The on-line "Have your say on the G8" survey continues
14/07/2009
“Have your say on the G8”, the first on-line public poll on a G8 site, has been on line for a week, and the large number of respondents already makes it possible to gain a significant initial idea of the way in which the G8 in general and the L’Aquila Summit in particular are perceived.
The initiative sets out to bring the institutions and the public closer together by opening the G8 up to everybody’s impressions and views. This initial poll enables all the G8 site’s visitors to answer a questionnaire on the G8’s role and on the global governance issue. It will remain open until Wednesday, 22 July.
Respondents may view the partial findings after filling out the completely anonymous on-line questionnaire; we summarise the trend below and invite all readers who have not already done so to “have their say” on the G8.
The first part of the questionnaire, which is completely anonymous and may be answered once only, lists a series of general assertions, for instance: “The G8 Summit is an event I shall be following with interest,” and “the G8 countries have the moral authority to debate the world’s problems.” The user can say to what extent he/she agrees with each of these statements by ticking one of four options: not at all, not much, quite a lot or very much.
The answers submitted to date reveal that the G8 is an event perceived as being of great importance, and hence followed with interest. Both a leading role in the international community and the moral authority to debate the world’s problems are attributed to the G8 Leaders, whereas the critical comments reveal the need to involve civil society more closely in the G8 process. The respondents in the on-line survey who have stated their views to date consider that it is also up to civil society to assess the outcome of the Summit’s proceedings.
The second part of the questionnaire relates more specifically to the L’Aquila Summit. The absolute majority of G8 site surfers has to date come out in favour of the venue’s move from La Maddalena to L’Aquila, also concurring with the assertions describing the Summit as “an opportunity for raising Italy’s profile worldwide” and “a regional development opportunity for Abruzzo.”
In the final part, the one on governance, readers split in half between those who thought that the cost of organising the G8 was commensurate with the latter’s purpose and those who believed it ought to be cut down. And the partial findings in response to the question: “With whom should the G8 member countries share their responsibilities?” allocate 30% of the votes to the G5 countries, 23.7% to the United Nations and 22.8% to the developing countries,” thus showing that the public is largely in favour of the Italian G8 Presidency’s decision to hold a summit unique in terms of the number of countries attending.
