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June 18 - Jubilee USA applauds G8 on historic declaration on tax avoidance. The Lough Erne Declaration notes that wealthy nations are responsible for multinational companies and must make sure these companies don't dodge taxes in poor countries. Read our coverage in CNN. Read Jubilee's Director, Eric LeCompte's statement here.
June 15 - On July 1, student loan interest rates are set to double for almost 7 million college students. Last year when Congress was about to double the interest rates on students, 45 Jubilee faith communities prayed, acted and stopped the increase. Join our Jubilee for Students this year on the weekend on June 21st to pray and act to protect our students' futures. See how your faith community can get involved in Jubilee for Students.
June 13 - Jubilee USA applauds EU for passing important profit and tax reporting for extractive industries operating in the developing world. The G8 will discuss broadening reporting for all multinational corporations at the upcoming summit in Northern Ireland. Read Eric LeCompte's press statement on these vital global poverty issues.
May 29 - Jubilee USA is featured in the Los Angeles Times for our work on the Argentine vulture fund case. The case will have global impacts on poverty. You can see Eric LeCompte's quotes and read the full story here.
May 22 - European Ministers address international tax evasion and back Obama plan for global information sharing. See Jubilee's press statement.
May 10 - Thank President Obama for working to stop vulture funds.
May 1 - Tell Congress, to cosponsor the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act (HR1554). This legislation addresses a systemic cause of poverty - the fact that many multinational corporations don't pay taxes to developing and poor countries. A key way this legislation curbs tax avoidance is by requiring country-by-country reporting of corporate payments to governments. Read Jubilee's press statement on Common Dreams.
April 22 - Read Eric LeCompte's OpEd in Yes! Magazine on vulture funds versus Argentina and how the case will impact the world's poorest people. After a series of court deadlines we now await the final ruling of this 2nd Circuit Court proceeding. Jubilee's Director, Eric LeCompte observed February's oral arguments in the New York Federal Court, the last stop before the US Supreme Court. You can see some of Jubilee's positions on the case in the Agence France-Presse and the Financial Times. More details on the case can be found on our vulture funds page.
April 18 - At the International Monetary Fund spring meetings, Eric LeCompte and Jubilee USA was quoted in the Washington Post, NBC, CBS, the Miami Herald, the Associated Press, Agence France-Press and thousands of other outlets. During the IMF meetings, G20 financial ministers met to discuss debt and tax issues. Eric LeCompte's reactions were shared globally in French and Spanish in an Agence France-Press article. See it at El Espectador.
April 15 - On Tax Day, Rep Lloyd Doggett (D-TX) introduces the Stop Tax Haven Abuse Act. This legislation closes offshore tax loopholes and requires country-by-country reporting of corporate tax payments to both developed and developing nations. This reporting is critical to curbing illicit financial flows, a systemic cause of poverty. Read Jubilee's press statement on Common Dreams.
April 9 - The EU agreed on EU Accounting and Transparency Directives. This law will order EU-listed and non-listed oil, gas, mining and logging firms to declare their payments to governments in countries where they operate - much like Dodd-Frank Section 1504 in the US. Read our statement in Common Dreams on what this means for the world's most vulnerable.
April 6 - Jubilee's work and positions have been highlighted in tens of thousands of news stories in recent weeks. Check out some of the notable press coverage and Eric's interviews on Jubilee's issues.
April 2 - Judges in the 2nd US Circuit Court of Appeals ordered vulture hedge fund, NML Capital to respond to Argentina's payment plan by April 22, 2013. Read our press statement to learn how Argentina's payment plan would protect the poor.
March 25 - Thanks to you, the bipartisan Levin-Hatch Amendment 708 passed the Senate Budget Resolution! This Amendment moves forward our work on curbing corporate tax avoidance and stopping corporate offshore tax loopholes. The passage is part of a global movement to ensure that corporations don't take funds that should aid the vulnerable. Read more in our press release. See the letter that Jubilee USA and the FACT Coalition organized and sent to Senators to close offshore tax loopholes. Earlier this year, Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the Cut Unjustified Tax Loopholes Act (CUT Loopholes Act) that would send a global message to end corporations' use of tax dodging that affect every day Americans and the world's poorest - read more in our press statement.
