That was September 1998 and by March the federal government had taken the first step in response. In June there was another, in December another, in February another. The debt campaign is a journey of many steps which continues. It is a journey that offers some lessons for the Jubilee commitment we make today. We worked on Third World debt not because it was the only issue facing our Southern brothers and sisters, but because our partners told us it was the key sign, symbol and reality in their domination.
Debt equals domination.
In the debt campaign, our partners challenged us to open our eyes to history to address debt in the context of the legacy of colonization and slavery that continues into the present day. We were called to solidarity to seek debt cancellation not as an act of charity but of justice - even reparation. We were challenged by those who had laboured in the debt struggle before us and for whom it is the struggle of their lives. We learned that it is those most affected who must be the ones to judge the success of our collective efforts. It is our Southern brothers and sisters who will judge the integrity of our solidarity.