About Junior Eight
Russia hosted the G8 Summit for the first time in 2006. Through Russia’s initiative, a “Junior Summit” was organized as an official activity to accompany the G8 Summit. Teens from the countries being represented by the G8 leaders, met in St. Petersburg and discussed the main topics of the G8 Summit. Their conversations resulted in a document outlining their thoughts and suggestions for dealing with these issues, which was officially presented to the G8 leaders.
The success of this Russian J8 initiative encouraged young people to understand that each person in the world community has global responsibility for the destiny of our planet and for decreasing extremism and xenophobia.
It provided support for making people aware of the ideas and actions of the G8 and led to international collaboration between children and youth. The J8 Summit has now become an official part of the G8 Summit.
In 2007 and 2008, the governments of Germany and Japan followed the tradition started by Russia, and held the J8 Summit in the cities of Vismar, Germany (June 2007) and in Chitose, Japan (July 2008). Each year when the summit is held outside of Russia, a Russian delegation is formed from one of the Federal districts. The Russian Ministry of Education and Science, along with St. Petersburg State University, held a competition titled “The World through the Eyes of Youth” to select the delegates. In 2007 and 2008 these contests were carried out in the Northwest Region and the Far East Federal districts, respectively. In 2009 this event took place in the Southern Federal District of Russia.
The delegates to the J8 Summit participate in discussions on topics identical to those of the G8 Summit. The conclusions of the J8 Summit members are written in an official paper which is formally presented to the G8 Summit. At this event an international J8 Summit group, composed of one member from each of the countries represented at the J8 Summit, officially delivers this document.
The J8 Summit includes cultural activities which provide the opportunity for young people from the world’s leading countries to directly communicate with each other.
