Archive for February, 2007
Today, Jubilee USA and its partner organizations launched a call-in/write-in to Debt Advisory International (DAI), the parent company of Donegal International, urging the company’s owner, Michael Sheehan, to drop the lawsuit against Zambia.
Zambia’s crime? That’s what we’d like to know.
As activists were working to convince international financial institutions like the World Bank and IMF to cancel Zambia’s unsound debt, Donegal swooped down in 1999 and nabbed a piece of Zambia’s debt for $3.3 million. Zambia later received debt cancellation in 2005.
Last week, a U.K. court ruled that while Donegal is not entitled to $55 million — the amount the company claimed it is owed in taxes and interest — it is entitled to something. Donegal could be granted at least $20 million, which is half the amount Zambia expects to save this year from debt cancellation. This means that monies earmarked for healthcare, education, and other social spending needs, will instead go to line the pockets of Donegal.
Donegal and companies like them are called “vulture funds.” These companies make a profit from purchasing debt at a bargain basement price then turning around and suing the debtor for the full amount.
So, what do you do when vultures circle?
You don’t stand and cower; you fight them off!
You have the power to help Zambia, by participating in a worldwide action supported by millions of global activists. Urge Michael Sheehan to drop the lawsuit against Zambia and tell the courts that what Donegal did is the result of corruption that had nothing to do with Zambia.
A few hours into the call-in, Debi Kar, Jubilee USA’s media and policy coordinator, told us that callers were now greeted with an automated message letting them know that they had indeed reached the offices of Donegal, but that the voice mailbox was full.
When you can’t call, write. Go to Jubilee Debt Campaign’s site to send an e-mail to Donegal and DAI letting them know that you are incensed by what they’re doing!
For more information about the movement to stop the vulture fund from plundering Zambia, please visit:
The youth of the Diocese of Southwestern Virginia recently held our annual Youth at Council event. Our theme for the weekend was “Jesus’ World Tour”. As we were planning we came across the ONE Campaign and decided to incorporate it into the weekend.
During the event, we were divided into small groups and each group learned how the Millennium Development Goals related to an individual developing country. We also showed various ONE Campaign clips all throughout the weekend, even during our Saturday evening Eucharist.
The ONE Campaign glued everything together for us. It reminded us of our responsibility to reach out to others – to be Christ’s hands and feet in this world. Everyone was offered an opportunity to join the Campaign and we plan to continue this theme throughout our youth ministry opportunities all year.
Since 1981, more than 25 million people have died of AIDS, and last year alone, 3 million people died of AIDS. Today 40 million people around the world are living with HIV infection or AIDS; more than two-thirds of those infected are in Africa and the Caribbean. Center for Global Development
Unfortunately, HIV/AIDS has remained a taboo subject and many people do not understand the global effect this is having. So, in order to “Start a Conversation about HIV,” OSU had a big kick-off event this Saturday for the new HIV/AIDS Campus Coalition, which for the first time, brings together OSU staff, student organizations and other community partners who understand that HIV/AIDS needs to be discussed and discussed often.
Saturday’s event, called “One World, One Campus, One Voice: Let’s Start a Conversation about HIV” is the beginning of many HIV/AIDS-focused events on campus and will hopefully become a model for other campuses in the nation to use. The coalition hopes to provide important information to students on not only how to prevent HIV/AIDS themselves but how to be advocates. To 
conclude the full day’s conference, Aryka Chapman the Program Director of Treatment Access Expansion Project with the National Association of People with AIDS (NAPWA) spoke to participants about her experiences in the U.S. and around the world in educating people on this pandemic. She even challenged the students to become advocates in whatever field they choose as a career, “We need you. We need you to be doctors, lawyers, dancers and singers.” She went on to say how all professions are important in the fight against HIV/AIDS because everyone can use their talents to work with the HIV/AIDS community directly or talk about HIV/AIDS to their community in their own unique way. The ONE Campaign was part of the planning committee, present at the event and will remain a part of the coalition to educate students about global AIDS.
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A quick bit about ONE in the New Hampshire Concord Monitor yesterday.
“Curious about that white band on Obama’s wrist during his visit to New
Hampshire last week?”
Check out the whole piece here.
For this week’s “Story of the Week,” ONE member Melissa Skinner talks about meeting up with Senator Barack Obama at his Concord, New Hampshire, rally on Monday and talking to him about ONE’s issues.
At the event, Melissa gave Senator Obama a ONE wristband, which the Senator chose to wear all day. You can see him wearing his ONE band on Tuesday’s front pages of the Boston Globe and the Manchester Union Leader.
Listen here.
The 2007 continuing resolution was signed into law by President Bush last night.
Well done everyone.
Working in the East Garfield Park community in Chicago we have learned
that HIV rates are on the rise within all age groups. At Garfield Park
Conservatory Alliance where I work we recognized this trend and wanted
to host an event around National Black HIV/AIDS Awareness Day on
February 7. The primary goals of the day were to motivate African
Americans to get tested and know their HIV status, get educated about
the transmission modes of HIV/AIDS, get involved in their local
community, and get treated if they are currently living with HIV or are
newly diagnosed.
In asking community residents the type of activities they would like to
see at an HIV awareness event, advocacy and ways to get involved rang
loud and clear. As a committed member of the ONE Campaign, who believes
that we need to both raise awareness and act to do something about the
devastating effects of HIV both locally and internationally, I though
it’d be great to have ONE at the event. I am very pleased that a ONE
representative was able to come to talk about the Campaign and sign
people up to fight the global emergency of HIV/AIDS. I look forward to
having the ONE at future events.
