Jubilee Network: Debt Cancellation & HIV/AIDS

[Guest guest]

Dear Forum,

Following to this message is an action on debt cancellation for HIPCs. (Highly

Indebted Poor Countries). It is for US citizens, but you can call as well).

What are your thoughts on the relationship between HIV/AIDS and debt relief ?

Should citizens without basic social services have to pay for debts incurred by

past leaders, especially corrupt ones such as Mobuto Sese Seko who spent the

loaned $ on weapons instead of development ?

Is a multilateral funding organization legitimate if it allows countries to

Default on loans?

Is it paradoxical for such institutions to fund HIV/AIDS prevention and

treatment and at the same time expect repayment ?

Just some thoughts...(esp. in the Indian context of politico-funding grant

nexus which sorry to say sometimes becomes the biggest joke in a developing

country like ours)

Regards,

Arindam Roy

Kolkata, (Global Youth Partner, UNFPA-HIV/AIDS Branch)

E-mail: <net_arindam@...>

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Jubilee USA Network

Countdown to Freedom from Debt Campaign

On September 1st, Call the White House and U.S. Treasury & Ask the

Administration to Support Full Debt Cancellation for Impoverished Countries!

It is a critical moment in the movement for impoverished country debt

cancellation. We need you to CALL the White House and the U.S. Treasury

Department on Wednesday, September 1. When you call, ask that the

administration announce its support for 100% multilateral debt cancellation

for all impoverished nations when the G-7 Finance Ministers meet in Washington

on October 1.

To call the White House, dial: 202-456-1414

To call the US Treasury Department, dial: 202-622-0656 (This is the

office of Undersecretary for International Affairs -- please ask to

leave a message with the receptionist for Mr. , not to transfer to

voicemail) When you call, you can use or adapt one or more of the below talking

points:

I am calling to urge President Bush and the Treasury Department to support 100%

cancellation of debts owed by impoverished nations to the World Bank, IMF, and

other mulilateral financial institutions. I want to encourage President Bush/US

Treasury to use US leverage to build consensus in the G-7 for 100% debt

cancellation, and to announce support for 100%

cancellation at the G-7 Finance Ministers meeting on October 1.

All African countries are paying more on debt service than on health care for

their people, even with limited and conditional debt relief.

The average spending per person on debt service is $14 per person while the

average spending on health is less than $5 per person.

Meanwhile, we know that debt relief works. Uganda, the first country to receive

debt relief used $1.3 million of its debt savings specifically

for their national HIV/AIDS plan. This investment played a key role in the

government’s success in reducing HIV infection rates by 40%.

Imagine what 100% cancellation would achieve!

I support 100% cancellation of multilateral debt (IMF, World Bank, regional

development banks) for all impoverished nations (not just those countries in the

current HIPC Initiative), without harmful economic policy conditions attached,

and from the institutions’ existing resources. I also support moving away from

loans to grants for impoverished nations.

I am calling as part of Jubilee USA Network’s Countdown to Freedom from Debt

campaign. Today marks 30 days until debt decision day – we hope to be able to

ring in freedom from debt on October 1st!

Background

At the G-8 summit in early June, world leaders considered for the first

time a proposal that would provide 100% multilateral debt cancellation for

impoverished nations. Debt cancellation is desperately needed—this year alone, 3

million people in Africa will die due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Yet countries on the African continent will send an estimated $15 billion in

debt service to the IMF, World Bank, and wealthy creditor nations this year.

Though they failed to take action at the June summit, G-8 leaders

directed their finance ministers (including the US Treasury Secretary) to

consider additional measures in the coming months. Their next meeting will take

place on October 1, 2004, just before the Annual Meetings of the IMF and World

Bank in Washington, DC.

So, we have from now until early October to turn up the heat, pull out

all the stops, and put the pressure on our government and other G-7

governments to announce 100% cancellation! Jubilee USA Network’s demand of the

U.S. government and other G-7 nations is that they announce support for 100%

cancellation of multilateral debt (IMF, World Bank, regional development banks)

for all impoverished nations (not just those countries in the current HIPC

Initiative), without harmful economic policy conditions attached.

See more information on the Countdown to Freedom from debt at

www.jubileeusa.org

Thank you for taking a moment to make this important call and please

pass this message along to others!!!

Neil Watkins

Outreach and Communications Coordinator

Jubilee USA Network

(202) 783-0129

www.jubileeusa.org

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