Letter from three future debt initiatives

Dear colleagues,

We are writing as representatives of the three projects identified by the Board of the UK Jubilee 2000 Coalition as 'natural successors' to the original, time-limited concept of the Coalition. We are all totally committed to working closely together in the continuing spirit of Jubilee 2000. We have now discussed our proposals, and we want to set out how we believe the three initiatives will work together. We hope this will address some of the important concerns that have been raised about leadership and coordination of this work in 2001 and beyond. This will mainly be of concern to Jubilee 2000 campaigners and Coalition members in the UK, but we are circulating widely so that the whole international movement, which is currently engaged in this crucial debate, can see where our thinking is going.

As you may know, the aid agencies in the Coalition have announced initial proposals on their future cooperation and are currently consulting on these and their name. On the basis of these initial proposals, the three initiatives can be briefly described as follows:

Drop the Debt

A short-life, focused project led by Adrian Lovett, working closely with the major organisations of the Jubilee 2000 Coalition and with debt campaigns in Italy and elsewhere. Its aim is to mobilise a massive burst of popular action to ensure further significant progress in debt cancellation by the time of the July 2001 G8 Summit in Genoa. Drop the Debt will be launched on 1 January and will close in the summer of 2001. It will seek to achieve its goal through:

• popular educational work on a global level, but particularly in G8 countries;
• high-level advocacy work directed towards decision-makers; and
• coordinating activity to ensure the mobilisation of supportive organisations and individuals at and in advance of the Genoa Summit. Drop the Debt will have a small staff team in London working closely with a team in Rome and part-time support in Washington.

Jubilee Plus

Ann Pettifor, supported by Kwesi Owusu and Liana Cisneros, wants to carry forward the standards, analyses, advocacy and spirit of Jubilee 2000 in a successor organisation Jubilee Plus. This will operate under the umbrella of the New Economics Foundation, linking widely with debt and finance campaigners around the world. Its aim is to sustain the momentum in global popular campaigning and education while preparing to step up the campaign on to a new phase. Jubilee Plus will consider shifting from the need for debt cancellation to a campaign that tackles the causes of international debt. It will be launched in January 2001 and is initially planned as a three-year initiative.

It will seek to achieve its goal through:

• continuing and deepening research and analysis on debt, and publishing that analysis widely particularly through its web page www.Jubileeplus.org;
• in the first year, maintaining and extending capacity-building in the South, based on Jubilee 2000's model, while developing plans to embed the key elements of this work in future in the South itself;
• developing advocacy around global finance and shifting its focus over time, towards the causes of debt rather than debt cancellation itself.

Jubilee Plus will have a small staff team, based in London.

Jubilee Debt Campaign Network (UK)

Many agencies, groups and campaigners are committed to continue their campaigning and policy work for debt cancellation for the world's poorest countries in order to reduce poverty. The Jubilee Debt Campaign Network (UK) will work to further this cause. It will do so in an inclusive and open way, supported by a small secretariat. Organisations currently involved include CAFOD, Christian Aid, Oxfam, Tearfund, War on Want, WDM and others.

The Jubilee Debt Campaign Network (UK) plans to:

• coordinate and share information, plans and research between organisations working on debt;
• develop joint or complementary policy positions and initiatives, informed by links with southern partners and campaigns;
• develop joint campaign initiatives as part of the worldwide movement pushing for greater debt cancellation;
• spread information about that work to other appropriate groups.

The Jubilee Debt Campaign Network (UK) will be launched in January 2001; it will work closely with the Drop the Debt project until Genoa. It may also focus on other campaigning or lobbying opportunities in addition to Genoa during that time, and will continue beyond the Genoa G8 summit.

We are confident that these three initiatives are very complementary. We propose to look at future work in two phases and work together in the following way:

From January to July 2001

In this period, we think everyone's major campaigning focus should be on getting a new deal on debt agreed by the time of the Genoa Summit. This means Drop the Debt will offer campaigning leadership during this time. Drop the Debt will communicate directly with regional and national supporting organisations and with international partners in the initiative. The debt network will gear its work in this time towards supporting the effort towards Genoa. Jubilee Plus will be undertaking research, monitoring developments in international debt, and providing easily accessible information. Jubilee Plus will from time to time highlight issues (like e.g. the Vulture funds story) of interest to UK campaigners, particularly those with strong links to Southern campaigns, which UK campaigners may be keen develop as small campaign actions alongside the major push towards Genoa. Meanwhile, Jubilee Plus will be working on ideas and strategy for a new campaigning focus that may emerge after Genoa.

From August 2001 onwards After Genoa, Drop the Debt will cease to exist (it will have a brief and low-key follow-up period in August and September and then be wound up). Jubilee Plus will move into a more high-profile phase, as its period of analysis and planning work comes to an end. Jubilee Plus will plan to put forward major new ideas on the future of international campaigning on justice in global financial relationships. The debt network will continue to function, coordinating the debt work of organisations and spreading information about it more widely. The members of the debt network are committed to continuing to support work on debt beyond the Genoa Summit. We feel this is the basis of a coherent strategy for working together and we hope it is helpful to others. We all know only too well that the success of all these initiatives - particularly the urgent push to Genoa - depend on the support and involvement of all the extraordinary people who have made the Jubilee 2000 movement what it is. That means regional groups and national organisations in the UK, international partners and individuals. We would welcome your thoughts on what we have set out.

With all best wishes,

Ann Pettifor	Adrian Lovett	Tim Moulds
Jubilee Plus	Drop the Debt	Debt network

Contact: Drop the Debt 020 7922 1111 and Jubilee + 0207 4077447 ext 265.