Mona Bricke
German NGO Forum for Environment and Development
In 2007 German NGOs will take the baton from Russian colleagues, actively participating in the process of preparing the civil constituent of the G8 summit. German NGOs will adopt some Russian experience and, of course, will involve their own technologies, because every country and every society has its particularities and its specifics.
For example, the private business in Germany has no acute need in contacts with NGOs – the voice of business is heard by the society and the government. But taking into account the importance of the G8 priority items, such as global energy security, for example, the participation of private business representatives in discussing recommendations for G8 leaders seems more than reasonable. That’s why I found it obviously intelligent that Russian NGOs invite the private business to the dialogue.
To go ahead with preparing its civil part of the G8-2007 process, German NGOs need more contacts with Russia, especially with their Russian colleagues. And it is also important to use the presidency of the country in G8, not forgetting about its international nature, i.e. to tie together the country’s problems with the problems of international community.
