Too often, Congresspeople in support of campaign finance reform are voices crying alone in the wilderness. That would feed a lot of homeless people. I believe the time is right for the prophetic word and call for change. Sister Marie Dennis of the Maryknoll Society Peace and Justice Office then reported on a Jubilee 2000 - Debtor Nation campaign that would allow for the forgiveness of foreign debt to allow indebted, underdeveloped countries a fresh start. As we near the millennium, there is a prevalence of jubilee images, Sister Dennis said.
Countries deserve a new start, free of lingering debts.
Creditor and debtor nations share the responsibility for these debts, but only the indebted bear the weight of repayment under terms imposed by the International Monetary Fund, she explained. No mechanisms for bankruptcy exist. She also noted that many of the factors for increasing debt have been external to the countries involved, such as rising oil prices and the levying of high interest rates. Economic decisions need to involve moral factors, Sister Dennis said. As the Church, me need to insist that policies must be shaped in the context of God s love and demand for justice.