Global Day of Action Against Poverty
I nearly missed a very important call to action for the international community. Luckily I came home to an email from One.org about the Global Day of Action Against Poverty-that’s today. The UN calls it the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty(thanks to Kyla for the reminder), slightly different name same goal. Although the day is over or nearly over for US Citizens, I doubt it’s too late to make Angelina and Brad proud by doing our bit.
Today, by making thousands of phone calls to Congress asking them to cosponsor the Jubilee Act, we can make the difference between passage and failure for this crucial piece of legislation.
The Jubilee Act cancels impoverished country debt, removes economic conditionalities from the cancellation process, mandates transparency and accountability from governments and international financial institutions, and moves forward with more responsible lending practices.
*Currently, for every dollar African countries receive in aid, they spend $2.30 to pay down debt.
* Debt cancellation is one of the most effective ways to help those living in extreme poverty. For example, when Tanzania received debt relief, the government spent the savings on education and eliminated school fees. Almost overnight, an estimated 1.6 million children enrolled in school.
Little religious history lesson here. The act is based on the Jubilee Year which is mandated by Leviticus 25:8-55. In the Jubilee Year, slaves and prisoners are freed and debts forgiven. The mercy of God is said to be particularly high during the Jubilee Year.
Here’s how you can help:
You can make a call in just one minute by:
1. Looking over this set of talking points
2. Calling 1-800-786-2663
3. Going here to register your call—this helps us keep track of which offices need to receive more calls.
The Jubilee Act calls for debt relief for some of the world’s poorest nations. Experience proves that debt relief for countries committed to investing in their people’s future is one of the most effective ways to fight extreme poverty. And it’s easy to see why.
Leviticus 25:8-13
8 ” ‘Count off seven sabbaths of years—seven times seven years—so that the seven sabbaths of years amount to a period of forty-nine years.
9 Then have the trumpet sounded everywhere on the tenth day of the seventh month; on the Day of Atonement sound the trumpet throughout your land.
10 Consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants. It shall be a jubilee for you; each one of you is to return to his family property and each to his own clan.
11 The fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you; do not sow and do not reap what grows of itself or harvest the untended vines.
12 For it is a jubilee and is to be holy for you; eat only what is taken directly from the fields.
13 ” ‘In this Year of Jubilee everyone is to return to his own property.
angelina jolie, jubilee act, year of jubilee, jubilee year, united nations, un, one.org, leviticus, bible, Christianity, judaism
October 28th, 2007 at 12:33 am
More people could stand to take a page out of Angelina’s book. She sets a great example that with great power comes great responsibility. Now if only the Britney’s and the Paris Hilton’s of the world would come around, eh?
November 20th, 2007 at 12:10 am
[...] keeping with it’s goal of debt eradication for developing countries, One.org has managed to convince the World Monetary Fund to forgive [...]