March 21 - Jubilee USA and the FACT Coalition organized and sent a letter to Senators to close offshore tax loopholes. Closing these corporate tax loopholes sends a message around the globe that corporate tax avoidance is unacceptable whether it be in the developing or developed world. Read our press release.
March 7 - Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) announces he will not seek reelection in 2014. Read Jubilee USA's statement.
February 27 - The legal proceedings have concluded between vulture hedge fund NML Capital and Argentina. The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals judges will issue their ruling in the coming weeks. Eric LeCompte observed the hearing and you can see some of Jubilee's coverage in the Agence France Presse and the Financial Times Read Eric's full statement. More details on the case can be found on our page on vulture funds.
February 26 - Eric LeCompte met with the German Embassy in DC on the eve of the London Accord. The Accord gave needed debt relief to Germany that was crucial to pave the way for their "economic miracle." Eric spoke about how this model could help nations that are highly indebted.
February 11 - Today, Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced the Cut Unjustified Tax Loopholes Act (CUT Loopholes Act). With the sequester right around the corner, this legislation would generate billions for the US by ending loopholes that allow the wealthiest corporations to dodge paying their fair share of taxes. This legislation would also send a global message to end corporations' use of tax dodging that affect every day Americans and the world's poorest. Read our press statement.
February 7 - Today, Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-IL) introduced the Corporate Tax Fairness Act that would generate more than $590 billion over the next ten years by closing offshore tax havens. This legislation would also send a strong message that this kind of corporate behavior worldwide is unacceptable. Read Jubilee USA's press statement. Read the letter Jubilee USA signed in support of the legislation with dozens of partner organizations.
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 - Jubilee's One on One Interview with National Canadian Public Television
April 11, 2013 - Jubilee's Director, Eric LeCompte, was quoted on the election of the new Pope in the Washington Post, Boston Globe, Bloomberg and more than 20,000 other news outlets.
According to inside reports, Pope Francis is specifically concerned how money laundering and illicit financial flows hurt the poor. It seems Pope Francis's current review of the Vatican Bank is based out of this concern for the poor. Read more in Jubilee's press statement.
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 - Senator Levin and Jubilee's Eric LeCompte discuss legislation to protect poor countries from corporate tax avoidance
March 25, 2013 - Thanks to you, the bipartisan Levin(D)/Hatch(R) Amendment 708 passed the Senate Budget Resolution! The passage is part of a global movement to ensure that corporations are accountable to the most vulnerable. Read more in our press release Jubilee's work brought Senator McCain to the table as well. Earlier in the year, Senator Levin introduced the Cut Unjustified Loopholes Act which proceeded the budget action.
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 - Jubilee USA's leadership meets with Senior NSC Director Gayle Smith at the White House on December 20th
December 20, 2012 - Jubilee USA's leadership went to the White House to meet with Gayle Smith, Senior Director of the National Security Council and President Obama's Special Assistant. They moved forward specific recommendations to build an international economy that serves, protects and promotes the participation of the most vulnerable.
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December 10, 2012 - Jubilee USA successfully moved the White House to raise the issue of corporate tax during the "fiscal cliff" negotiations. As 2012 closed, Jubilee pushed our solution to avoid falling over the cliff - closing offshore tax loopholes. Curbing this behavior would not only cover the $109 billion in spending cuts but it would benefit the world's most vulnerable. Closing these loopholes sends a message that this type of corporate behavior - that robs billions from the developing world - is unacceptable around the globe. We mobilized our grassroots and congregations to send messages and call their Members of Congress around the negotiations. Eric LeCompte was featured on radio airwaves from coast-to-coast. Jubilee joined negotiations on the Hill and met with the White House. We were pleased with the White House announcement to push for corporate tax overhaul in the cliff talks. In early 2013 we face another deadline that will revisit offshore loopholes and expanding revenue in the developing world.
