Cancel Africa's Debt on RichardKnight.com

 

Africa has a crushing debt burden.  The debt burden is an obstacle to development, poverty alleviation and the fight against disease including H.I.V./AIDS.

 

When I worked at The Africa Fund I was a staff person on a project to promote the involvement of state and municipal officials with U.S. policy toward Africa.  We worked to bring the issue of Africa's debt to these officials.  The following is part of the result of that work.

 

In September 2000, I coordinated a statement by a group of state and municipal elected officials calling for the cancellation of Africa Debt.  The Singers are members of The Africa Fund's U.S.-Africa Advisory Council of Public Officials.  Click here to read The Africa Fund's press release and the Advisory Council statement.

 

The National Black Caucus of Local Elected Officials (NBC-LEO) adopted a resolution calling for debt cancellation at its March 2000 conference.  Read Africa Fund's press release and NBC-LEO resolution text.

 

The 1,000 member U.S. Conference of Mayors adopted a resolution in June 1998 calling on the President and Congress to provide leadership in working toward significant debt reduction and cancellation of debt owed by the poorest African countries.  Seven other mayors joined the resolution's primary sponsor, the Hon. Wellington E. Webb, mayor of Denver.  I worked with Mayor Webb's office to coordinate this resolution.  Read The Africa Fund's press release and U.S. Conference of Mayors resolution.

 

There has been a worldwide campaign to cancel the debt of poor countries.  For more information visit Jubilee USA Network, the successor to Jubilee 2000/USA.

 

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