Rally demands debt be dropped
BY NICK EVERETT
SYDNEY — Four hundred people rallied in Hyde Park on April 1 to demand the cancellation of all debts held by the world's poorest nations. The rally was part of an international day of protest called by the Jubilee 2000 campaign.
Jubilee 2000 was launched in Britain in 1996 with the support of church aid agencies. Since then it has been endorsed by major churches, academics, trade unions and community organisations in many countries.
The campaign to end world debt has gained considerable grassroots support. Seventy thousand people gathered at the May 1998 meeting in Britain of the G8 countries (Japan, USA, Britain, Germany, France, Italy, Canada and Russia), to demand that the leaders of the world's most powerful nations wipe the debts by the end of 2000.
According to the Jubilee 2000 coalition, "Many impoverished countries carry such high levels of debt that human development is stifled. Basic human rights — access to health care, education, clean water and adequate food — are denied. Scarce resources are diverted from these essential services to repay debt."
The rally was addressed by Father Brian Gore, Greens MLC Lee Rhiannon and a representative of the Young Democrats, who all urged a campaign to pressure the Australian government to cancel debts owed to it and to make sure that the issue is placed firmly on the agenda for the July G8 summit. "Australia must meet its fair share of the cost of debt cancellation", a rally coordinator said.
Organisers have welcomed the government's $65.5 million contribution to cancelling multilateral debt, but have labelled it "just a start" said it should be followed by further funding of debt cancellation from outside the AusAID budget.