Wednesday, January 2, 2008
100% of Oregon\'s Congressional Delegation Co-Sponsor Jubilee ACT
Holiday greetings to all Jubilee Debt Cancellation Supporters. Great news - last Friday, December 21 Senator Ron Wyden signed on as a co-sponsor to the Senate Version of the Jubilee ACT. That means that Oregon is the first state in the USA to have its entire Congressional delegation as co-sponsors of this important ACT and providing leadership in ending global poverty. For more information, about the Jubilee ACT contents, go to www.jubileeusa.org and on the right hand side click on the ACT for details. In 2008 we will be focusing our energy on passage of the ACT in House and Senate. Thanks for all your help. Jubilee Oregon steering committee.
Senator Gordon Smith is Jubilee ACT cosponsor!
Thanks to all your letters, cards and telephone calls to Senator Smith. His foreign policy aide, Andrew Peek, just called on 12/17 to tell me that Senator Smith has agreed to sign on as a co-sponsor. Senator Smith\'s office has notified Senator Wyden\'s office so now we just need to persist with Senator Wyden to get him as a co-sponsor and we will have delivered the entire Oregon delegation as Jubilee debt cancellation supporters. Stay tuned for activities in 2008! Happy Holidays, Pat Rumer
Saturday, November 17, 2007
Great News about Liberia!
Its quite a month for good news from the Jubilee Front!
PROGRESS FOR LIBERIA! On November 12th, the IMF announced that it had found the necessary funding to clear Liberia's arrears to the IMF, thus paving the way for debt cancellation for Liberia. This is great news, and a real breakthrough.
Your efforts -- the Valentines you sent early in the year and the letters you sent in October -- made a critical difference. Thank you.
While this news is an important breakthrough, the journey towards complete debt cancellation of Liberia's unjust and illegitimate debt has only just begun. We will continue to accompany the people of Liberia as they pass through the debt relief process, urging that Liberia not be subjected to harmful economic conditions and the predatory actions of vulture funds. We will need your continued support as Liberia continues its critical journey towards economic justice.
You can check out the IMF's statement, our press release on the latest breakthrough, and some news coverage of the latest on Liberia's debt here.
PROGRESS FOR LIBERIA! On November 12th, the IMF announced that it had found the necessary funding to clear Liberia's arrears to the IMF, thus paving the way for debt cancellation for Liberia. This is great news, and a real breakthrough.
Your efforts -- the Valentines you sent early in the year and the letters you sent in October -- made a critical difference. Thank you.
While this news is an important breakthrough, the journey towards complete debt cancellation of Liberia's unjust and illegitimate debt has only just begun. We will continue to accompany the people of Liberia as they pass through the debt relief process, urging that Liberia not be subjected to harmful economic conditions and the predatory actions of vulture funds. We will need your continued support as Liberia continues its critical journey towards economic justice.
You can check out the IMF's statement, our press release on the latest breakthrough, and some news coverage of the latest on Liberia's debt here.
Thursday, November 15, 2007
Shop ‘til the debt drops on 12/7!
Shop ‘til the debt drops!
A community shopping night to benefit Jubilee Oregon at Ten Thousand Villages
onFriday, December 7th, 2007.
Ten Thousand Villages
914 NW Everett St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-231-8832
Support debt cancellation & talented artisans from around the world!
From 5 pm-8 pm on Friday December 7th, Ten Thousand Villages will contribute 15% of purchases* to Jubilee Oregon. If you need to shop earlier than 5 pm, mention Jubilee Oregon and 15% of your purchase* will also be contributed.
You’ll find intriguing, beautifully handcrafted merchandise, all fairly traded. Support debt cancellation while supporting artisans who depend on you for sustainable employment.
www.jubileeoregon.org www.jubileeusa.org www.tenthousandvillages.com
*Except oriental rugs and furniture
A community shopping night to benefit Jubilee Oregon at Ten Thousand Villages
onFriday, December 7th, 2007.
Ten Thousand Villages
914 NW Everett St.
Portland, OR 97209
503-231-8832
Support debt cancellation & talented artisans from around the world!
From 5 pm-8 pm on Friday December 7th, Ten Thousand Villages will contribute 15% of purchases* to Jubilee Oregon. If you need to shop earlier than 5 pm, mention Jubilee Oregon and 15% of your purchase* will also be contributed.