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November 16, 2012 - ACT NOW - Urge Members of Congress to support responsibility, accountability and transparency at the International Monetary Fund.
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October 5, 2012 - Today, the Sisters of Charity of New York delivered thousands of Jubilee petitions to NBC Nightly News and ABC World News to urge them to stop their blackout coverage of the LIBOR banking scandal. Read about the story in the Wall Street Journal. The bank manipulation of a critical interest rate that impacts all of us - from home mortgages to credit cards, its effects are wide-ranging, especially for the poor and most vulnerable. Jubilee USA Network, the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility and the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate sent these letters to NBC Nightly News and ABC World News.
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September 28, 2012 - Today, the Executive Board of the IMF approved the final amount of nearly $4 billion from their windfall gold sale profits to support concessional lending to low-income nations through the Poverty Reduction and Growth Trust (PRGT) and extend a 0% interest rate that will make this trust available for future generations beyond 2014. This momentous move has been two years in the making and we are very excited to see our work translating into real relief for some of the world's poorest people. Click here to read our press release. Click here to learn more about our efforts around IMF Gold.
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Dodd-Frank Act - Cardin-Lugar Amendment
August 22, 2012 - A victory for transparency and anti-corruption was won when the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ruled in our favor to implement the Cardin-Lugar Rule of Dodd-Frank. This ruling promotes greater transparency in the dealings of oil, coal and extractive industries in the developing world. Our efforts in moving the SEC were even highlighted in their final public ruling! Earlier this year, we collected over 110,000 petitions with the ONE campaign to deliver to the Securities and Exchange Commission. These petitions asserted that the SEC should implement this legislation and reject the lobbying of the oil industry to weaken the rule.
Passed over a year and a half ago, this Amendment required that companies reveal what they pay for extraction of oil, gas and minerals in foreign countries to the SEC. The SEC was slow to set these rules, mainly because big oil has been lobbying against it. The Cardin-Lugar Amendment was a coup for transparency in international finances and a step to help curb corruption. Click here to learn more.
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July 30, 2012 - The White House hosted a conversation to discuss President Obama's Sub-Saharan African strategy with top Obama advisors. Eric LeCompte made the connections between debt and the African people being able to access their own revenue. He discussed implementing responsible lending and borrowing principles and curbing illicit financial flows to solve the debt crisis and promote growth in Africa. Watch the full discussion here (skip to 1hr 22min to listen to Eric).
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June 28, 2012 - The World Bank and IMF recently announced that Cote d'Ivoire will be getting more than US$4 billion dollars cancelled. This is a positive step for the nation but this does not address the origins of the debt, how to prevent unsustainable debt in the future or how to get the Ivory Coast out of poverty. Learn more in our press release and our blog.
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June 24, 2012 - Jubilee USA stopped Vulture Funds and won a major victory for international debt relief in the New York State Legislature! We mobilized thousands of our New York Jubilee members to take action to stop Vulture Funds from using New York State Laws to prey on impoverished countries. See our action here.
Read our press release featuring American Jewish World Service President Ruth Messinger and Jubilee's work on stopping these funds in the Wall Street Journal.
Vulture Funds are predatory funds that buy poor countries' defaulted debt for pennies on the dollar, then sue for huge profits once the country gets debt relief. Learn more here.
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 - The Jubilee team outside the Mexican Embassy with the petitions
June 14, 2012 - Jubilee USA delivered a petition signed by thousands to the Mexican Embassy in Washington, DC urging the G20 to support mechanisms in accordance with a fair and transparent arbitration process (FTAP). Our message was well received during our meeting with two representatives from the Office of Economic Affairs to explain the urgent need for a fair, orderly and transparent international debt arbitration process. The petitions will be delivered to Mexico's Minister of Finance ahead of next week's G20 meeting in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico. Learn more here.
