Community solutions to world debt crisis - Montral Gazette
( PDF file )

Bail out the people of Central America, not the banks, says NGO coalition

Bail out the people of Central America, not the banks, says NGO coalition 

Give battered countries a break on debt, coalition says - Ottawa Citizen
( PDF file )

Canadian organizations and individuals today called for an immediate stop on debt payments coming out of Nicaragua and Honduras.

4 November 1998 - In letters to the heads of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Finance Minister Paul Martin and External Affairs Minster Lloyd Axworthy, they asked that a freeze on debt payments be enacted for 90 days, in light of the disaster affecting the people in Central America.

Both Nicaragua and Honduras are considered heavily indebted poor countries by the international financial institutions, and pay out millions of dollars each month to outside creditors. Much of this money goes to the IMF, World Bank, and IDB. The two countries sent out US$888 million dollars last year - or $2.43 million per day.

Four \myths\ of debt relief were outlined in an article written in The Guardian in November, 1998, by Jack Boorman, Director of the IMF�s Policy Development and Review Department.

The following information dispels these arguments maintained by the IMF surrounding debt relief.

As the IMF delays and minimizes debt relief available through the HIPC Initiative, it is using the program to increase its control of national economic policies and creating myths to justify its actions�

MEDIA RELEASE
CITIZENS ANNOUNCE 6 POINT PLAN TO DEAL WITH GLOBAL FINANCIAL TURMOIL

In September 1998,

COALITION RELEASES REPORT CARD
CRITICAL OF FOLLOW-UP ON G7 PROMISES
MEDIA RELEASE
GROUPS AROUND WORLD SAY "NO" TO DEBT
For immediate release - September 22, 1997

Root causes of third world poverty, social injustice and environmental degradation are not beyond our understanding!