Bishop Kieran Conry's message for World Debt Day

Bishop Kieran Conry, Bishop of Arundel and Brighton, has sent the following message of support for Jubilee Debt Campaign's World Debt Day campaign, this Sunday May 16. I warmly commend the Jubilee Debt Campaign's World Debt Day on 16 May. It is a reminder that the cancellation not reduction of poorer countries' debts is a necessary step in their movement out of poverty. The G8 summit in the USA in June must listen to the message of 16 May. The World Debt Day weekend will see people from all faiths, and none, organise events and acts of worship nationwide, to mark the achievements so far of the campaign against debt. They will also, however, focus on the immense amount of work that still needs to be done to end the Third World Debt crisis so that poor countries may begin to move out of poverty and meet the Millennium Development Goals for 2015. In support of World Debt Day, campaigners have begun sending the first of thousands of letters to Tony Blair and President Bush, urging them to put cancellation of Third World debts at the top of the agenda of the G8 meeting in the US (June 8-10). Every letter will carry a photo of the writer(s) wearing red chains to symbolise debt slavery, as a part of a joint action between Jubilee debt Campaign and Jubilee USA. JDC's new Call for Change Action Cards and Leaflets (plus a new report on multilateral debt) are available now from the national office. Also available now are World Debt Day Bidding Prayers specially written by the White Fathers in Algeria, a pack of multifaith worship materials, and a pack of 'How To Guides' for non-faith based events. For further information see: http:// www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk