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Sign on Statement for the Global Debt Week |
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Tuesday, 07 October 2008 |
Debts that were used
for harmful projects or to impose harmful policies are illegitimate. And
illegitimate debt has been a major factor to the escalation of the climate
crisis. International Financial Institutions such as the World Bank and the
IMF, bear a significant part of the responsibility for illegitimate debt and
harmful debt-related projects and policies.
Every year, hundreds
of millions of dollars of loans are used to finance projects that are
environmentally destructive and greatly exacerbate climate change. These
include as oil, coal and gas and other extractive industries, infrastructure
projects that result in massive deforestation such as large-scale dams, road
development in tropical forests, and agrofuel/biofuel production. While the
loans are extended to governments and are being paid for by public funds,
private transnational corporations are the main beneficiaries of many of the
projects.
The World Bank and
other international financial institutions are the major lenders to projects
involving fossil fuel industries. Since the signing of the Climate Convention
in 1992, and even after instituting "environmental policies," the
World Bank approved more than 133 financial packages to oil, coal and gas
extraction projects. The total amount exceeds US$28 billion dollars. Regional
development banks and export credit agencies also provide financing to these
industries.
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Online petition to end poverty of the Dalits launched |
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Tuesday, 07 October 2008 |
The National Confederation of Dalit Organizations (NACDOR) has launched an online petition to end the poverty of the Dalits.
The petition urges the government of India to commit to eradicate poverty and ensure the fundamental human rights of disadvantaged Indians, especially the Dalits, or so-called untouchables in the Indian caste system.
Due to entrenched
discrimination, the Dalits continue to endure discrimination, abuse and
violence and have poor access to social services. More than 3/4 of the Dalits
in India are poor agricultural laborers and more than 88% or 239 million of
them survive on less than 40 cents a day.
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