SAVE THE DATE!

The debt problem is not over. Despite all the promises and schemes offered by lending governments and international financial institutions.

The debt continues to exacerbate poverty and rob the peoples of Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific of their human rights to health, education, housing, water and all the other essential goods and basic services which should be available to all:

• to livelihoods, living wages and job security
• to healthy environment and sustainable use of ecological resources
• to independence and political autonomy
• to self-determination in economic development and all other aspects of national  life

It is a scandal that the rich world continues to demand hundreds of millions of dollars every day from the South, in payment of ‘debts’ that have emerged from unjust economic relations that impoverish the South and enrich the North.

These debts include those

• contracted without democratic processes
• accompanied by unjust terms and obligations
• perpetuated through fraud and deception
• lost to corruption and failed projects
• supported repressive governments
• financed policies harmful to people and the environment

Debt continues to be used as an instrument of control by lending governments and international institutions. Conditionalities attached to loans and debt relief enforces neoliberal policies and projects,

facilitating the entry and unaccountable operations of transnational corporations

securing trade deals favorable to transnational corporations and rich countries at the expense of the economies, livelihoods and resources of the peoples of the South

promoting invasive foreign and military policy and strategies

allowing the plunder and resource extraction from recipient countries and hastening environmental destruction and climate change

We urge you all to join the GLOBAL WEEK OF ACTION VS DEBT and IFIs – a week of various forms of citizen’s actions and mobilizations worldwide from October 14 to 21, 2007. Several important events will mark that week:

 

October 15 - the 20th  anniversary of the death of Thomas Sankara, former President of Burkina Faso, who called for repudiation of debt

October 16 – World Food Day

October 17 – International Day to Eradicate Poverty (note: lets us GCAP first if they will sign up to this call and then we can mention their White Band Day on this date)

October 20 – World Youth Day

October 19-21 – IMF-WB Annual meetings

Together let us challenge and confront northern governments, international banks, transnational companies, and multilateral institutions such as the IMF, World Bank, and WTO to take responsibility for debt domination and illegitimate debt. 

Let us also demand past and present governments and government officials in the South to be accountable for their role in the debt problem.  Let us declare our readiness to stand in solidarity with those who choose to repudiate illegitimate debt. 

Let us pursue alternative and responsible financial relations, principles and standards to stop the re-accumulation of illegitimate debt.  These will involve major changes in international and national structures, processes and policies towards the establishment of equitable and just economic, financial and political relations.

Platform of the Global Week of Action
In the immediate we demand from North and South governments and international financial institutions the following:

1. Open, transparent and participatory Parliamentary and/or Governmental  Debt Audits in both South and North countries;  Full cooperation with citizens groups for independent Citizens Debt Audits, including the Global Citizens Audit of the lending operations and related policies of the World Bank and IMF, Regional Development Banks and Export Credit Agencies

2.  Immediate and 100% cancellation of multilateral debts and all illegitimate debts as part of the total cancellation of debt claimed from the South, without externally imposed conditionalities; Repudiation of unsustainable, unjust and illegitimate debt; 

3. Full transparency and accountability to citizens in the implementation of debt cancellation and debt repudiation; Democratic decision-making and implementation to ensure that funds freed from debt cancellation and debt repudiation are used for genuine, equitable and sustainable development.

4. Immediate end to the financing and enforcement of neoliberal policies and projects through debt related conditionalities:

• Stop the privatization of public services and the use of public resources to support private profits
• Stop using debt and aid as leverage for unfair trade agreements
• Stop the promotion of  environmentally destructive projects such as big dams, oil, gas and mining, coal and other dirty energy;  Stop  the escalation of climate change

Participating Organizations

Jubilee South, Jubilee USA Network, Debt and Development Coalition-Ireland, Oil Change International, EURODAD, CADTM, SLUG Norway, Jubilee Australia, Jubileo Sur Americas, Africa Jubilee South, Asia/Pacific Movement for Debt and Development, Dialogo 2000 Argentina, PAPDA-APC Haiti, Daughters of Mumbi-Kenya, Forum for Africa Alternatives-Senegal, Freedom From Debt Coalition-Philippines, Jubilee Kyushu-Japan, Jubilee Zambia, ATTAC Japan, Solidarity Africa Network, LATINDAD If your organization is interested in joining the Call to Global Action Against Debt & IFIs, please e-mail Neil Watkins.