Britain has made a bold stand by banning vulture funds – the insidious hedge funds who buy up bad debt and drag developing countries through the courts until they pay it back. But now we need to go further by trying to get other countries to do the same! There is currently an Early Day Motion (no 666) in Parliament calling for this to happen, so we need as many MPs as possible to sign. Can you write to your MP asking them to sign the motion?
Church Square, Duns, Scottish Borders TD11 3DD
An afternoon with Christian Aid, Jubilee Scotland and the Church of Scotland World Mission Council to look at how tax and debt continue to affect Africa in a relaxed atmosphere over tea and coffee.
It is now less than a year until the people of Scotland decide on their constitutional future. The debate presents an exciting opportunity for charities and campaigning organisations to reassert the importance of the issues they campaign on and put these at the forefront of parties' concerns as the parties, politicians, and referendum campaigns themselves look to present their visions of a post-referendum Scotland. Jubilee Scotland has been thinking a lot about what the implications for international debt will be in either outcome and how its campaigns can move forward post-2014 be it in an independent Scotland or one which remains part of the United Kingdom.
The principal aims of Jubilee Scotland remain the same. This year, we launched our Debt Justice Pledge which presents four key ways in which Scotland can become a nation of debt justice, a Scotland which:
Jubilee Scotland campaigns for global debt justice.
We do this by engaging people across Scotland to take action on these issues, and through these activists we persuade decision-makers to fight for debt justice too.
Our Debt Justice Pledge is a way for individuals and organisations to show their support for and end to unfair and unpayable debt, and a change in unjust global economic systems.
Please sign the debt justice pledge, and encourage others to do the same. If you're part of a group or organisation then ask them to sign up as well - unions, churches, student societies, local councils, schools, football teams, co-operatives, choirs - all are welcome!
After years of concerted campaigning from activists across Britain, UK Export Finance (the shady department which deals with our debt) has released figures relating to where all the debt owed to the UK comes from. It reveals huge amounts of money lent for military operations and white elephant projects, for example 70% of the debt owed to the UK by Kenya comes from the failed Turkwel Dam Project and 74% of the debt owed by Indonesia is from military projects.
Scotland's most famous export joined the fight for trade justice as debt-cancellation charity Jubilee Scotland hosted a 'positive exports' whisky tasting on October 12th 2012. The tasting, led by Master of Malt and Whisky Man of the Year 2011 John Lamond, highlighted Jubilee Scotland's 'Break the Chains' campaign, which calls on Scotland to create an ethical export credits agency.
Jubilee Scotland and WDM Scotland are holding a fringe event on Positive Exports on 18 October at 5:30pm at this year’s SNP conference in Perth.
Jubilee Scotland is campaigning for the Scottish Government to pledge to cancel its share of unjust debt and commit to an export credit agency which promotes ethical and sustainable exports rather than being an engine of unjust debt. For news, briefings and actions related to the campaign, click the button on the left.
To order 'Break the Chains' Postcards click here.
31-5-2012
Jubilee Scotland are calling on the Scottish Government to pledge against further loans that leave populations suffering at the hands of UK lending agencies, and instead to commit only to responsible and transparent lending.
Drawing upon the progress made by the team at Clean Up Britain's Exports, as well as support for this call in Scotland, the briefing highlights clear reasons why Scotland should commit to creating a world-class Export Credit Agency as well as carrying out a full audit and cancellation of Scotland's unjust debts.