Washington World Food Day event calls for debt justice

October 29, 2007

Rev. David Duncombe leads a prayer to break the fast.

Photo: A. Oestrich

Church World Service Education & Advocacy staff joined debt advocates in a World Food Day (October 16) prayer breakfast on Capitol Hill, ending a 40-day rolling fast for debt justice.

CWS staff in Washington D.C. joined 14,000 Jubilee USA Network advocates from around the country in the 40-day “rolling fast” starting September 6 to call attention to the hunger and suffering brought about by unjust debt relationships worldwide.

The prayer breakfast was part of the Global Week of Action on Debt and coincided with International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings held in Washington. Similar events took place in 58 countries and six continents.

Jubilee USA advocates also lobbied for congressional support for the Jubilee Act for Expanded Debt Cancellation and Responsible Lending. Eight thousand individuals wrote their representatives a message on a paper plate saying, “I’m hungry for debt justice; support the jubilee act HR 2634.” The plates were delivered to members of Congress October 17. Church World Service advocates joined the effort sending e-mail Speak Out messages to their representatives asking them to co-sponsor the Jubilee Act.

United Church of Christ minister from Washington State David Duncombe ate nothing the entire 40 days.

Participants in the fast included House co-sponsors of the Jubilee Act and religious and political leaders from many countries. The bill has won a further 20 sponsors, and the House Financial Services Committee will hear H.R. 2634 in the fall. Several senators introduced a companion bill in the Senate.

The Jubilee Act of 2007 would cancel the debts of up to 25 ineligible countries, end harmful economic policy, establish an audit of past lending and set more responsible lending practices for the future. Currently, indebted nations spend an average of $100 million each day to service their debts—money they cannot spend on food, education, health services and other necessities. Cancellation of these debts is needed to help reach the UN Millennium Development Goal of cutting worldwide poverty in half by 2015.

The Jubilee 2000/USA campaign was instrumental in getting the debt of impoverished countries cancelled in 2000. Church World Service is a member of Jubilee USA’s network council. Last year, tens of thousands of phone calls and emails from network advocates helped convince the International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and African Development Bank to cancel the debts of 17 resource poor countries.

Debt relief is an effective tool to fight hunger and poverty, but should be expanded. Developing countries already relieved of debt have increased their own domestic spending on poverty reduction by 75 percent. For example, after Zambia's debts were canceled, the country's education spending increased by 130 percent, enabling approximately 1.5 million children to return to school almost overnight.

2007 is a Sabbath Year, a time when the Hebrew Texts and the New Testament call for an end to debt and slavery. This year also marks the halfway point to the Millennium Development Goal of cutting worldwide poverty in half by 2015, a goal to which the U.S. committed in 2000.

Act now to encourage your Senator to become a co-sponsor to this important piece of legislation.