A special screening of Greg Palast's report on "vulture funds" followed by a panel discussion with Nicole Lee of TransAfrica Forum and Neil Watkins of Jubilee USA Network, two of D.C.'s experts on vulture funds.
In a series of investigative reports, Palast, a reporter for the BBC and Democracy Now!, explores vulture funds, what they are, how they make money, and what they mean to impoverished countries.
September 25, 2007 @ 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
TransAfrica Forum
1629 K Street, NW Suite 1100
Washington, DC 20006
(202) 223-1960
As part of the Jubilee USA Cancel Debt Fast (September 6-October 18, 2007) TransAfrica Forum hosts a panel on Vulture Funds on September 25, 2007 from 6-8pm.
Vulture funds are companies that buy defaulted “bad” debt of highly indebted poor nations at a cheap price. Many of these companies seek debt that is about to written off by debt relief or cancellation.
Vulture funds seek repayment of these debts via litigation—suing for the full value of the debt plus interest to garner much higher paybacks and a tremendous profit. This panel seeks to explain the actions of Vulture Funds and provide concrete steps for action. We hope to use the panel to maintain political interest and motivation about Vulture Funds following a May 2007 Congressional Hearings called by Donald Payne, chairman of the Subcommittee on Africa and Global Health, House Committee on Foreign Affairs.
The panel will conclude a day of fasting for Vulture Funds sponsored Jubilee USA. The panelists are Nicole Lee of TransAfrica Forum and Neil Watkins of Jubilee USA Network.
Nicole Lee is Executive Director of TransAfrica Forum. TransAfrica Forum is an educational and organizing center that encourages progressive viewpoints in the US foreign policy arena and advocates justice for the African World. The organization promotes solidarity with the oppressed, supporting human rights, gender equity, democracy and sustainable development in Africa and other countries where people of African descent reside.
Neil Watkins is National Coordinator of Jubilee USA Network, a network of more than 80 religious denominations, faith communities, development agencies, environmental and labor groups working for debt cancellation to fight poverty and injustice in Africa, Latin America, and Asia.
