HOPE for Africa

[Robert Weissman <rob@essential.org>]

Today Rep. Jesse Jackson, Jr. introduced the HOPE for Africa bill, which
among other provisions contains meaningful debt cancellation language for
sub-Saharan Africa. The bill is known as HR 772. Now would be a good time
for U.S. citizens to call their members of Congress and urge support for
HR 772, and opposition to the corporate-backed HR 434, the NAFTA for
Africa bill. For more details on the bills, check the Public Citizen web
site, <www.tradewatch.org>

Robert Weissman
Essential Information			|   Internet:	rob@essential.org

 Introducing H.R. 772 "The HOPE For Africa Act Of 1999"
  02/23/99 Press Release
                                                                                    



 INTRODUCING H.R. 772, "THE HOPE FOR AFRICA ACT OF 1999"
 Statement By Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr.
 Tuesday, February 23, 1999

 To overcome a nearly 400 year legacy of unregulated business and
investment that gave us slavery,
 colonialism and widespread human and economic exploitation, today we
introduce H.R. 772, "The
 HOPE for Africa Act of 1999," based on Human Rights, Opportunity,
Partnership and Empowerment as
 the basis for a new respectful and mutually beneficial human and economic
relationship.

 Unregulated business and investment, structural adjustment programs built
on debt service, is the status
 quo or worse. This status quo formula has given Africa: wealth in the
hands of a few; followed
 inevitably by civil wars (both ethnic and tribal) over food and economic
security; undemocratic regimes;
 and economic and political instability.

 We support bilateral, multilateral and international trade. We are not
economic isolationists or economic
 protectionists. By introducing this legislation today, we seek to
establish a new principle that should
 underlie every trade bill in the United States -- that the benefits of
trade must be shared widely by the
 majority of the common working people in every participating society, not
just benefit the business and
 financial interests of an elite few.

 We support business and investment in Africa. Indeed, our business
development and trade provisions
 are more expansive than the provisions in Rep. Phil Crane's African
Growth and Opportunity Act.
 HOPE for Africa insures that the average African worker will be paid a
minimum wage; has the right to
 organize for their own protection and economic security; has the right to
work in safe and healthy
 working conditions; can produce goods and protect the environment at the
same time so business
 development and economic growth can be sustained indefinitely; and so the
common people of Africa
 might be able to work their way out of their poverty and underdeveloped
condition with dignity.

 The HOPE for Africa legislation provides trade remedies that can be
embraced by both working
 Americans and working Africans because it raises the living standards of
both. It does not raise some
 African living standards at the expense of lowering some American living
standards. It is also good for
 long-term business development and economic investment because average
workers on both continents
 will be able to buy the goods and services that they produce and, in the
process, build a fairer and more
 perfect economic world.

 First, H. R. 772 affirms each African nation's right to economic
self-determination. The HOPE for
 Africa legislation is built on the principles and goals developed by
African finance ministers in
 cooperation with the Organization for African Unity, and with input by
African workers' organizations
 such as COSATU in South Africa.

 Second, H.R. 772 offers a solution to Sub-Saharan Africa's crushing $230
billion debt --
 unconditional, comprehensive debt forgiveness. Excluding South Africa,
with upwards of 20 percent of
 Sub-Saharan nations' export earnings going to debt service, few resources
are left to devote to
 development and urgent local needs.

 Third, H.R. 772 addresses the AIDS crisis by replenishing and targeting
assistance from the
 Development Fund for Africa for AIDS education and treatment programs;
making it U.S. policy to
 assist Sub-Saharan African countries in efforts to make needed
pharmaceuticals and medical
 technologies widely available; and prohibiting the use of U.S. funds to
undermine African intellectual
 property and competition policies that are designed to increase the
availability of medications. Since the
 beginning of the AIDS epidemic, 83 percent of AIDS deaths have occurred
in Sub-Saharan Africa.

 Fourth, H.R. 772 restores Africa's budget line item for foreign aid with
a set guaranteed amount, not to
 decline below 1994 levels. This would restore parity for Africa with U.S.
foreign aid treatment of other
 vital regions. Currently, Africa is the only region not a line item in
the budget.

 Finally, President Clinton says we must put a new and human face on trade
-- and I agree. But the new
 face must be based on a new foundation. The policies regarding Africa
that the Congress sets now will
 deeply affect the economic future of the continent and, thus, the future
of the African people for decades
 to come. With such high stakes, it is vital that we get the initial
policy right. With this in mind, I submit
 H.R. 772, which has the broad-based support of African and U.S.
development, trade and economic
 experts and also organizations in Africa and the U.S., representing the
interests of the majority of the
 people who will be affected.

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