You’ll find intriguing, beautifully handcrafted merchandise, all fairly traded. Support debt cancellation while supporting artisans who depend on you for sustainable employment.
www.jubileeoregon.org www.jubileeusa.org www.tenthousandvillages.com
*Except oriental rugs and furniture
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Hearing on the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending
Hearing on the Jubilee Act for Responsible Lending, Today, Nov. 8 @ 10 a.m.!
The hearing will take place on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 10 a.m. in Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2128 on Capitol Hill. If you are in Washington, D.C. or nearby, you are welcome to attend. For those outside of D.C. or if you can't get away from work, watch/listen to it online via live webcast! Go directly to the Financial Services Committee hearing page online at 10 a.m. today and join in!
Led by Rep. Barney Frank, Rep. Spencer Bachus, and Rep. Maxine Waters (and thanks in no small part due to the grassroots pressure created by the Cancel Debt Fast and Rev. David Duncombe's ministry), the House Financial Services Committee has scheduled a legislative hearing on the Jubilee Act for Expanded Debt Cancellation and Responsible Lending (HR 2634).
Among the expected witnesses are:
Neil Watkins, National Coordinator, Jubilee USA Network
Emira Woods, Foreign Policy In Focus Co-Director, Institute for Policy Studies
Gerry Flood, Counselor, Office of International Justice & Peace-U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Aldo Caliari, Coordinator, Bretton Woods Project, Center of Concern
The hearing will consider provisions of the Jubilee Act (HR 2364, S 2166), which currently has 86 cosponsors in the House and 11 in the Senate. The Jubilee Act would:
Cancel the debts of up to 26 additional nations not currently eligible for debt cancellation, provided that they demonstrate plans to spend the money wisely on poverty reduction;
Cut harmful requirements that are delaying access to life-saving debt relief for countries like HaitiLiberia; and
Call on U.S. Treasury Secretary to address the challenges presented by so-called vulture funds, one of which recently extracted $15 million from impoverished Zambia; and
Establish policies for responsible lending to avoid odious and unjust debt accumulation in the future.
This hearing is an important first step as we work towards passage of this important legislation.
Be sure to visit the Jubilee USA website a few hours after the hearing, where we'll post transcripts of the speeches from the scheduled witnesses.
Thanks for all the work you do for Jubilee justice!
The hearing will take place on Thursday, Nov. 8, at 10 a.m. in Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2128 on Capitol Hill. If you are in Washington, D.C. or nearby, you are welcome to attend. For those outside of D.C. or if you can't get away from work, watch/listen to it online via live webcast! Go directly to the Financial Services Committee hearing page online at 10 a.m. today and join in!
Led by Rep. Barney Frank, Rep. Spencer Bachus, and Rep. Maxine Waters (and thanks in no small part due to the grassroots pressure created by the Cancel Debt Fast and Rev. David Duncombe's ministry), the House Financial Services Committee has scheduled a legislative hearing on the Jubilee Act for Expanded Debt Cancellation and Responsible Lending (HR 2634).
Among the expected witnesses are:
Neil Watkins, National Coordinator, Jubilee USA Network
Emira Woods, Foreign Policy In Focus Co-Director, Institute for Policy Studies
Gerry Flood, Counselor, Office of International Justice & Peace-U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops
Aldo Caliari, Coordinator, Bretton Woods Project, Center of Concern
The hearing will consider provisions of the Jubilee Act (HR 2364, S 2166), which currently has 86 cosponsors in the House and 11 in the Senate. The Jubilee Act would:
Cancel the debts of up to 26 additional nations not currently eligible for debt cancellation, provided that they demonstrate plans to spend the money wisely on poverty reduction;
Cut harmful requirements that are delaying access to life-saving debt relief for countries like HaitiLiberia; and
Call on U.S. Treasury Secretary to address the challenges presented by so-called vulture funds, one of which recently extracted $15 million from impoverished Zambia; and
Establish policies for responsible lending to avoid odious and unjust debt accumulation in the future.
This hearing is an important first step as we work towards passage of this important legislation.
Be sure to visit the Jubilee USA website a few hours after the hearing, where we'll post transcripts of the speeches from the scheduled witnesses.
