Life
Over Debt Campaign News
The American Friends Service Committee Kicks off its Life Over Debt Campaign for African Debt Cancellation
By Jessica Walker Beaumont
(Philadelphia - February13, 2004)
Africa is center stage in the struggle for human and economic rights. Six thousand Africans die daily as a result of HIV/AIDS. Another 40 million face chronic food shortages, while millions have perished as a result of conflict.
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| AFSC debt team with Representative Payne |
Even though Africa has only 5
percent of the developing world's
income, it carries about two thirds
of the debt - over $300 billion
. Because of this, the average
African country spends three times
more of its scarce resources on
repaying debt than it does on providing
basic services. At current trends,
Africa will be the only region
in the world where the number of
poor people in 2015 will be higher
than in 1990.
In addressing Africa's struggle
for relief from its onerous external
debt, concerned Americans from
across the US affiliated with the
American Friends Service Committee
(AFSC) came to Washington DC to
launch its Life Over Debt campaign
which highlights the need for immediate
cancellation of Africa's debt.
Also at the campaign launch were
Representatives Donald Payne (D-NJ)
and Barbara Lee (D-CA), National
Jubilee USA Network Coordinator
Marie Clarke Brill, and Africa
Action Executive Director Salih
Booker.
 |
Rep. Barbara Lee
(D-CA) |
"It seems ridiculous to me that in the case of Africa we are still talking about maintaining the integrity of the international lending institutions and meeting structural adjustment plan when millions of people are dying on the ground every day," said Representative Lee. "If we are serious about stopping AIDS in Africa , we must address poverty, famine and development in a real way."
According to Jubilee USA, out of the $2.4 billion in last year's aid to fourteen African and Caribbean countries suffering from AIDS, $9.1 billion was paid out in debt payments by these same countries.
The Life Over Debt campaign reaches out to local U.S. communities - especially African American communities - to build understanding of the dilemmas Africa faces and to mobilize public pressure to cancel Africa 's debt.
"I am here as an example of Americans across this country that are concerned about Africa ," said Deborah Calhoun, AFSC Akron, Ohio staffer. "As I stand here on the eve of Black History Month it is clear that Africa 's future is linked to the future of Black America with the past and current economic inequalities that have kept both communities enmeshed in poverty."
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| Imani Countess, Coordinator, Africa Program, AFSC Peacebuilding Unit |
"Our campaign's call for cancellation of odious and illegal debt is no different that PresidentBush's current pleas to Iraq 's creditors" said Imani Countess, Coordinator of the American Friends Service Committee Africa Program and the Life Over Debt campaign. "Creditors should forgive the debt that was odious and illegal in the first place when loans were made without the consent of the people and not spent in their interest."
For more information on the AFSC Life Over Debt campaign or to purchase an activist tool kit visit www.afsc.org/africa-debt
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