wfn.org | NCCCUSA/CWS Celebrates Congressional Approval Of Debt Relief

[CAROL.FOUKE@ecunet.org]

National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Email: news@ncccusa.org  Web: www.ncccusa.org 

Contact: NCC News, 212-870-2227

96NCC10/26/00
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NCC/CWS CELEBRATES CONGRESSIONAL APPROVAL OF DEBT RELIEF

October 26, 2000, NEW YORK CITY - "Proud to be partners in this historic moment," the National Council of Churches and Church World Service are celebrating Congressional approval of the President's full request for a debt relief initiative to assist the world's most impoverished countries.

"This is a clear example of the power of working together to put our faith into action," declared the Rev. Dr. Bob Edgar, NCC General Secretary.  Debt cancellation is among the NCC/CWS's five legislative advocacy priorities this year.

"This is an initiative that the religious community has shaped and placed squarely in the public arena," Dr. Edgar said.  "Two years ago, when we first broached this issue with legislators, they were dubious that it had a chance of passage.  Today, Congress has made the first down-payment in a program that is geared to provide billions in debt relief to around 30 impoverished countries!"  

The Rev. John L. McCullough, CWS Executive Director, said, "We are extremely proud of what we have been able to do as Church World Service to support this process.  Our partners in these indebted countries have told us of the suffering this has imposed on them, and have shared their hopes for what debt relief will bring.  "The response across the country to the Jubilee 2000 debt relief movement shows that Americans do care about what our government does to help people around the world," he said.  

"I am extremely pleased with this outcome!" said Lisa Wright of the NCC/CWS Washington Office.  Ms. Wright represents NCC/CWS on the Jubilee 2000/USA Steering Committee and chairs the Jubilee 2000/USA Policy Committee.  "To put this in perspective, the average spending on debt relief for impoverished countries, prior to last year, averaged closer to $30 million a year.  Through our work, the faith community has been able to persuade Congress to provide over ten times that much this year!"  

Besides being formal members of the Jubilee 2000/USA campaign, Church World Service/NCC has supported this initiative in numerous ways.  CWS's two dozen U.S. regional offices have made debt relief the primary education and advocacy focus of their fund-raising efforts.  Participants in CROP hunger walks have been encouraged to "talk their walk" through advocacy for debt relief.  

CWS has also produced other materials for church education, including the "Facts Have Faces:  Africa in Bondage to Debt" and the Jubilee lapel pin, which CWS gave to all members of Congress and to key members of the Administration, including President Clinton and Secretary of the Treasury Summers.  "We hope they will all be proudly wearing these lapel pins when the foreign aid bill is signed into law!," the Rev. McCullough said.

The NCC, with 35 Protestant and Orthodox member communions, and Church World Service serve the U.S. ecumenical community in witness and service domestically and around the world.

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