JUBILEE ACT (S. 2166) NOW IN THE SENATE!

Companion legislation has been introduced in the Senate (S. 2166), where the bill enjoys strong bipartisan support and 26 co-sponsors. A Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the Jubilee Act (S. 2166) was in late April.

As we move forward with the Jubilee Act, we're asking our grassroots supporters to educate themselves and their Senators about the Jubilee Act. This means reading Jubilee materials, calling your Senator's office and sending postcards to your Senators, urging for your Senator to cosponsor the legislation.

Resources & More Information About the Jubilee Act

TAKE ACTION!
Send a Letter to the Editor (LTE) of Your Local Newspaper About the Jubilee Act. Write an LTE discussing the hearing and the impact of debt cancellation on impoverished countries sends a message to your Senators that the Jubilee Act (S 2166) is a bill that’s important to constituents in their districts and they should consider it seriously. You can send a letter in response to an article that appears in your newspaper, or link it to another related issue that is covered. Use the pre-written LTE or you can write your own.

To download documents, right-click the file and save to your computer.

RESOURCES FROM APRIL 24 SENATE HEARING

The 2008 Grassroots Conference includes speakers from the Global South, skill-building sessions for grassroots economic justice activists (advocacy, media work, engaging congregations, etc.), and workshops that will deepen participants' understanding of debt and economic justice issues. And of course there will also be down time for networking and having fun with global economic justice activists from around the United States!

REGISTER ONLINE We encourage all conference attendees to register online, which expedites your registration process. You can also download a hard copy of the registration form and mail it to us.

APPLY FOR A TRAVEL & HOMESTAY SCHOLARSHIP We're offering scholarships to the 2008 Grassroots Conference based on applicant financial need. Register for the conference, then apply for a scholarship today!

BECOME A SPONSOR Organizations, congregations, religious communities, universities and individuals can become official co-sponsors of the conference. Download a PDF of the sponsorship information and registration form here.

Briefing Notes: Jubilee USA Releases Policy Reports

Read the first five in a series of six new issue BRIEFING NOTES that Jubilee USA will be releasing this year. These short policy papers are designed to provide quality background information on some of the key policy issues that Jubilee is working on. Also, access our policy archive for past policy papers.

JAN.08 BRIEFING NOTE ONE: Expanded Debt Cancellation: A Key Tool to Fight Global Poverty reviews the literature and makes the case for expanded debt cancellation beyond the current HIPC Initiative. DOWNLOAD

FEB.08 BRIEFING NOTE TWO: Recent Development on IMF Gold Sales and Debt Cancellation, looks at recent proposals from the IMF to sell some of its gold and the implications for debt campaigners. DOWNLOAD

FEB.08 BRIEFING NOTE THREE: Are IMF and World Bank Economic Policy Conditions Undermining the Impact of Debt Cancellation? contains the latest information on IMF and other economic policy conditions such as privatization that are limiting the benefits of debt cancellation. DOWNLOAD

APRIL.08 BRIEFING NOTE FOUR: Vulture Funds & Poor Country Debt: Recent Developments & Policy Responses explains the activity of vulture funds, identifies countries at-risk and what a coalition of organizations, including Jubilee USA, is doing to publicize and curtail vulture fund activity. DOWNLOAD

APRIL.08 BRIEFING NOTE FIVE: Recent Developments On Odious & Illegitimate Debt explores the latest developments on the issue of odious and illegitimate debt highlighting the push for the cancellation of Iraq’a debt, which was led by the United States, and Ecuador’s precedent-setting debt audit. DOWNLOAD