Clinton thanks Jubilee 2000 for its campaign and calls for debt relief to be extended to more nations Jubilee 2000 Coalition

In an emotional ceremony at the White House on Monday (6 November) President Clinton praised the efforts of the Jubilee 2000 campaign which have resulted in Congress approving finance for debt relief. He called the agreement one of "the most important moments of the last eight years for the United States of America," saying "we need to build on it" and "extend it to other nations." Acknowledging the broad coalition that had campaigned for debt cancellation, he said: "When you get this many people from this many different backgrounds pointing in the same direction, you can be pretty sure it's the right direction".

President Clinton made the comments as he signed into law a bill which provides full funding for this year's American contribution to the HIPC Trust Fund, with a portion to pay for bilateral debt cancellation. The $435 million needed to finance the deal was finally approved on 25th October after intense lobbying by campaigners, and even U2's Bono.

President Clinton specifically thanked Bono for his work in persuading many congressional representatives to back the campaign, citing one of his songs to argue for more action to be taken on debt relief:

“One of U2's biggest hits is, `I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For.' Well, with this bill and these funds and this diverse coalition, Bono and the rest of us, we've found what we're looking for, and we need to build on it.... The song goes on to say that, we have found the spirit to climb the highest mountains, to break the bonds and loose the chains. It shows that when we get the Pope and the pop stars all singing on the same sheet of music, our voices do carry to the heavens. The question now for us is, where do we go from here? We have to implement this program well; and if we do implement it well and it works, then there will be broad support around the world to extend it to other nations.”

David Bryden, Outreach Co-ordinator for Jubilee 2000 USA said: "Although it has been a major struggle to win this battle, I believe there is a strong possibility of making further advances. This bill has been heralded as one which will have significant impact; in reality the impact will be mixed - but as politicians receive feedback about this, they will realise that much more needs to be done."

Bryden praised President Clinton and his administration for their commitment to the issue of debt relief: "The deep commitment of the White House to making this work and pursuing it in a bipartisan manner made debt relief not just a footnote but central to their budget negotiations. This issue transcended party politics." Bryden said that he believed had President Clinton had become personally committed after his trip to Africa, and that his own personal faith and his friendship with Bono had clearly influenced him. "It has an important lesson, that despite many failings in our political system, you can achieve meaningful change with a bipartisan approach - whilst we may be sceptical, we should not be so cynical that we no longer rely on moral arguments to win support from politicians."

President Clinton said that his commitment to the issue would not end with his presidency: "When I'm just Joe Citizen, I'll do my part, too". He said that though "this will be remembered as a time of great plenty, we cannot forget that for too many of the world -- too many in the world, it is still a time of astonishing poverty. Nearly half the human race, 2.8 billion people, lives on less than $2 a day. In many countries, a child is three times more likely to die before the age of five than to go to secondary school....This is not right, not necessary, and no longer acceptable". He added that the same energy in the Jubilee 2000 campaign needed to be applied "toward a worldwide consensus on the importance of building a global economy with a human face that leaves no one behind. Based on what I have seen in these last several months, I think we can do that."


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