Jubilee Debt Campaign News and Action Update August 2007

GLOBAL DEBT WEEK: 14-21 OCTOBER 2007
ILLEGITIMATE DEBT MEETING IN UK PARLIAMENT 
SLAVE TRADE ANNIVERSARY: 23 AUGUST 
BIRMINGHAM INTERFAITH GROUP TAKES MESSAGE TO NUMBER 10

FINALLY

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GLOBAL DEBT WEEK: 14-21 OCTOBER 2007

The global week of action against debt in October will see campaigners across the world drawing attention to the continuing debt crisis. The week includes several key dates:

• October 15 - the 20th anniversary of the death of Thomas Sankara,  former President of Burkina Faso, who called for repudiation of debt
• October 17 - International Day to Eradicate Poverty, when campaigners will be Standing Up and Speaking Out against poverty
• October 19-21 - The annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.

The week will be a great opportunity to Lift the Lid on illegitimate debts, as well as call for an end to the harmful conditions attached to debt cancellation by the World Bank and IMF. Some of the actions
you could take in the week include: putting on a speaker meeting, lobbying your MP, ordering campaigning materials, or holding a Stand Up and Speak Out event.

Please put the week in your diary for 14-21 October, and start thinking about how you can take part in your area. Some information and resources are on our website now - more will become available in
the next few weeks.

Debt Week resources and info: http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/debtweek

ILLEGITIMATE DEBT MEETING IN UK PARLIAMENT

Thanks to everyone who contacted their MP about illegitimate debt in advance of our meeting in Parliament last month. There was a good turnout to hear Collette Lespinasse from Haiti and Mfuni Kazadi from the Democratic Republic of Congo talk about the effects of illegitimate debts in their countries, and discuss the role that MPs and campaigners must play to ensure transparency and responsibility in development lending in the future. With the UK government so far resisting calls for a thorough investigation into past UK lending, we need to keep the pressure up in parliament - so please contact your MP if you haven't already.

Report from the meeting: http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/parliament

Contact your MP: http://voiceyourviews.net/eactivist/vyv.v?v=2121:562:13376:

SLAVE TRADE ANNIVERSARY: 23 AUGUST

The annual International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and its Abolition will be marked on 23 August, to coincide with the anniversary of Haiti's independence struggle, when slaves rose up and defeated the colonial powers, forming a free republic in 1804. But Haiti is now considered the poorest country in the Americas and has debts of well over $1 billion, much of which were run up under the Duvalier dictators.

Help set Haiti free from the chains of debt - forward this action link to a friend: http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/setfree

BIRMINGHAM INTERFAITH GROUP TAKES MESSAGE TO NUMBER 10

An interfaith delegation from Birmingham and West Midlands Jubilee Debt Campaign delivered hundreds of messages to 10 Downing St in July calling for Gordon Brown to take further action on cancelling the debt of the world's poorest countries.

Report: http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/bham

AND FINALLY...

Look out for our stall at this year's Greenbelt Festival at Cheltenham Racecourse from 24-27 August, where you'll be able to take our latest campaign actions on illegitimate debt and take away lots of
information and resources.

GET MORE INVOLVED:

Browse and order campaign materials: http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/materials

Become a Debt Activist: http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/newsletter

 Registered your group, school or congregation: http://www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/signup