Jubilee OregonWhat is Jubilee?In the late 1990’s, a broad network of people from around the world came together under the banner of Jubilee 2000, challenging policy makers from developed countries to address the international debt crisis. The imperative to lift the excruciating burden of debt continues with the evolution of the Jubilee 2000 movement into the world-side Jubilee movement. The founding goal of the movement is to cancel unjust and odious debt in developing countries that continues to siphon resources that should be used for health care, education, clean water and infrastructure. The movement has broadened its mission to include economic justice for developing countries.Who is Jubilee Oregon?Jubilee Oregon is a chapter of Jubilee USA Network, a grassroots alliance of 80 religious and faith-based communities, human rights, environmental, labor and community groups. Jubilee Oregon has 19 faith-based organizations and acts as one of many local grass roots organizations to educate our communities and work towards the advocacy goals of the Jubilee USA Network and the worldwide Jubilee movement.A Few Facts
- Africa pays more in debt service than it receives in aid, new loans and assistance.
- Every year African countries spend $14.5 billion in repaying debts to the world’s wealthy countries and international financial institutions.
- Ethiopia, a country with one of the highest child and maternal mortality rates, the $197 million spent on debt service could have fully funded basic health care for mothers and children.
- The money spend on debt repayment could provide clean water for 1.3 billion people.
The Power of Debt Relief
There is an immediate and positive impact to people in developing countries when countries debts are cancelled.
- Mozambique increased rates of vaccinations by more than 80%.
- Uganda has doubled primary school enrollment through elimination of school fees.
- Cameroon was able to implement a national HIV/AIDS plan that has made testing and counseling widely available and has reduced HIV transmission from pregnant women to their babies.
- Zambia has hired 4,500 new teaches and abolished feeds for rural health.
- After Haiti’s devastating earthquake in 2010, Jubilee USA Network led the call for complete debt cancellation for Haiti, the most impoverished country in the Americas where 8% of its people live in extreme poverty
What We Do
Linking our Voices: a Partnership between Jubilee Oregon and Jubilee Zambia
Jubilee Oregon is launching a partnership with the Jubilee organizations in Zambia that will:
1. Provide us the opportunity to deepen our understanding of the roots of the global economic crisis and to work in partnership with Jubilee Zambia to think through some structural alternatives.
2. Provide Jubilee Oregon with political and economic realities that challenge our understanding of continuing to do business as usual BECAUSE we will be working with and learning from people in the Global South who are facing much more dire consequences than we are in the North (e.g. climate change, access to oil).
3. Deepen our understanding of the global economy and to get to know our partners who are living on the front lines of the economic crisis.
We intend to:
- Educate ourselves and Zambians about our mutual cultures and political/economic realities
- Put human face on these issues through delegations, exchanges and visiting speakers
- Advocate for passage of Jubilee ACT (USA) and to support Jubilee Zambia’s advocacy efforts to imbed debt management plan/policy in its new Constitution
- Get on our mailing list by sending a request to jubileeoregon@gmail.com. You will receive announcements and Action Alerts.
- Come to our monthly meetings the first Wednesday of the month at Westminster Presbyterian Church, NE 16th and Hancock at 7 PM.
- We meet with our Members of Congress to advocate for legislation and support of economic justice in developing countries. Attend a legislative meeting with us.
- Investigate becoming a Jubilee Organization. Jubilee Oregon members want to engage with you and your organization and will provide resources for you to have a meaningful conversation about the goals, benefits and needs.
How You Can Get Involved
- Get on our mailing list by sending a request tojubileeoregon@gmail.com. You will receive announcements and Action Alerts.
- Come to our monthly meetings the first Wednesday of the month at Westminster Presbyterian Church, NE 16th and Hancock at 7 PM.
- We meet with our Members of Congress to advocate for legislation and support of economic justice in developing countries. Attend a legislative meeting with us.
- Investigate becoming a Jubilee Organization. Jubilee Oregon members want to engage with you and your organization and will provide resources for you to have a meaningful conversation about the goals, benefits and needs.
