Jubilee Network

Jubilee USA Network is Born!

Jubilee 2000/USA Becomes the Jubilee USA Network and Seeks to End Debt Domination

[3-9-01]

Press release from Jubilee USA Network

Calling the debt owed by developing nations to the IMF and the World Bank "illegitimate" and pledging to oppose the "debt domination" of wealthy nations over poverty-stricken countries of the Southern Hemisphere, a coalition of faith-based and activist organizations launched the Jubilee/USA Network at a three day meeting in Denver, Colorado February 16-18, 2001.

More than 80 activists from across the US were hosted by the Denver office of the American Friends Service Committee. The group came together to celebrate the progress achieved by Jubilee 2000/USA and to create an expanded network, with a new governance structure, that will continue the energy needed to meet the remaining challenges. The Jubilee 2000/USA Campaign was restructured and renamed the Jubilee USA Network. Jubilee 2000/USA was itself founded at the G7 Summit in Denver in 1997.

A vital part of the meeting was a presentation by a Jubilee South representative based in Argentina, Beverly Keene. She stressed that the debt was illegitimate and asked for support for the call for immediate, unconditional debt cancellation.

She listed four things that coalition members were asking of the movements in the north:

solidarity, including the commitment to have a representative of the Global South present when debt strategies that effect the south are discussed;
to consider, discuss, weigh and spread the demands of the Global South;
to embrace the stance that Jubilee is a cry for the liberation of people from bondage and for liberation of all creation from environmental destruction; and
to share in building strategies for action.

Participants agreed to make the illegitimacy of the debt a central theme of the Jubilee USA Network and to support Jubilee South as the voice of people suffering from and struggling against the debt.

Issue Campaigns Chosen:

The Jubilee USA Network decided to activate grassroots supporters across the US on specific closely related issue campaigns:

A campaign to "drop the debt" at the G8 Summit in Genoa, July 2001, which aims to get full cancellation of debts owed to the IMF and the World Bank by at least the poorest and most heavily indebted countries. The group will also emphasize the need to expand to include more countries and to end structural adjustment;

A campaign to link debt and the effort to combat AIDS, including a demand for acquisition of AIDS medicines at best world prices;

An education and action campaign to bring attention to odious, criminal, illegitimate debt;

A campaign to eliminate user fees for essential services, especially requirements for forced privatization of water supplies and other aspects of structural adjustment agreements;

Efforts to complete legislative action needed this year to get full Congressional appropriations for existing debt relief programs ($240 million multilateral debt cancellation plus $135 million for US bilateral cancellation);

Efforts to link debt and trade, particularly with the approaching Summit of the Americas in Quebec; support to educational efforts exposing problems of the export-led growth model.

Restructured governance body developed:

The participants formed a Network Council to be the primary decision- making body of the Jubilee USA Network, and the Council's first meeting was held in Denver. This Council will meet once or twice a year to make broad policy decisions, approve a strategic plan and budget and select a smaller Network Coordinating Committee from among Network Council members. A second meeting of the Network Council is expected to take place this fall.

The whole structure is designed to facilitate the participation of a wide range of people who are members of local and regional debt groups as well as the national organizations and denominations that have been active in the earlier Jubilee effort. Groups that are interested in belonging to the Council are encouraged to review the criteria for membership and submit an application.

Council participants also made nominations for persons to take part in the Network Coordinating Committee, which is a smaller group, made up of 10-15 organizational or group representatives, that will meet much more frequently (at least monthly). Their job will be to represent the Network Council and work with the staff to interpret and implement decisions of the Network Council. Over the next few weeks members of the Network Council will vote on these prospective members of the Coordinating Committee, with the process expected to conclude by mid-March.

In order to develop ideas and approaches to debt and related issues, the Network Council also proposed a number of Working Groups, which would be directly accountable to the Council. Participation in the Working Groups is not restricted to Network Council members but rather is open to all interested persons.

Some of the Working Groups that were formed include: Platform revision; Local Organizing; Outreach to African American Community; Outreach to Conservative Churches; Debt & Latin America; Legislative strategies; Development of Research/Educational materials; Debt/Africa; Debt/Asia; Relationship to Global South.

Jubilee USA Network Council (as of March 2, 2001):

Africa Office - Global Ministries, Christian Church (DOC) and United Church of Christ

Africa Services Committee

American Friends Service Committee

Bay Area Jubilee 2000 Coalition

Bread for the World

Center for Economic Justice

Center for Economic and Policy Research

Center of Concern

Church of the Brethren Washington office

Church World Service

Colorado J2000

Columban Justice and Peace office

Conference of Major Superiors of Men

Episcopal Church USA

Episcopal Peace Fellowship

Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

Fifty Years Is Enough Network

Friends of the Earth

Global Justice

Haiti Reborn/Quixote Center

Health GAP Coalition/Act Up Philadelphia

Inter-Religious Task Force on Central America

Jubilee Austin and Austin Fair Trade Coalition

Jubilee 2000 Missoula Coalition

Jubilee 2000 York County (PA) Chapter

Jubilee USA Network Local Group, Charlottesville, VA

Jubilee Chicago

Leadership Conference of Women Religious

Lutheran World Relief

Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns

Medical Mission Sisters

Mennonite Central Committee

Michigan Jubilee Coalition

Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate

Oxfam America

Pan-African Charismatic Evangelical Congress (PACEC)

Portland, Oregon J2000

Presbyterian Church USA

Quixote Center/Quest for Peace

Religious Action Center, Union of American Hebrew Congregations

Results

School Sisters of Notre Dame Shalom North America

Sisters of the Holy Cross

Sisters of St. Francis of Philadelphia

Sojourners

UCC Network for Environmental and Economic Responsibility

United Methodist Board of Church in Society

United Methodist Church New England Conference J2000 Committee

United Methodist Women

U.S. Catholic Mission Association

Washington Office on Africa

Western NY Coalition for Debt Relief

Witness for Peace

World Vision

Other groups are invited to join and participate by contacting the Jubilee/USA Network office via email: coord@j2000usa.org. Individuals are encouraged to participate in Jubilee actions, and especially to join a member group or form a local group where none exists. Visit our website for more information at www.j2000usa.org.

People can subscribe by sending an empty email message tojubilee-usa-net-subscribe@egroups.com

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