Right now, Congress is considering the most important piece of legislation on the international debt crisis of the past seven years!



Since the days of Jubilee 2000, we have seen 23 countries receive near 100% cancellation of their debts to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank. In countries like Zambia and Tanzania, debt relief has produced results – eliminating fees that had blocked access to primary education and rural health clinics, helping millions of children return to school and providing access to basic medical care.



Despite the remarkable track record of debt cancellation, many low-income countries continue to send over $100 million every day to service debt. This is money that could be invested in health care, education, access to clean water and other economic development initiatives.



The Jubilee Act is a bipartisan measure that calls for greater responsibility in lending and an expansion of debt cancellation to include low-income countries currently not eligible under existing debt relief programs.

The Jubilee Act would make 24 of the world’s poorest countries, including all of Sub-Saharan Africa, potentially eligible for complete debt cancellation by the United States, The World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and other multilateral creditors without economic conditionality that hurts those most vulnerable. In order to be eligible, countries must demonstrate transparent and effective public finance management and dedicate released funds to poverty reduction programs. Eligible countries must also adhere to human rights measures, include a broad cross-section of interested parties in the spending allocation process, and produce a publicly available annual report disclosing the use of debt cancellation savings.

The Jubilee Act is one of the most widely supported and bi-partisan anti-poverty bills in Congress, but it is up to us to make sure it passes. We have an historic opportunity to address the debt crisis in low-income countries around the world and make a huge step forward in our goal to end poverty.



The Jubilee Act is already co-sponsored by Sen. John E. Sununu.



The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is going to vote on the Jubilee Act soon!



PLEASE CALL SENATOR GREGG TODAY!

You can reach Senator Gregg’s national office in Washington, D.C. by calling

(202)-224-3324



AFSC thanks you for your help in the movement to cancel debt for low-income countries.

SENATE CALL-IN SCRIPT

1. The receptionist will answer. Introduce yourself and let them know you are a constituent from (city) _________, New Hampshire.

2. I am calling today to urge Senator Gregg to co-sponsor S2166, the Senate version of the Jubilee Act. This bill would expand eligibility for debt cancellation to 24 low-income countries. Debt cancellation will enable these countries to invest in health care, education and job creation to reduce poverty. (You can stop there or add an additional sentence about why this issue is important to you.)
3.

To learn more about debt cancellation and the American Friends Service Committee’s Life Over Debt Campaign, please visit:

afsc.org/africa-debt/

To subscribe to the National Africa Network E-Newsletter, please visit:

www.afsc.org/africa-debt/get-involved/email-sign-up.htm