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• FOLLOW-UP TO THE G8 SUMMIT

• MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS OF THE
  UNITED NATIONS

• Communication from the Brazilian Commission of Justice and Peace Regarding the World Social Forum
  
  Since its inception in January 2001, the World Social Forum is being recognized so far as the most remarkable, history-making, positive effort of this new Millennium. Its catchphrase "Another World Is Possible" has been repeated thousands of times, both in Brazil and abroad, by those concerned with the present and future of human society who are committed to the effective pursuit and achievement of equality among nations and individuals, so as to overcome world poverty, hunger, terrorism, wars and other ecological disasters jeopardizing the life of future generations and of planet Earth itself. 
  (Read more . . .)

• Overview of the 2003 WTO Ministerial in Cancun
  (with permission from the Center of Concern)
  
  When trade ministers from different member nations of the World Trade Organization (WTO) met September 10-14, 2003, in Cancun, Mexico, a group of developing, poorer countries refused to continue with the Free Trade agenda. Instead, they created new networks to work for a more just trade system. (Read more . . .)

• "A Global Inequality"
  
  What is the World Trade Organization (WTO)? This organization was set up in 1995 and decides the rules that govern international trade, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT). Its major aim is to promote free trade and investment by outlawing import taxes, subsidies to domestic producers, and other practices that hinder the free flow of goods and money.
  (Click here to read more . . .)

• "The Great Divide"
  
  The gap between the rich and poor has continued to widen over the past 10 years. Analysts are now saying that much of the gap is caused by unfair trade policies which favor the developed countries of the North. The World Trade Organization, World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), to name a few, are controlled by the developed countries.
  (click here to read more . . .)

• "The Global Challenge"
  
  The UN Development Programme's Human Development Report 2001 provides a snapshot of the global population.
  
  • More than 854 million adults are illiterate, including 543 million women.
  • Over 960 million people lack access to improved water resources.
  • Three hundred twenty-five million children do not attend school, including 183 million girls.
  • Eleven million children under five die each year from preventable diseases.
  • 1.2 billion people live on less than one dollar a day, and 2.8 billion live on less than two dollars a day.
  • Malnutrition affects one-half of all children in South Asia and one-third of Africa.

In Arab countries, employment and economic growth over the past ten years have lagged in comparison to all but the poorest countries in sub-Saharan Africa. In Egypt, the most populous Arab country, 60% of all people live at or below the poverty line.

Worldwide, 40 million people are infected with HIV. Of these, 25 million live in Africa. In some African countries, 20% of adults are infected. Ninety-five precent of those infected do not have acces to life-prolonging treatments. Millions of children have been orphaned.
                                      [FCNL Washington Newsletter, April 2002]

In the early 1980's many nations in the global South, e.g., South America, Africa, Middle East, other Third World countries, faced financial crisis. While there were many reasons why this situation developed, the immediate cause was unpayable debt service, precipitated by tight money policies in the rich countries that drastically hiked international interest rates. Much of the original debt was incurred in the 1970's by largely undemocratic governments through questionable lending practices by Northern banks. People living in poverty did not benefit from many of these loans, yet they bear the burden of repayment. In addition, they live with the effects of far-reaching economic policy changes required of countries to qualify for debt restructuring, new loans and foreign investment.

Termed "structural adjustment" and "economic reform", these policies have sought to control inflation and stimulate growth. They include devaluing the national currency; raising interest rates and decreasing the availability of credit; reducing government spending - usually resulting in deep cuts in social programs and subsidies; lowering tariffs and liberalizing trade; and selling State-owned enterprises. Agricultural and industrial production is shifted from food staples and basic goods for domestic use to commodities for export. Adjustment prescriptions have been designed by international institutions led by rich nations and implemented by debtor governments without popular debate or civil society participation.

Adjustment has profound consequences for people in the global South and their natural environments. We hear from brothers and sisters around the world that conditions for many people living in poverty and suffering under injustice and discrimination have worsened as the result of these measures.

The above was written by the Religious Working Group on the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund in their statement entitled: Moral Imperatives for Addressing Structural Adjustment and Economic Reform Measures. Their complete statement can be found at www.sedos.org/english/maryknol.htm.  Click on your back browser button to return to the Franciscan Sisters Congregation Website on Social Justice.

Other links for more information and actions to take:
United Nations Development Programme — www.undp.org
Franciscans International — www.franciscansinternational.org.
        Click on Issues, then, Financing for Development.
Witness for Peace — www.witnessforpeace.org