Michael Connarty MP to take part in Drop the Debt Fast

Michael Connarty MP for Linlithgow & East Falkirk who is calling for the cancellation of poor country debts is taking part in a 36-day rolling fast, ahead of the tenth anniversary of the Drop the Debt campaign. Michael is demanding debt cancellation for at least 36 poor countries which still desperately need it â€“ nearly ten years after world leaders promised to drop the debt.

Each day of the fast, which runs until Sunday 18 May, will focus on one country that has not yet had its debts cancelled. On 13 May they will focus on Lebanon. Other countries covered by the fast include Liberia, Bangladesh, Haiti, Kenya, Indonesia, Ecuador and Jamaica.

Michael, who will be fasting for Lebanon on 13 May, said:

“The rich world needs to pick up the pace as these countries are still suffering under a huge debt burden, while millions of their people live in extreme poverty. There have been great steps forward in the last ten years following the Jubilee 2000 and Make Poverty History campaigns, but only some of the debt has been dropped. We are calling on politicians to finish the job.”

The fast began on Saturday 12 April as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund held their Spring Meetings in Washington DC. It will end on Sunday 18 May when campaigners travel to Birmingham to mark the 10th anniversary of the day 70,000 people formed a human chain around the G8 meeting in Birmingham and demanded that rich countries drop the debt.

Supporters have been registering their involvement in the fast on the JDC website, where they are urged to sign up for a period of time, at least a day, when they will fast.

While fasting, people are being asked to make a chain to bring to the Journey to Justice event on 18 May in Birmingham. The human chain in 1998 was an image of the chains of debt that need to be broken. A huge chain will be created in Centenary Square on Sunday 18 May to demand governments pick up the pace to drop all the debt!

A template chain is available at www.jubileedebtcampaign.org.uk/fast. Those who can’t get to Birmingham are asked to send their chains to Jubilee Debt Campaign at The Grayston Centre, 28 Charles Square, London N1 6HT.