Tomorrow, October 2, the Center of Concern staff joins in the Jubilee Cancel Debt Fast.
Today, millions of men, women and children around the world are literally starving for debt cancellation. The 2007 Jubilee Act (HR 2634) would provide expanded debt cancellation for many countries that were not included in the 2005 G8 agreement and need debt cancellation to address extreme poverty. Moving the Jubilee Act through Congress is the central goal of this fall's Cancel Debt Fast, a rolling 40-day fast for debt cancellation that is taking place since September 6 until October 15, 2007.
Nearly halfway through the Cancel Debt Fast, we are already seeing concrete results:
- More than 10,000 individuals have already committed to fast for a day or more and to contact their Member of Congress;
- More than 50 organizations have promoted the fast – on the web or via e-mail to their members;
- 30 high profile authors, religious leaders, and political leaders including 4 Members of Congress and 2 former African presidents have joined the fast as “conveyors;” check out http://www.jubileeusa.org/cdfpressroom0/cdfleaders0.html;
- The fast has also garnered significant press attention including coverage in the Washington Post, Religion News Service, the Christian Post, Sojourners, and more. Rev. David C. Duncombe has been fasting since September 1st and shared his thoughts in an op-ed in the Florida Sun-Sentinel on this past Saturday at http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/opinion/sfl-fasting22forumnbsep22,0,7922243.story);
- There is already movement in the House towards one of the main policy goals for the fast: the scheduling of a hearing on the Jubilee Act – likely to be in November; and
- One member of the Senate has already committed to reintroduce the Jubilee Act in the Senate.
The Jubilee Act has been reintroduced, but it cannot be passed without your help.
You are still on time to join the Jubilee Cancel Debt Fast!
For more information on how to get involved, please visit www.jubileeusa.org.
For more information on the Jubilee Act, please visit http://www.jubileeusa.org/jubilee-act.html.
Posted by Aldo Caliari, Director of the Rethinking Bretton Woods Project, and Member of the Jubilee USA Coordinating Committee.
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