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Dakar/Amsterdam APPEAL For the Cancellation of African debt
PLEASE SEND SIGN-ONS to <cadtm@skynet.be>
and the "Dakar 2000" Coordinating Committee <jubilee.dk2000@sentoo.sn>
For the Cancellation of African Debt
Africa: From Resistance to Alternatives
The new slavery in Africa, which results from the burden of the debt
and the enforcement of structural adjustment policies, is an unprecedented
shame at the beginning of the 21st century. In an overwelhming majority
of African countries debt service absorbs more resources than those allocated
for education and health combined. It should be obvious that each cent
spent on paying for the cost of public debts is lost in the urgent fight
against poverty, illiteracy, malaria, AIDS and other wide spread diseases,
some of which could be easily cured. The structural adjustment policies
imposed by the World Bank and the IMF have largely contributed to put
many African countries in a deep economic crisis : they exacerbate social
and gender inequality, they spread poverty on a large scale, they imperil
the environment and access to food and water, they fuel armed conflicts
and create conditions that are favourable to recolonizing the continent
through privatization and liberalization policies.
Like all previous gestures, the initiatives taken in Cologne (June 1999)
and in Cairo (April 2000) do not offer any actual solution.
It is in light of this predicament that a worldwide movement has emerged
calling for the cancellation of the Third World debt and for the rejection
of adjustment policies that have only contributed to generate more poverty
and regression wherever they have been implemented.
In most cases the debt was incurred by non democratic governments that
were often supported by industrialized countries. The borrowed money was
used to finance repressive, if not genocidal policies (as in Rwanda in
1994) and never helped the people of the indebted countries. The embezzlement
of public loans was systematically organized in full knowledge of public
and private lenders in industrialized countries. In terms of international
law the 'odious' debt that results from such loans is invalid.
In the specific case of sub-Saharan Africa, an irrefutable historical
argument in favour of unconditional cancellation is that what is owed
to western "creditors" is only a tiny portion of what European
have stolen there since the 15th century. From slavery that robbed the
continent of 60 to 100 millions of its inhabitants forcibly taken to the
Americas, to colonization followed by the current recolonization, Africa
has already paid more than enough.
Today, the World Bank, which is largely responsible for the disaster
of the last thirty years, acknowledges that the standards for human development
continue to deteriorate in Africa. The real income per capita has steadily
decreased over this period. In several African countries, life expectancy,
which is hardly 46, is dramatically falling as a consequence of abject
poverty.
Yet the IMF and the WB still insist on imposing structural adjustments
and debt repayments through the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries Initiative
(HIPC 's Initiative). The only change is at the level of the discourse
: "The Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP)" has replaced
"Structural Adjustment Programs (SAPs)".
For all these reasons, an immediate and unconditional cancellation of
Africa 's external debt is no more than an ethical demand for social justice.
It would free resources that are urgently needed for investments in productive
sector (to provide jobs for younger generations), in health, in education,
in culture, for women's emancipation, for a better future for the young
generation, for the eradication of poverty and the preservation of the
environment and biodiversity.
Africa must simultaneously break with adjustment programs, that are largely
responsible for its current catastrophic situation. The stress on budget
austerity in the name of an alleged "macroeconomic equilibrium"
and forced State's disengagement have translated into a curtailment of
public spending, which in turn, has led to recession, unemployment and
poverty.
Liberalization and privatisation policies have contributed to stifle
national enterprises and to the takeover of African economies by western
transnational corporations, dubbed "strategic partners". The
free-trade creed has undermined policies aimed at achieving food security
for Africa.
Cultural creation is imperiled as a result of a wild competition from
cultural products from industrialized countries. It is only by breaking
with such policies that the continent will have a greater control over
its destiny by recovering its autonomy in formulating its own development
policies.
African people cannot be expected to watch passively the sacrifice of
whole generations and a new colonization of the continent that hides its
true nature. This is why African organizations and personalities are determined
to rely on popular support to participate in a global mobilization, which
has found a new impetus with the "Jubilee 2000" campaign, involving
as it does millions of people throughout the world and collecting over
20 million signatures that were presented to the G-7 leaders in Cologne
in June 1999.
But the "Jubilee 2000" campaign ends this year. It is thus
urgent to take stock of what has been achieved and review the limits of
the campaign in order to carry on the struggle for the cancellation of
Africa's debt, the rejection of adjustment policies and the elaboration
of policies promoting a sustainable human development. The present appeal
follows upon the Declarations of Accra (Jubilee 2000 - April 1998), Lusaka
(Jubilee 2000 - May 1999), Johannesburg (Jubilee South - November 1999)
and YaoundŽ (January 2000), as well as on converging initiatives, such
as that of ATTAC (Paris - June 1999), the protest in Seattle, the Women's
World March in 2000 and the Bangkok appeal (February 2000), all of them
calling for the cancellation of Third World countries' debt.
