Mexico's Roman Catholic bishops launched a petition drive Tuesday as part of the international effort lobbying for debt relief for the world's poorest countries. The aim is to collect 10 million signatures beseeching the industrialised North and multilateral lending institutions to totally or partially forgive the debt held by the world's poorest nations. World-famous musicians like Britain's David Bowie, Puerto Rico's Willie Coln and Ireland's Bono, meanwhile, announced a plan to ask Pope John Paul II to deliver to the World Bank and wealthy countries their request for debt relief for poor countries.
People are tired of political and diplomatic talk.
The group of singers and songwriters, which includes U.S. show business personality Quincy Jones, proposes that highly indebted governments invest the amount owed in social services, said Coln. He did not specify, however, when the group's request would be delivered to the Pope. Athi, the secretary of the Episcopate's Social Pastoral Commission, said the signature drive undertaken by Mexico's more than 100 Catholic bishops was pushing for an at least five percent reduction of the foreign debt owed by poor countries. Like the musicians, the bishops recommend that the funds each country saves from the partial cancellation of its debt be channelled into social works. The petition drive will end Oct 17, and the first National Social Week is scheduled for Oct 25-28.