9/1: Call to Support Debt Cancellation

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 John Taylor -- please ask to
leave a message with the receptionist for Mr. Taylor, 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
http://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
http://www.jubileeusa.org

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