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If World Bank Wants To Help Haiti, It Should Cancel Its Debt
Bank President Robert Zoellick Visits Haiti Monday, should cancel the
$1 million/week the country sends to “Poverty-Fighting” Banks
$1 million/week the country sends to “Poverty-Fighting” Banks
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 20, 2008
CONTACT
Kristin Sundell, Jubilee USA, 443-845-4461
Brian Concannon, Esq. Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, 541-263-0029
Andrew Marx, Partners In Health, 617-432-1976
Joia Jefferson Nuri, TransAfrica Forum, 240-603-7905
WASHINGTON, DC -- Organizations working for healthcare, justice and economic stability in Haiti called on World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick to announce the unilateral cancellation of Haiti’s debt during his visit to Haiti on Monday, October 20. Haiti’s cash-strapped government currently sends the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank over $1 million per week to repay loans, over half of which were given to Haitian dictatorships.
The World Bank announced that Mr. Zoellick’s visit will “emphasize the Bank's strong support for the country.” Mr. Zoellick added: "Haiti must be given a chance. The international community needs to step up to the challenge and support the efforts of the Haitian government and its people."
“If Robert Zoellick wants to give Haiti a chance, he should start by unconditionally cancelling Haiti’s debt,” says Brian Concannon of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti. “Instead the World Bank- which was established to fight poverty- continues to insist on debt payments when Haitians are starving to death and literally mired in mud.”
Haiti did become eligible for the World Bank’s Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief initiative in 2007, after it had been excluded for years over political wrangling. But earlier this month HIPC announced that the likely date for Haiti to actually receive relief has been put back six months to the “first half 2009.”
“After four hurricanes in a month and an escalating food crisis it is outrageous that Haiti is being told it must wait six more months for debt relief,” said Neil Watkins, National Coordinator of Jubilee USA Network.
“Haiti’s debt is both onerous and odious”, added Dr. Paul Farmer of Partners In Health. “The payments are literally killing people, as every dollar sent to Washington is a dollar Haiti could spend on healthcare, nutrition and feeding programs, desperately needed infrastructure and clean water. Half of the loans were given to the Duvaliers and other dictatorships, and spent on Presidential luxuries, not development programs for the poor. Mr. Zoellick should step up and support the Haitian government by cancelling the debt now.”
“Unconditional debt cancellation is the first step in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Haiti,” according to Nicole Lee, Executive Director of TransAfrica Forum. “There is also an urgent need for U.S. policy towards Haiti to shift from entrenching the country in future debt to supporting sustainable, domestic solutions for development.”
###
October 20, 2008
CONTACT
Kristin Sundell, Jubilee USA, 443-845-4461
Brian Concannon, Esq. Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti, 541-263-0029
Andrew Marx, Partners In Health, 617-432-1976
Joia Jefferson Nuri, TransAfrica Forum, 240-603-7905
WASHINGTON, DC -- Organizations working for healthcare, justice and economic stability in Haiti called on World Bank Group President Robert B. Zoellick to announce the unilateral cancellation of Haiti’s debt during his visit to Haiti on Monday, October 20. Haiti’s cash-strapped government currently sends the World Bank and the Inter-American Development Bank over $1 million per week to repay loans, over half of which were given to Haitian dictatorships.
The World Bank announced that Mr. Zoellick’s visit will “emphasize the Bank's strong support for the country.” Mr. Zoellick added: "Haiti must be given a chance. The international community needs to step up to the challenge and support the efforts of the Haitian government and its people."
“If Robert Zoellick wants to give Haiti a chance, he should start by unconditionally cancelling Haiti’s debt,” says Brian Concannon of the Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti. “Instead the World Bank- which was established to fight poverty- continues to insist on debt payments when Haitians are starving to death and literally mired in mud.”
Haiti did become eligible for the World Bank’s Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief initiative in 2007, after it had been excluded for years over political wrangling. But earlier this month HIPC announced that the likely date for Haiti to actually receive relief has been put back six months to the “first half 2009.”
“After four hurricanes in a month and an escalating food crisis it is outrageous that Haiti is being told it must wait six more months for debt relief,” said Neil Watkins, National Coordinator of Jubilee USA Network.
“Haiti’s debt is both onerous and odious”, added Dr. Paul Farmer of Partners In Health. “The payments are literally killing people, as every dollar sent to Washington is a dollar Haiti could spend on healthcare, nutrition and feeding programs, desperately needed infrastructure and clean water. Half of the loans were given to the Duvaliers and other dictatorships, and spent on Presidential luxuries, not development programs for the poor. Mr. Zoellick should step up and support the Haitian government by cancelling the debt now.”
“Unconditional debt cancellation is the first step in addressing the humanitarian crisis in Haiti,” according to Nicole Lee, Executive Director of TransAfrica Forum. “There is also an urgent need for U.S. policy towards Haiti to shift from entrenching the country in future debt to supporting sustainable, domestic solutions for development.”
###
For more information:
http://www.jubileeusa.org
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If the World Bank, the United States Government, and thousands of volunteers that travel to Haiti each year on mission projects are truly interested in the welfare of Haiti, there should be a broad, consistent outcry that would be heard around the world. The undeniable voice of thousands of people should be heard and recognized by the powers that continue to suppress the poor of Haiti.
The world has suppressed Haiti from the beginning of her history. Historical events such as the invasion of Haiti by the US military on several occasions, and several trade embargoes have prevented the Haitians from developing as a nation. One recent example is the reductions in agricultural tariffs on rice so that free trade could develop. There is nothing free about farmers in Arkansas and Louisiana dumping millions of tons of low priced rice, that is subsidized by the US Farm Bill, into a country like Haiti and demanding through the threat of political retaliation that the Haitians eliminate tariffs to further protect the US farmers and in the process destroying any hop of Haiti developing her own agricultural system. Where is free trade if US farmers benefit at the expense of Haitian farmers? Another example is the bill recently passed by the US Congress lowering tariffs on garments produced in Haiti, but only if the fabric purchased is produced in the US. Where is free trade if the US textile manufacturers are the winners at the expense of the Haitian people?
It seems as though every time the World Bank or the IMF or the US Government send aid to Haiti, there always seem to be strings attached. If we really want to help, we should eliminate the onerous debt imposed on the Haitian people by France and others for the audacious act of fighting for and winning their own freedom from their European masters. We should do so freely with no entangling strings attached. We should forgive Haiti's debt, finally set Haiti free to take her place in the world of nations free from 19th century colonialism.
How can we the individual people with a heart for Haiti help in this process?
Dave Draeger
Hearts for Haiti.org
For more information:
http://heartsforhaiti.org
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