Thanks for all the work you do for Jubilee justice!
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Funeral for Debt Event
Jubilee Oregon held a "funeral" for debt here in Portland yesterday (October 10th) as part of the Jubilee USA rolling cancel debt fast actions going on across the country. October 10th is the cancel debt fast day focused on HIV/AIDS. We were joined by our friends in the PAGAC in this cancel debt fast ceremony to highlight the strong links between debt cancellation and the crucial need to fund HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.
Over 20 participants, dressed in black, attended the funeral ceremony. Three coffins depicted debt in Latin America, Asia and Africa were front and center.
We started our rally at Senator Gordon’s Smith’s local office. We gave speeches on the importance of the Jubilee act and its link to funding for AIDS prevention and treatment. We sang songs and chanted debt cancellation demands.
We presented plates to Senator Smith's representative and then headed out on our funeral procession. The procession carried the coffins through downtown Portland, calling out the names of the 67 countries "presente" who are targeted in the Jubilee Act.
We arrived at Senator Wyden’s office for our second presentation of plates. Six of our group met with Senator Wyden’s staffer Loretta Smith while the rest of us remained outside chanting for debt cancellation, calling out the names of the 67 Jubilee Act countries and signing songs.
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Jubilee Act Update : new cospnsors/ senate version
Two great news items from Washington D.C. regarding the Jubilee Act.
First in the House of Representatives, we have secured the support of Representatives Peter DeFazio, Darleen Hooley and Greg Walden as co-sponsors of the Jubilee Act (HR 2634). Since we already have Blumenauer and Wu signed on, that means we have four out of Oregon\'s five representatives sponsoring the Act. Now, all we need is to have Representative Darlene Hooley sign on as a co-sponsor and we will have all the Oregon House delegation on board. PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL HER OFFICE IMMEDIATELY TO ASK FOR HER SUPPORT OF HR 2634 - The Jubilee Act.
Oregon Office phone: 503 557-1324Washington D.C. office: (202) 225-5711 phoneEmail: jennifer.wagner@mail.house.gov
Next, a companion bill has finally been introduced into the Senate The brand new Senate bill (S2166) currently has 6 co-sponsors: Senators Casey (D-PA), Lugar (R-IN), Dodd (D-CT), Biden (D-DE), Sununu (R-NH), and Obama (D-IL).
We're working hard to have the entire Oregon Congressional delegation stand up and speak out for an end to global poverty. So contact Wyden and Smith and ask them to co-sponsor S2166 now.
Pick up the phone and call the Capitol Switchboard: 202.224.3121.
Ask to be connected to your Senator's office. The receptionist will answer. Introduce yourself a constituent from Oregon and ask the Senator to support S2166, The Jubilee Act.
Thanks for your help - Andy Szatkowski
First in the House of Representatives, we have secured the support of Representatives Peter DeFazio, Darleen Hooley and Greg Walden as co-sponsors of the Jubilee Act (HR 2634). Since we already have Blumenauer and Wu signed on, that means we have four out of Oregon\'s five representatives sponsoring the Act. Now, all we need is to have Representative Darlene Hooley sign on as a co-sponsor and we will have all the Oregon House delegation on board. PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL HER OFFICE IMMEDIATELY TO ASK FOR HER SUPPORT OF HR 2634 - The Jubilee Act.
Oregon Office phone: 503 557-1324Washington D.C. office: (202) 225-5711 phoneEmail: jennifer.wagner@mail.house.gov
Next, a companion bill has finally been introduced into the Senate The brand new Senate bill (S2166) currently has 6 co-sponsors: Senators Casey (D-PA), Lugar (R-IN), Dodd (D-CT), Biden (D-DE), Sununu (R-NH), and Obama (D-IL).
We're working hard to have the entire Oregon Congressional delegation stand up and speak out for an end to global poverty. So contact Wyden and Smith and ask them to co-sponsor S2166 now.
Pick up the phone and call the Capitol Switchboard: 202.224.3121.
Ask to be connected to your Senator's office. The receptionist will answer. Introduce yourself a constituent from Oregon and ask the Senator to support S2166, The Jubilee Act.
Thanks for your help - Andy Szatkowski
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