BACKGROUND
Today, the world’s most impoverished countries spend more than $100 million each day in debt payments to wealthy governments and financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF. In countries where the majority of the population lives on less than $1 per day, this money could be spent on clean water, basic health care and education.
In 2000 and again in 2005 world leaders came together to cancel billions of dollars of debt in dozens of impoverished countries around the world. The money already freed by debt cancellation has been used to fight global AIDS, enroll children in school, provide clean water, improve rural infrastructure and allow governments to fund other necessary work. But there is still much more to be done – dozens of impoverished countries around the world are still waiting for debt justice.
The most important and prophetic debt legislation in seven years, the Jubilee Act, will expand access to debt cancellation to all the countries that need it to fight extreme poverty. Without debt cancellation, it will be nearly impossible for many countries to achieve the UN Millennium Development Goals to cut extreme poverty in half by 2015.
The Jubilee Act (S. 2166) also requires that debt cancellation be provided without harmful economic policy conditions attached, calls for the initiation of a responsible lending framework, and requires a debt audit in countries like South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo which have a heavy burden of odious debt.
TAKE ACTION
The Jubilee Act passed in the House of Representatives on Wednesday April 16, 2008 and now must be passed by the Senate as S. 2166.
Please take the simple steps below -- and help change the lives of millions:
- To find the names of your state senators, visit http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm
- Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.
- Ask to be connected to your senator's office. The receptionist will answer. Introduce yourself as (your name), a constituent from (city, state).
- I am calling today to urge Representative________ to vote yes on the Jubilee Act (S. 2166). This bill would expand eligibility for debt cancellation to 67 impoverished countries. Without debt cancellation these 67 countries will not be able to meet the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). (If you’d like, add an additional sentence about why this issue is important to you). Do you know how Senator _________ plans to vote on the Jubilee Act?
If the staff person doesn't know or if you are leaving a message, request that they call you back with the representative's position.
- Be sure to thank the receptionist when you are finished.
THANK YOU for taking action. By making this call, you support responsible governments who are fighting extreme poverty.
For more information, or to join the LWR advocacy network individually, please contact advocacy@lwr.org or Gretchen King at gking@lwr.org.
WHO IS LWR? Lutheran World Relief, an international nonprofit organization, works to end poverty and injustice by empowering some of the world's most impoverished communities to help themselves. With partners in 35 countries, LWR seeks to promote sustainable development with justice and dignity by helping communities bring about change for healthy, safe and secure lives; engage in Fair Trade; promote peace and reconciliation; and respond to emergencies. LWR is headquartered in Baltimore, Md. and has worked in international development and relief since 1945.
Lutheran World Relief is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), individuals and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility.
