We need to assess the public health crisis that is about to explode in the Global South if debt is not outright cancelled. While most Northern countries are in the midst of fighting against the virus, the heaviest impact caused by the pandemic will be on countries in Africa, South & Latin America and Southeast […]
This past week has been a big win for people working to improve education in countries that have been plagued by Private-for-profit schools, such as Kenya, India, Ghana, Uganda and Liberia. The World Bank Group announced that its private sector division, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) would be reforming how they approach lending policy, their […]
Jubilee Scotland has signed up today to a new debt jubilee to tackle the Covid-19 health and economic crisis facing hundreds of millions of people. This World Health Day, more than 150 organisations and networks have called for debt in the global south to be cancelled to fight to COVID-19 outbreak. Some of the world’s […]
On International Human Rights day, Jubilee Scotland examines the role of debt and international financial institutions on the people of Guatemala, and questions the role Scotland could play in global development. By Charlotte Snelling. For much of the post-war period, Guatemala’s past has been a story of dictatorships, terror, and genocidal regimes. It is estimated […]
James Picardo, Campaign Director at Jubilee Scotland, spoke as part of the ‘Global Challenges’ series of events hosted by Edinburgh University. Here is what he said: Economics on the one hand, and justice and human rights issues on the other hand, are often discussed as separate phenomena; as ways of looking at the world that […]
On October 5th, Jubilee Scotland hosted a People’s Debt Tribunal at the Scottish Parliament, which saw Lidy Nacpil, representing Freedom from Debt Coalition Philippines and Jubilee South make the case for the cancellation of debt owed by the Philippines to the World Bank. Here an attendee of the Tribunal shares her thoughts. ‘Debt cancellation is […]
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, […]
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 […]
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 […]