Meeting in Amsterdam, from 4 to 7 April, we call for an international
and panafrican meeting in Dakar, from 12 to 17 December, 2000 that will
be named Ç DAKAR 2000 : from Resistance to Alternatives È.
Its objectives will be:
- to assess Africa's debt at the end of the year 2000, after the Jubilee
campaign and to evaluate the impact of bilateral and multilateral solutions
for debt "relief";
- to review the economic, social and human effects of structural adjustment
policies, focusing on key sectors, such as education, health, employment,
income distribution, traditional farming;
- to devise short-, medium- and long-term strategies in order to a)
achieve the cancellation of the debt and the rejection of adjustment
programs, b) contribute to the implementation of a development policy
based on the needs of the people. This implies new forms of mobilization
and new ways of distributing wealth as well as new financing methods,
such as the recovery of illicitly-acquired wealth, a tax on international
financial transactions, fair trade and taxation policies.
Send signatures to cadtm@skynet.be
and the "Dakar 2000" Coordinating Committee: e-mail: jubilee.dk2000@sentoo.sn
Movement:...............................
Postal Address :
Email:...............
Name of the contact person:.................
List of signatories (update 12th May 2000)
International Network:
- Association des Femmes Africaines pour la Recherche et le
DŽveloppement (AFARD) / Association of African Women for Research
and Development (AAWORD);
- Association pour la Taxation des Transactions financires
pour l'Aide aux Citoyens (ATTAC)
- ComitŽ pour l'Annulation de la Dette du Tiers Monde (CADTM)
/ Committee for the Cancellation of Third World Debt (COCAD),
- Development Alternatives with Women for a New era -DAWN
(Fidji)
- FŽdŽration Internationale Syndicale de l'Enseignement (FISE)
- International South Group Network (Harare - Zimbabwe)
- Jubile Sud / Jubilee South
- Red Europea de los Comites OSCAR ROMERO
- Trans National Institute (TNI - Pays-Bas) Afrique des Grands
Lacs : Service de Renforcement des Appuis aux CommunautŽs
de Base en Afrique Centrale (Seracob - Burundi, Rwanda, RD
Congo).
- Afrique du Sud (RŽp): Alternative Information and Development
Center (AIDC - South Africa) ; Institute for
- Black Research (University of Natal, Durban, South Africa).
- Angola: ADRA- Aao para o Desenvolvimento Rural e Ambiente
(Luanda - Angola).
- Autriche: Koordinierungsstelle der Bischofskonferenz ; Campagne
Jubilee 2000
- Belgique: A.C.D.A. Aide et CoopŽration au dŽveloppement
d'Arequipa;
- AEFJN (RŽseau Europe-Afrique Foi et Justice);
- ATTAC - Louvain la Neuve;
- Centre National de CoopŽration au DŽveloppement / National
Center for Development and Cooperation (CNCD - Bruxelles);
- Centre Tricontinental;
- ComitŽ pour l' Annulation de la Dette du Tiers Monde (CADTM)
; Commission Justice et Paix;
- Entraide et FraternitŽ/ Action Vivre Ensemble;
- ERAD (Equipe de Recherche et d'Action pour le DŽveloppement);
- Forum Nord Sud;
- Fondation Jacquemotte;
- Frre des Hommes;
- GRESEA;
- Le Monde selon les Femmes; Mensuel Ç AvancŽes È;
- OXFAM-SolidaritŽ;
- Socialisme Sans Frontires (SSF);
- Social Alert;
- WERVEL (Groupe de travail pour une agriculture juste et
Žquitable)
- BŽnin: CADTM/COCAD-BŽnin.
- BrŽsil: Jubilee 2000 Campaign (CNBB - Brasilia);
- Cespeg Alemasa (Bahia - BrŽsil);
- PACS (Rio de Janeiro).
- Cameroun: Service oecumŽnique pour la paix, Jubilee 2000.
- Canada: Canadian Autoworkers Union;
- Science for Peace Human Rights Working Group
- Congo (RŽp dŽmoc): Coalition Congolaise pour l'Annulation
de la Dette et le DŽveloppement (CCADD - DR
- Congo);
- Journal Espoir.
- Congo Brazzaville: La Cause
- Espagne/ Spain/ Espana: Plataforma 0'7 de Lleida;
- Fundaci—n Paz y Solidaridad- Euskadi;
- Club Albatros (Navarra);
- Nizkor;
- Red Ciudadana para la Abolici—n de la deuda Externa de Balmasda
(Bizkaia).
