2001 Campaign to Drop the Debt --Link to Global HIV/AIDS Crisis

January 8, 2001

Dear Colleagues:

Over the past several weeks, there has been some momentum building on a 2001 campaign to Drop the Debt with a link to the Global HIV/AIDS crisis. Attached please find the latest documents describing these efforts:

attachment 1: draft drop-the-debt-for-aids discussion paper

attachment 2: moving forward with debt cancellation by Jubilee 2000 UK

attachment 3: draft timeline for the drop the debt for aids campaign

Background

A presentation was made by the Jubilee2000 UK Campaign which is now morphing itself into the Drop-the-Debt Campaign for the G7 Summit at Genoa. Attached is a summary (moving forward with debt cancellation in 2001) which sets the stage for a big push for further debt cancellation. The Italian Government and Vatican positions on debt cancellation are seen as creating an optimal enabling environment for real action.

Some strategies that we are pursuing are:

1. Aggressive advocacy and push for action with Bush Administration officials, US Congress, G7 leaders, and the International Financial institutions;

2. Advocacy and action on Debt and AIDS legislation by the 107th Congress. This legislation could primarily focus on pushing for multilateral debt relief where the IMF and World Bank use their own reserves---thus being low cost to the US taxpayers;

3. Mobilization of Africa leaders to call for debt cancellation in light of the HIV/AIDS crisis at the OAU Special Session on HIV/AIDS. As most African countries now have " National HIV/AIDS Strategic Plans---these plans must be fully funded and implemented. If African leaders would commit to use the budgetary savings from debt relief to combat AIDS, then accelerated debt cancellation may be possible;

4. Broad-based mobilization of civil society organization in the US, Europe and Africa to push for debt cancellation at Genoa in light of the global HIV/AIDS crisis;

5. Broad-based mobilization of political leaders and celebrities to lobby and advocate for full debt cancellation at Genoa to allow poor countries to respond to the global HIV/AIDS crisis

We greatly appreciate your assistance in considering these ideas.

Sincerely yours,

Zeitz

tel: 267-254-5857

email: pzeitz@...

January 17, 2001

Dear Friend of Africa:

The debt of African countries and others is starting to be reduced...payments are being cut by about 30% on average. But Nigeria has been left out! The extent of debt reduction is still quite low in many cases! The creditors are still calling the shots.

So, we feel we have much more to do. To that end, I hope you can consider coming to the Denver planning meeting for Jubilee USA Network (below...It was sent out on our general list serve). It's a really important meeting for the Campaign for debt relief and we hope you will be able to attend . Your input and involvement are very important to us as we become the Jubilee USA Network.

Have you seen our latest action alert? It aims to put pressure of W!

Check it out at

http://www.j2000usa.org/action/jan.html

The campaign continues into 2001! How would you like to be involved? There

is so much more we can do together.

peace

Bryden

Jubilee 2000/USA

202-783-0214

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Greetings! This message is about a very important meeting coming up

February 16-18, in Denver, that will launch the next stage of the

Jubilee campaign in the U.S. If you know of anyone who should get

this invitation who might not be on email, please mail them one by

regular mail.

Thanks!

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January 4, 2001

Friends of Jubilee

From: Jubilee Transition team

Much progress has been made toward real awareness in the U.S. of the

need for definitive debt cancellation, and some good steps have been

taken toward making that a reality. Still, the work of the Jubilee

campaign is far from done. Eight months ago, at the urging of

Jubilee South and many of you, the Steering Committee agreed to

continue the campaign beyond its

original end date

We are ready to shift the campaign to a new structure that is more

open, more inclusive, and more appropriate for the long-haul work

ahead. We hope your organization will continue to be - or will

become - an active part of what will now be called the Jubilee USA

Network, and help sustain the effort to achieve a just resolution to

the debt burden of countries in the

global South. The Jubilee 2000/USA platform will continue to form the

basis for our debt cancellation work, although new emphases, new

challenges and new strategies will be discerned together as we move

into the future.

Specifically we invite your group to send a representative to a

meeting in Denver on the weekend of February 16-18 to celebrate the

success we have seen thus far and launch the next stage of the

Jubilee campaign in the U.S. A detailed agenda and preparatory

materials will be follow very soon, as will information about

logistics.

The gathering is open to any group or organization that is interested

in being a part of the Network Council, an expansion of the current

Steering Committee. The Network Council will include representatives

of the national organizations now on the Steering Committee,

representatives of local or regional coalitions or groups working for

Jubilee and debt cancellation, and any new national groups that are

interested in membership. The new structure is designed to broaden

the membership of the campaign and to create space for a wider range

of voices from the north and the south in developing Jubilee's

policies and strategies.

The Network Council is open to participation by any organization or

coalition:

· that agrees with and is committed to advancing the platform of the

Network and works to embody the principles of equity, justice and

sustainability;

· participates regularly in Network activities and, · at a minimum,

periodically reports on other debt-related activities of the

organization to the Network;

· pays an annual sliding-scale fee that can be waived as necessary.

(Fees will be modest and based on size of organizational budget, but

the Network Council will be expected to help raise the budget.)

Where the option exists, small, individual local groups will be asked

to become part of local or regional coalitions (existing or new,

specifically Jubilee or broader) and can be represented on the

Network Council through a coalition representative.

The Network Council will be the primary decision-making body of the

Network, meeting once or twice a year to make broad policy decisions,

approve a strategic plan and budget and select a Network Coordinating

Committee from among Network Council members. The Coordinating

Committee selections will be made with sensitivity to diversity in

terms of size and structure of organization, gender, region, race,

ethnicity, class, etc. This Committee will represent the Network

Council, working with the staff to interpret and implement decisions

of the Network Council.

The Network will also ultimately establish Working Groups that will

study issues and organize events and activities. Working Groups will

be open to all Network participants.

The February meeting will give us an opportunity to confirm or adjust

this structure and direction for the Jubilee Network; to assess

together our goals and strategies; and take mutual responsibility for

the budget necessary to continue the work of Jubilee.

To help us plan logistics, we would appreciate an email

(comments@...) or fax (202-832-5195 marked "Jubilee")

response by January 16 indicating whether you think someone from your

group will be able to attend the Denver meeting. More formal

registration information will be sent soon. Thanks!

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Note: This message references the Platform, which you can read by

clicking on: http://www.j2000usa.org/campaign/platform.html

[AIDS treatment] 2001 Campaign to Drop the Debt --Link to Global HIV/AIDS Crisis