Sometimes, groups of people organize protests during G8 summits. They want to share their opinions about the G8's decisions or global issues. A common slogan at the 2011 protests was G8 dégage, which means "G8 Go Away" in French. Many of these protesters are concerned about how globalization affects different parts of the world.

Did the Summit Help the Local Economy?

The mayor of Deauville hoped the summit would bring economic benefits to the town. Big events like the G8 summit can create business opportunities. For example, special magazines about the G8 summit have been published since 1998. These magazines are given to all the people attending the meeting.