- France: Association pour la Taxation des Transactions financires
pour l' Aide aux Citoyens (ATTAC);
- Association Internationale des Techniciens Experts et Chercheurs
(AITEC - France);
- Agir Ici;
- ATTAC - Bastia (Hte Corse);
- CCFD;
- CEDETIM;
- Collectif "TotalFinaElf ne fera pas la loi";
- CGT Chimie;
- ConfŽdŽration Paysanne (France);
- Europe 99;
- FŽdŽration des Associations de SolidaritŽ avec les Travailleurs
ImmigrŽs (FASTI - France) ;
- Fondation plante Timoun;
- France-LibertŽs Fondation Danielle Mitterrand ;
- MŽdia et Communication Žducative (MEDIA-CED);
- Revue Golias;
- RITIMO (rŽseau des centres de documentation pour le dŽveloppement
et la solidaritŽ internationale);
- FŽdŽration SUD-PTT;
- SURVIE (Paris - France);
- SNESup (FSU).
- G-B: Grassroots South-North International Forum (GRASSNIF);
- Afrikan Iberation Support Campaign (ALISC);
- Afrikurunzi International Network (AFRIKURUNZI);
- People's International lobby for Afrika (PINGOLA);
- Concord X Black Grassroots Anti-Racist League (CONCORD X);
- Black Quest for justice Campaign (BQJC);
- Black Quest for Justice Campaign (BQJC); Council of Pan-Afrikan
Deputies in Europe (COPADE);
- Pan-Afrikan Forum in Europe;
- International People's Assembly for a New Democratic World
(IPANDEW).
- Ghana: Jubilee 2000 Afrika Campaign.
- Ha•ti: ATTAC Ha•ti;
- CERAV;
- Plate-forme Ha•tienne de Plaidoyer pour un DŽveloppement
Alternatif (PAPDA).
- Inde: All India Anti-Imperialist Forum.
- Kenya: Kenya Human Rights Commission.
- Mali: Coalition Jubilee 2000 du Mali (CNM/ J2000 - Mali).
- Malte: Moviment ghall-Ambjent (Friends of the Earth);
- Moviment Graffitti
- Maurice (”le): Ledikasyon Pu Travayer.
- Mexique: Comision Independiente de Derechos Humanos de Morelos
(CIDHMOR).
- Nicaragua: Coalicion Jubileo Nicaragua.
- Philippines: Resource Center for People's Development.
- Rwanda: Ubuntu Development Center;
- ARAMET (Association de Recherche et d'Appui en AmŽnagement
du Territoire).
- SŽnŽgal: Association des Žtudiants en analyse et politique
Žconomique ASEAPE);
- Conseil des Organisations Non Gouvernementales d'Appui au
DŽveloppement (CONGAD - SŽnŽgal);
- ComitŽ de DŽveloppement Local de Yoff;
- Association Nationale pour l'AlphabŽtisation et la Formation
des Adultes (ANAFA);
- Union Nationale des Syndicats Autonomes du SŽnŽgal (UNSAS
- SŽnŽgal);
- SODEFITEX DŽveloppement rural;
- CARAF - Collectif Africain pour la Recherche l'Action et
la Formation;
- Sauvegarde du Nord/Concept;
- CEU -Cooperative Essere Umani;
- RADI - RŽseau Africain pour le DŽveloppement IntŽgrŽ;
- SENATTAC Mouvement ATTAC SŽnŽgal.
- Suisse: Association pour le Commerce Equitable de Genve
(ACEG - Suisse);
- Aktion Finanzplatz Schweiz - Independent Network Monitoring
the Swiss Financial System;
- Aqu’ Nosotras-Fribourg;
- ATTAC-Fribourg;
- Centre Europe - Tiers Monde (CETIM - Suisse);
- Commission Tiers Monde de l'Eglise Catholique (COTMEC -
SUISSE);
- Groupe Dette Tiers Monde - ATTAC Genve Suisse;
- UNITE - Plate-forme suisse pour l'Žchange de personnes dans
la coopŽration internationale.
- Togo: CADTM/COCAD - Togo
- Tunisie: Fondation El Taller
- USA: Tobin Tax Initiative;
- 50 Years Is Enough: U.S. Network for Global Economic Justice,
- Jubilee 2000 Afrika Campaign;
- Kenya Action Network
- Venezuela: CADTM Venezuela
PersonnalitŽs:
- Harlem DŽsir (EurodŽputŽ - France)
- Pablo Gonzalez Casanova (Professeur UNAM - Mexique)
- Michel Husson (Economiste - France)
- Alain Krivine (EurodŽputŽ - France)
- Micha‘l Lšwy (Directeur de recherche au CNRS - France)
- James Petras (Professeur Binghamton University - USA)
- Valter Pomar (PT - BrŽsil)
- Roseline Vachetta (EurodŽputŽe - France)
- Pablo Gonzalez Casanova (Professeur UNAM - Mexique)
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Committee for the Cancellation of the Third World Debt (COCAD)
29 rue Plantin
1070 Bruxelles
tel (322) 527 59 90
fax (322) 522 61 27
cadtm@skynet.be http://users.skynet.be/cadtm
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