Cancel Haiti's Debt - Grants, Not Loans
January 2010
Dear Members and Friends of CCDS:
Our hearts pour out for the people of Haiti who are suffering through tragedy of historic proportions. The loss of life and destruction from a devastating earthquake have been compounded by a century of ruthless exploitation by the U.S. and other governments, multi-national corporations and neo-liberal policies. We take note that the U.S. government did the right thing in announcing yesterday Temporary Protected Status for Haitians who have been living in the U.S. without legal status but unable to work.
We call upon our members and friends to not only support humanitarian organizations that are mobilizing aid and relief but to add our voice to those who are calling on the US government for an immediate cancellation of Haiti's IMF debt and demand that the IMF make grants available to Haiti for aid and reconstruction - not loans. We join with Jubilee USA in expressing "dismay" at yesterday's announcement that the IMF, rather than cancel Haiti's debt, will put Haiti more in its debt by extending loans, as reported by Just Foreign Policy.
We urge CCDS and members to contact Members of Congress and the White House and urge our government to do the right thing at this tragic moment - cancel the IMF debt and give aid without strings attached.
Much more needs to be done to reverse our government's decades-long policies of injustice toward Haiti, and its support for the country's right wing regimes and the ouster of President Aristide. Demanding that the IMF cancel the debt would be an important start.
The National Executive Committee, CCDS
Help Haiti - Drop the Debt
Sign the Petition Now!
http://one.org/us/actnow/drophaitiandebt/index.html?rc=haitidebt