Below are some developments from the world of global debt over the past few months. The Scottish Government launched its White Paper ‘Scotland’s Future’ on the 26th November. In this, debt relief is highlighted as a priority for international development, with the statement: “The Scottish Government will give careful consideration to the question of ‘unjust’ […]
January Campaign Update on Indonesia
Jubilee Scotland is currently trying to convince the UK government to cancel the >£500 million it’s owed by Indonesia. This is a small goal within a much broader international objective, which is to promote the doctrine of ‘odious debt’. ‘Odious debt’ is a concept which enjoys some international credibility, but not nearly enough! Put simply, […]
G8 in Rostock: The State of Debt
The “Another World is Possible” rally in Rostock, 2nd June. At about 2.30pm, several thousand people dressed in black emerged from the ranks of the eighty-thousand peaceful demonstrators and marched at the police. Clashes started shortly afterwards. The police’s initial charges were limited, and did not disperse the group in black – though they did […]
Disappearing debt relief
The debt relief offered to Zambia through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) initiative would reduce the money available for human development. This is a surprising claim in a paper by John Weeks and Terry McKinley for the United Nations Development Programme (PDF here). When G8 Debt Deal cancellation (MDRI) is added, Zambia does see a […]
