Hey all! I'm always glad to see a "wake UP and DO SOMETHING" thread. If you have not called the White House and your Rep to ask them to support the Jubilee Bill, why not do so today? Right now?
That's all it takes to be one of Bono's Angels!
Here's a sample letter, as well as the Action Alert.
Jubilee USA Network
Countdown to Freedom from Debt Campaign
On September 1st, Call the White House and U.S. Treasury & Ask the Administration to Support Full Debt Cancellation for Impoverished Countries!
It is a critical moment in the movement for impoverished country debt cancellation. We need you to CALL the White House and the U.S. Treasury Department on Wednesday, September 1. When you call, ask that the administration announce its support for 100% multilateral debt cancellation for all impoverished nations when the G-7 Finance Ministers meet in Washington on October 1.
To call the White House, dial: 202-456-1414
To call the US Treasury Department, dial: 202-622-0656 (This is the office of Undersecretary for International Affairs John Taylor -- please ask to leave a message with the receptionist for Mr. Taylor, not to transfer to voicemail)
When you call, you can use or adapt one or more of the below talking points:
� I am calling to urge President Bush and the Treasury Department to support 100% cancellation of debts owed by impoverished nations to the World Bank, IMF, and other mulilateral financial institutions. I want to encourage President Bush/US Treasury to use US leverage to build consensus in the G-7 for 100% debt cancellation, and to announce support for 100% cancellation at the G-7 Finance Ministers meeting on October 1.
� All African countries are paying more on debt service than on health care for their people, even with limited and conditional debt relief. The average spending per person on debt service is $14 per person while the average spending on health is less than $5 per person.
� Meanwhile, we know that debt relief works. Uganda, the first country to receive debt relief used $1.3 million of its debt savings specifically for their national HIV/AIDS plan. This investment played a key role in the government?s success in reducing HIV infection rates by 40%. Imagine what 100% cancellation would achieve!
� I support 100% cancellation of multilateral debt (IMF, World Bank, regional development banks) for all impoverished nations (not just those countries in the current HIPC Initiative), without harmful economic policy conditions attached, and from the institutions? existing resources. I also support moving away from loans to grants for impoverished nations.
� I am calling as part of Jubilee USA Network?s Countdown to Freedom from Debt campaign. Today marks 30 days until debt decision day ? we hope to be able to ring in freedom from debt on October 1st!
Background
At the G-8 summit in early June, world leaders considered for the first time a proposal that would provide 100% multilateral debt cancellation for impoverished nations. Debt cancellation is desperately needed?this year alone, 3 million people in Africa will die due to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Yet countries on the African continent will send an estimated $15 billion in debt service to the IMF, World Bank, and wealthy creditor nations this year.
Though they failed to take action at the June summit, G-8 leaders directed their finance ministers (including the US Treasury Secretary) to consider additional measures in the coming months. Their next meeting will take place on October 1, 2004, just before the Annual Meetings of the IMF and World Bank in Washington, DC.
So, we have from now until early October to turn up the heat, pull out all the stops, and put the pressure on our government and other G-7 governments to announce 100% cancellation! Jubilee USA Network?s demand of the U.S. government and other G-7 nations is that they announce support for 100% cancellation of multilateral debt (IMF, World Bank, regional development banks) for all impoverished nations (not just those countries in the current HIPC Initiative), without harmful economic policy conditions attached.
See more information on the Countdown to Freedom from debt at
www.jubileeusa.org
Thank you for taking a moment to make this important call and please pass this message along to others!!!
And the sample letter I wrote, which you are free to cut and paste. (Obviously plug in the name and address of your rep, which is at house.gov.
)
Representative Jim Moran
2239 Rayburn Building
Washington, DC 20515-4608
August 30, 2004
Dear Rep. Moran:
Recently a bipartisan group of your colleagues, including Representatives Waters, Leach, Franks and Bachus, sponsored a groundbreaking new piece of legislation, HR 4793, the JUBILEE Act. It would significantly reduce global poverty by requiring Treasury to work in appropriate multilateral settings to achieve 100% debt cancellation for a list of 50 developing nations. The bill urges that this cancellation come from the international financial institutions� own resources, and significantly, that no harmful structural adjustment conditions be attached.
This bill will provide impoverished nations the fresh start they need for development. It will significantly reduce poverty throughout Asia, South America and especially Africa, where resources are desperately needed for clinics, schools, infrastructure and fighting AIDS.
As the JUBILEE Act calls in the creditors to cancel debt from their own resources, it does not place a financial burden on the U.S. The IMF and World Bank will likely respond that they cannot afford this, but accounting firms in the UK recently released a report demonstrating that, with their reserves and gold, they can indeed finance this debt cancellation without affecting their ability to lend in the future.
As a constituent, I am asking that you co-sponsor and give your full support to this legislation. A more prosperous world is a safe and more stable world.
Thank you for your time and consideration. I look forward to hearing from you on this vital moral issue.
Sincerely,
Let's make some noise!
Cheryl
Is there anybody out there?
To all my awesome Interference friends!
but that one is easier to use 
) Don't be shy--introduce yourself and DO A DAMN THING! 
No problem Sherry! Did I earn my 'wings'? 
This is a great thread to give people the tools to make a difference! 