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 - Jubilee USA's co-sponsored event with the Embassy of Argentina on Argentina's economic recovery and sovereign debt.
June 11, 2012 - Jubilee USA co-sponsored an event with the government of Argentina on Argentina's economic recovery and sovereign debt.
Jubilee USA's Executive Director, Eric LeCompte and Argentina's Treasury Secretary, Hernan Lorenzino, spoke on Vulture Funds and Responsible Lending. See Jubilee's recent work on Vulture Funds highlighted in the Wall Street Journal.
Watch the full discussion.
Read more about the event on our blog.
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May 24, 2012 - Jubilee USA and our counterparts at the Zimbabwe Coalition on Debt and Development (ZIMCODD) are calling for a debt audit to uncover the origins of $7 billion of Zimbabwe's debt. Send an email to Donald Kaberuka, the President of the African Development Bank and ask him to support a democratic audit of Zimbabwe's debts.
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May 1, 2012 - In Doha, Qatar at the UNCTAD meetings on trade and development, Jubilee USA working with governments and international partners secured a strong mandate on debt and responsible lending and borrowing. This major victory allows us to build an international consensus on responsible lending and borrowing. Read Jubilee's thank-you letter to President Obama for joining us in our efforts to win in Doha.
Our Executive Director, Eric LeCompte, was hosted for the negotiations by UNCTAD to moderate a panel with 11 financial ministers and treasury heads from around the globe to speak in support of UNCTAD's principles on Responsible Lending and Borrowing. Watch and hear the full panel discussion here. Read the UN press release on the panel here. Learn more about Jubilee's work to end the debt crisis and promote responsible lending and borrowing by reading our report launched in March.
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March 16, 2012 - Leprechauns descended upon the Irish Embassy! Representing the Anglo-Irish Bank and the European Central Bank, leprechauns hoarded pots of gold which symbolize money taken from the citizens of Ireland to cover reckless loans and debts. Jubilee USA Network along with religious and policy organizations, delivered a letter to the Irish Embassy calling for the Irish leaders to suspend government payments on these loans, which will add up to $61.7 billion over the next twenty years. The citizens of Ireland are dealing with a damaged economy already, and are now being held responsible for loans run up by an irresponsible and now-dead Anglo bank. With a bit of luck, the Irish people will not be forced to pay this unjust debt, saving them billions of dollars to be put back into their economy and social services.
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March 8, 2012 - The Levin Amendment passed the Senate - creating a huge victory for the world's poorest! Because of the work of Jubilee USA and the FACT Coalition, this Amendment will create accountability to stop tax havens and tax avoidance - ensuring the money will go where it belongs - to help the people that need it the most in low-income countries. Learn more here.
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 - Wahu Kaara outside the White House for Jubilee's Drop the Debt Speaking Tour
March 8, 2012 - Wahu Kaara, director of Kenya Debt Relief (Jubilee USA's Kenyan Counterpart), was recently named one of Newsweek's 150 Fearless Women from around the world. She joined other figures ranging from Hillary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey, three 2011 Nobel Peace Prize winners and Egyptian revolutionary, Samira Ibrahim.
Kenya Debt Relief has a pairing relationship with Jubilee San Diego. Wahu Kaara was born during the height of Kenya's independence struggle and was our featured speaker for Jubilee USA's Drop the Debt Tour in 2010.
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Jubilee USA released the "Responsible Lending and Borrowing Imperative: Addressing the Root Causes of Poverty."
March 1, 2012 - Jubilee USA Network released its principles on responsible lending and borrowing to Congress in a briefing given by Jubilee Board and Network Council Member, Aldo Caliari, director of the Rethinking Bretton Wood Project of the Catholic Center of Concern. Caliari was a contributor to Jubilee's new report.
