By Patricia J. Rumer
As part of debt detecting, I arranged to visit with local Jubilee leaders in Monze, Zambia. Jubilee Zamb
ia has five district groups working on debt, trade and aid issues. Monze is a small regional town center of thirty thousand residents, three hours south of Lusaka. Phoebe Moono is the lively facilitator of the group. They have 25 active members with four work groups on APRM (Africa Peer Review Mechanism), debt, economic and social rights and just wages as part of national projects on Trade, Aid and Debt.
ia has five district groups working on debt, trade and aid issues. Monze is a small regional town center of thirty thousand residents, three hours south of Lusaka. Phoebe Moono is the lively facilitator of the group. They have 25 active members with four work groups on APRM (Africa Peer Review Mechanism), debt, economic and social rights and just wages as part of national projects on Trade, Aid and Debt.Like many Jubilee USA local groups, they use a variety of outreach/organizing strategies to educate and raise awareness about these issues with various constituencies. Monze is surrounded by small towns and agricultural areas. They have a regular radio program and frequently participate in call-in shows. On the debt campaign, they organize public forums and workshops.
They were disappointed as they had set up a meeting with the local Member of Parliament the previous weekend and he did not show! Phoebe exclaimed – “there were 75 people in the room from other NGO’s, Caritas, students and residents waiting to ask their MP what has happened in the past four years? How have we benefited from the budget as a result of debt cancellation?” As part of their overall advocacy work, Jubilee wanted to press the MP to advocate for more responsible borrowing by implementing the government protocols.
The Jesuit Center for Theological Reflection based in Lusaka is the sponsor of Jubilee Zambia. JCTR conducts a monthly survey of the “basic needs basket” – what is the minimum cost of a decent life for a family of six. Jubilee Monze participates in gathering the data and then issues press releases as part of the JCTR report.
Currently, the minimum wage is $259,000 Kw per month ($55 USD) while the basic bread basket estimates that $800,000 KW ($170 USD) per month is needed to at least cover food costs.
DEBT MONITORING IS ALIVE
The Jubilee district offices have been using a debt monitoring instrument since 2007 to track spending and the results of debt cancellation on current budget expenditures. It has been quite challenging as the government does not want to reveal the cost of projects. In 2010 Jubilee Monze is tracking education expenditures. There is $678 million Kwacha in the budget for their district but the local authorities have not been cooperative in sharing data. Phoebe serves on the District Coordinating Committee which oversees the district budget but she said, “When it comes time to question the district council, somehow people are hungry or it is time to go home.”
Anton, another Jubilee Monze member, criticized the top down approach of the government as local communities are not consulted. “Budgets are developed only at the national level and do not involve the community. Local people are not hired to build schools or roads.” Jubilee is one of the local groups advocating for more community involvement in deciding on how funds are spent in the district.
Jubilee in Monze is also active in a human rights campaign to educate the grassroots to vote yes on economic and social rights to be included in the referendum on the National Constitution. For example, they are gathering signatures for a petition for the inclusion of social and economic rights into the National Constitution referendum. They send the petitions to JCTR for national distribution.
JUBILEE ZAMBIA IN MONZE CALL TO JUBILEE USA NETWORK
The Monze team calls upon Jubilee USA and the international community to support Zambian civil society in its efforts to implement responsible borrowing practices by the government. For more information on the debt management plan, see www.jctr.org.zm. Also, a debt audit would be very helpful as we would know what we owe!
Jubilee Monze team would like to partner with a local Jubilee USA group in order to exchange organizing and advocacy strategies as well as to celebrate each others' achievements.
REFLECTION
It was great to spend time with the Jubilee Zambia in Monze coordinating committee – it felt just like a Jubilee Oregon meeting with the creative energy and torment of ideas for future plans.
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