Moray - Uganda Link
Jenny Adams

The Moray Jubilee Scotland group has formed a link with the Jubilee Plus group of Makerere University in Uganda, and has been exchanging e-mails with them since mid-June. We were encouraged to start the link after one of our group members spent some time in Uganda, including meeting with members of Jubilee Plus and the Ugandan Debt Network.

The main message from the Ugandan campaigners is that they need our support, that we must keep pushing for full debt relief from the multinational institutions, which our politicians have influence over. They were disappointed (as well as we were) by the G8 this year, and the last e-mail we had sounded quite desperate about the lack of progress, and very cynical about the intentions of the richer countries. We can't stop now.

Their group is involved in a very wide range of action and campaigns, with a broader focus than we have. They are very active in civic education, with students going go their communities over the holidays hoping to spread information about anti-corruption measures, demilitarisation and monitoring of Government spending.

The money gained through the debt relief that Uganda has had so far has been channeled into a Poverty Action Fund (PAF), which is also funded directly by their Government and donors. The Jubilee Plus campaign is working to ensure that the PAF is used wisely - for facilities that are needed and useful, that buildings and roads are well built, that health centres have medicine to use etc. Uganda is (according to them) ranked third in the world for corruption, so they have another focus, including gathering a petition, on trying to beat corruption. They want to establish a recovery fund so that money/assets gained through corruption can be retrieved and channeled back into poverty reduction.

As one of the countries to have some debt relief, they are at the leading edge of change, they are trying to answer the corruption/misspending arguments made by many opponents of debt relief, and they are working very widely in very difficult circumstances. They need our continuing support, and we need their help in directing our campaigns to the best effect. It is a very humbling experience hearing what they are dealing with, but it is also a challenge we must live up to.

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