Today, President Clinton wrote to leaders of faith communities in the US to thank them for their perseverance in calling for debt relief for impoverished countries. Because of the debt, countries face enormous budgetary pressures, plus they have had to comply with multi-year austerity programs imposed by creditors. The UN has stated that lifting the burden of debt in just 20 countries and ensuring the savings are redirected to social programs would save the lives of 7 million children a year. Jubilee 2000 supporters took heart last week when pressure from faith communities played a major role in persuading Congress to include part of the necessary financing for an important debt relief initiative in the budget agreement.
More work lies ahead, but it is an important first step.
We join President Clinton in thanking not only the faith community but also those in the environmental community, students, those in solidarity with Africa and Latin America, and all the grass roots groups around the country as well as our Jubilee 2000 partners around the world. We all pledge ourselves to work together so that at the first Thanksgiving of the 22nd century all the victims of this unjust burden around the world will be able to join us in giving thanks that they have been set free from the chains of debt. The budget agreement referred to by the President followed an upsurge in campaign activity over the past year by the Jubilee 2000 USA Campaign. Thousands of supporters have mailed in post cards to the President asking for his support and over 30,000 people are involved in a national fast in solidarity with those made hungry by crushing debt. Thousands of supporters are also expected to take part in a Human Chain in Seattle next Monday, November 29.