Time for Action for Africa's Future

[Teta040]

This is why maybe we need to also try a different tack:

CONTACT WOLFOWITZ. Blitzkreig him NOW. Urge him to live up to the glowing words he spoke just 2 days ago. NOW is the time to put him on the spot, when those words are still fresh in peoples' minds. Esp the Europeans govts who grudgingly supported him even though their media didn't.

Jamila, maybe you can draft a letter for him, and give out contact info?

 

[Sherry Darling]

You know what part of Hotel Rwanda sticks with me the most? The part where Nick Nolte's character is upset and trying to explain to Cheagle's character why nobody is doing anything to help, where he says, "You're black, Paul. You 'aint French. You 'aint Belgian. You 'aint American. You're African. You aren't even a n----"

It's rascism all right, a very insidious kind.

That was an incredible scene.

re the suggestion that Jamila draft a letter, Jamila, if you'd like to, try a quick google first. I think there are already some good drafts out there. No need to reinvent the wheel.

 

[Jamila]

Here is an email that I received this week from DATA which was sent to their organizers (volunteer and paid staff). It contains a letter that can be downloaded, copied and distributed to your friends and families to sign and be sent back to DATA.

You could probably also use it to write Mr. Wolfowitz, Mr. John Snow (Treasury Dept) and our alltime favorite, Condi Rice. (Just change the name, the rest is pretty much the same)

After you have these letters signed, please send them back to DATA BEFORE 25 June, 2005. Their address is:

DATA
1400 Eye Street NW
Suite 1125
Washington DC 20005

These letters will be delivered to Pres. Bush before he leaves for Scotland for the G8 meeting 6-8 July 2005.

Thanks for everything that you do for Africa's Future!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

ONE campaign supporters:

Tomorrow begins the countdown to the G8 summit. Attached you will find
the letter to President Bush that the ONE campaign is using to
encourage him to attend the G8 summit in July with a positive plan for Africa
and other impoverished nations. Please use this in your outreach and
ask friends, family, church members and members of your community to sign
onto this letter. You can use this letter in churches for the week of
Faith (June 12th- 18th) and all month at events in your area.

Print the letter, make copies and ask people to sign them and include
their complete address.


The ONE Campaign



Dear President Bush,

Because:

• ONE billion people around the world live on less than ONE dollar a day;
• The US government spends less than ONE percent on overcoming global AIDS and poverty;
• Citizens are uniting as ONE across political and religious divides to support action to overcome the emergency of global AIDS and extreme poverty.

At the G8 leaders meeting on July 6th we urge you to:

• Help the poorest people of the world fight poverty, AIDS and hunger at a cost equal to just ONE percent more of the US budget on a clear timetable;
• Cancel 100% of the debts owed by the poorest countries;
• Reform trade rules so poor countries can earn sustainable incomes.

We urge you to lead an historic deal with other nations to help Africa and the poorest nations overcome global AIDS and extreme poverty. Together as ONE, we can Make Poverty History this July.

Sincerely,




Address: ____________________________________

City, State: ____________________________________

Zip code: ____________________________________

 

[Liesje]

What do you guys think about cancelling debt w/ incentives? Like, if a country meets a certain criteria, all of the debt will be cancelled. Or should it just be cancelled outright?

 

[BonosSaint]

Depending on the criteria and the ability to meet it, sure.

 

[BonosSaint]

In addition, a set timetable to meet the criteria and a moratorium in the meantime on the debt.

 

[Jamila]

The important thing to remember is that the debts of the world's poorest nations that are being considered to be fully cancelled are debts whose principle has already been paid back to the lenders.

These desparately poor countries are just paying interest on the interest of these loans - these countries have already paid back to the lenders $9 for every $1 they originally owed!

The moral thing to do is to simply DROP THE DEBT.

 

[BonosSaint]

Drop it, then. No conditions.

 

[Jamila]

 

[Jamila]

I think it's time to bump this thread