Economic Justice for Churches in E & S Africa

[This paper is one of several to stimulate a debate for the Rome conference.It does not necessarily represent the views of any Jubilee 2000 campaign.]

Excerpts from a statement from the conference of the Economic Justice Network for Church Organizations in Eastern and Southern, July 28-31, 1998, Kurasini Conference Centre, Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania

(Full text of statement and network contacts)

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Jubilee must not be exclusively confined to the cancellation of the unpayable debts of most of the poor countries of the world. While it is recognized that this is undoubtedly part of the jubilee package … the process of jubilee must redress the socio-economic inadequacies in society’s production relations and forces and seek to promote an equitable distribution of wealth.

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We implore the rich nations of the North to acknowledge their guilt for the long years of exploitation and oppression, from colonial through to the present times, of the poor countries of the South. Their acceptance of guilt, and our readiness to forgive, are what constitute the essential expressions of the celebration of the value of life.

With reference to the debt burden, we also acknowledge that numerous mistakes have been made by us, especially our political and religious leaders and we have been late to question them. Thus, true jubilee calls for a transformation that will lead to good governance, transparency and accountability.

Even more important is the fact that jubilee must relate to people’s freedom. … Jubilee is about community; it is about being your brother’s keeper; it is about reinforcing Africa’s famous dictum of ‘I am because you are’. It is reaffirming ‘ubuntu’ for what it genuinely is. Unlike the current practices that perpetuate instability and chaos, the jubilee campaign presents hope and optimism.

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Africa in general, and our region in particular, is, like Job of Yor, afflicted with all manner of sores, but the ones that we find ache most at this historical moment, are the scourge of debt, the new viciousness of Northern capital manifesting itself in the form of globalisation and the Multilateral Agreement on Investment, trade and investment distortions, as well as the key challenge to secure three meals a day for all of God’s people and the need for food security.

The debt crisis

We noted with concern the glaring examples from the unworkable programs of the SAP which have caused endless poverty in our communities.

We also noted that as we approach the 21^st Century, Africa is not yet free as the North continues to design and impose agreements on Africa which are only meant to make Africans indirect economic slaves.

The impact of debt is manifested in the denial of educational opportunities, the erosion of health care, and the inability to finance genuine public sector development. Furthermore, the circumstances under which the debt has been incurred are morally unjust, ranging, as they do, from the apartheid-caused debt, unfair international trade and investment terms, right through to corrupt diversion of development finance. In any event, in its current proportions, the debt is unsustainable as Africa finds itself caught up in servicing a usurious debt, notwithstanding the political instability which makes paying even more difficult.

[This paper is one of several to stimulate a debate for the Rome conference.It does not necessarily represent the views of any Jubilee 2000 campaign.]

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