[stop-imf] Call White House/Treasury WEDS for Debt Cancellation!

[robert weissman]

Jubilee USA Network
Countdown to Freedom from Debt Campaign

Tomorrow, on Wednesday, 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 or the comment line at
202-456-1111
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=
:

=B7=09I 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.
=B7=09All 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.
=B7=09Meanwhile, 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=92s success in reducing HIV infection rates by
40%. Imagine what 100% cancellation would achieve!
=B7=09I 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=92 existing
resources. I also support moving away from loans to grants for
impoverished nations.
=B7=09I am calling as part of Jubilee USA Network=92s Countdown to Freedom
from Debt campaign. Today marks 30 days until debt decision day =96 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=97this
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=92s 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


Neil Watkins
Outreach and Communications Coordinator
Jubilee USA Network
(202) 783-0129
www.jubileeusa.org