[stop-imf] Africa Action: 7 Weeks to the G-8 : Act Now for Debt Cancellation!]

[robert weissman]

Africa Action: www.africaaction.org

7 Weeks to the G-8 : Act Now for Debt Cancellation!

In seven weeks the Group of Eight (G-8) wealthy nations will begin their
summit in Gleneagles, Scotland, and international debt will be on the table.
We have seven weeks to take action that could make the difference between
achieving 100% cancellation of the debts of impoverished nations to the
International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank or watching as these world
leaders shirk their responsibility to cancel the debt of African nations.
Please take three simple actions today that could make the difference
between life and debt for African nations.

Action #1: Sign a Jubilee Postcard!

Jubilee USA Network, of which Africa Action is a part, is circulating
postcards to President George Bush and Treasury Secretary John Snow calling
on the G-8 to Wipe Out Debt in 2005.  The message on the postcard asks for
100% cancellation of multilateral debts for all impoverished nations without
harmful conditions and suggests that cancellation should be financed by
selling IMF gold, using World Bank profits and stopping the IMFs structural
adjustment lending. These postcards will be delivered one week before the
G-8 meets in Scotland. You can order postcards or sign on-line at
www.jubileeusa.org.

Action #2: Sign the American Friends Service Committee Petition!

American Friends Service Committee (AFSC) is circulating an on-line petition
to Treasury Secretary John Snow that also calls for 100% debt cancellation
without harmful conditions, emphasizes the need to include debt to the IMF
and empower civil society to be a part of the solution. This petition also
calls for financing to come from the institutions own resources. You can
sign the AFSC petition on-line. This petition will be delivered as part of a
lobby day two weeks prior to the G-8 meeting. See
http://www.afsc.org/africa/new-africa/activism/Action-Snow-Letter.htm

Action #3: Send a Message to Bush and Snow Today!

Since both of these valuable initiatives will be presented to the Bush
Administration at the end of June, we thought it important to keep a steady
flow of messages over the next five weeks to keep the pressure on the
Administration to negotiate full debt cancellation. You can send your
message to Snow and Bush by visiting the Action Center on Africa Action's
website. www.africaaction.org

Africa Action, with American Friends Service Committee, 50 Years is Enough
Network and the Jubilee USA Network will craft a public press event a week
prior to the G-8 summit to help facilitate the delivery of the petition and
postcards and publicize the call for debt cancellation. We will continue to
raise our voices for 100% debt cancellation until the full need is met.
Thank you for your support as we struggle for freedom from debt.