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 - Sovereign Debt Mechanism Panel - Panelists from left to right: Kent Hughes (Woodrow Wilson), Mansur Muhtar (World Bank Group), Jo Marie Griesgraber (New Rules for Global Finance), Gorges Pineau (IMF), Anres de la Cruz (Cleary, Gottlieb, Steen & Hamilton, LLP), and Eric LeCompte (Jubilee USA)
Fall 2011 - Jubilee, along with partner organizations, held a round table discussion on what we have learned from past experiences with restructuring sovereign debts, and what options are (or should be) available to today's and tomorrow's sovereign debtors.
To learn more and listen to the full discussion, click here.
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 - Order Our New Voices of Esther Postcards
Spring 2011 - Join us in launching our newest campaign, the Voices of Esther. Like Queen Esther did for the Israelites, Jubilee activists will use their access to powerful decision-makers to raise our voices for the most vulnerable. As United States citizens, we should use our privilege of living in a democracy to bring the stories of the poor whose concerns are often overlooked. Urge your elected officials to expand debt relief and support responsible finance today.
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 - Join the Jubilee Movement legacy by taking action with our new, diverse faith initiative
Spring 2011 - Jubilee USA is launching a new campaign to bring the voices of diverse faith traditions to the halls of the White House. Through the 1,000 Faith Leaders Initiative we will deliver a letter with more than 1,000 signatures of faith leaders from across the country to President Obama. The letter urges President Obama to expand life-saving debt cancellation and ensure responsible finance for the world�s poorest countries.
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 - Thousands of paper chains were hung on the White House fence October 8th - raising the call for economic justice to President Obama. Photo Courtesy of Pablo Benavente
Fall 2010 - Jubilee USA brought thousands of multicolor paper chains from around the country and marched around the IMF and World Bank to the White House.
Stories and photographs from our march and rally have covered the globe – AFP, AP, and Reuters have used images of your paper chains for their wire stories, a diverse group of bloggers have written on the event, and NBC, ABC, and FOX news stations included the march in their nightly newscast. Why did we mobilize? On October 5, just before our incredible action, Jubilee USA hosted a standing room only Congressional Briefing on how the IMF should reform its practices.
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Summer 2010 - Jubilee USA Network welcomes the International Monetary Fund Executive Board’s decision to cancel Haiti’s $268 million debt to the institution in response to the January 12 earthquake, but is concerned over the IMF’s decision to provide $60 million in financing support as a new loan. Read the press release here.
After January's devastating earthquake, Jubilee USA Network led the call for complete debt cancellation for the country. Thanks to efforts from supporters around the world, all of Haiti's donors have committed to debt cancellation. We are continuing to work to make sure that Haiti is freed from the chains of debt once and for all.
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Fall 2010 - On September 17-19, Jubilee USA participated in Stand Up! Take Action!, a weekend in which millions worldwide stand up to demand world leaders keep their promises to end poverty and inequality. The following week on September 23, President Obama recognized the need to keep our commitments to the world's poorest citizens. In response to the President's speech, Bishop Neil Irons of the Methodist Church published an Op-Ed in the Washington Post. Fall 2010 – 48 Members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to President Obama urging him to include expanded debt cancellation and responsible finance in his plan to achieve the Millennium Development Goals. Fall 2010 - Just before Christmas, Senators Lugar and Casey were joined by Senators Kerry, Menendez, Dodd, Durbin, Cardin and Sherrod Brown in sending a letter to President Obama advocating for the world’s poorest. The letter urges the Administration to provide grants, not loans for poor countries, increase transparency and accountability in the international financial system, and fight corruption.
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 - Jubilee USA and religious leaders meeting with the Honorable Lael Brainard
July 7, 2010 - Jubilee USA Network and religious leaders met with the Honorable Lael Brainard, Under Secretary for International Affairs, US Treasury Department. In the meeting, we thank the Administration for their work on cancelling Haiti's debt and had a robust dialogue on Jubilee USA's priorities including full funding of the U.S.'s debt relief commitments for the world's most vulnerable.
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