Nation's Religious Leaders to Begin 40 Day Fast for Third World Debt Relief

The world's poorest nations spend an average of $100,000 milion dollars each day to pay back debts, money that could be spent on life saving health care, food, education, and infrastructure. Congress will soon have a chance to relieve some of that debt by passing the Jubilee Act, which could cancel the debt of 67 nations and establish responsible lending practices for the future. In support of the act, religious leaders and up to 20,000 participants across the nation will begin a 40 day fast on September 6th.

The Jubilee USA Network, a multi-faith non-profit, announced the details of the fast in a press release August 29th. Rev. David Duncombe will spend the 40 days on Capitol hill, fasting and lobbying to secure a hearing for the Act before the House of Representatives and a companion bill in the Senate. Other religious leaders participating include John Thomas, President of the United Church of Christ, Rabbi Michael Lerner of Tikkun Magazine, and Ron Sider, founder of of Evangelicals For Social Action. Rev. Jim Wallis,CEO of Sojurners and best-selling author of God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It, is also participating. A full list of the fasting religious leaders can be found at the group's website.

"Jubilee" refers to a passage in Leviticus in which a Sabbath, or Jubilee Year, is proclaimed, restoring lands lost from debt and freeing those enslaved. Part of the passage reads:

"...proclaim liberty throughout the land to all its inhabitants; it shall be a jubilee for you."

Leviticus 25:10

According to Hebrew texts, 2007 is a Sabbath Year. 2007 is also a halfway point in a goal committed to by the U.S. in 2000, when the G-8 set the G-8 Millennium Development Goal of reducing the world's poverty 50 % by 2015. Just how to proceed with that commitment was left up to individual nations.

Supporters of the bill cite the effect that debt relief has already had in many countries. In 2006, 21 countries in Africa and Latin America saw full cancellation from creditors, amounting to a savings of more than $40 billion. One example of the boon the canceled debt gave is the elimination of school fees in Honduras, where low income families could not afford to send their children to school. In Ghana, the money saved is being used on increased funding for health care and basic rural roads. Jubilee USA a larger list of examples of debt relief directly improving or saving the lives of the people in the countries involved at their website.

The Jubilee Act was introduced in June 2007 by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), who also introduced the act in the previous Congressional session. Information on how to support the bill and the 40 day fast can be found at the group's website. Support for the legislation can be expressed by contacting your representatives.

Source:

Jubilee Action Network, Rev. Jim Wallis, Rev. David Duncombe, Rabbi Michael Lerner, Dr. Tony Campolo, National and State Religious Leaders to Launch 40 Day Fast Urging Congress to Cancel the Debts of Impoverished Nations, PR Newswire

Jubilee Action Network, Debt Relief Works, JubileeUSA.org