Debt Cancelled

[Jamie_Manic]

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13368374,00.html

Leaders of the world's richest nations have agreed a deal to cancel tens of billions of dollars of debt owed by the world's poorest countries.

The package will see 100% of debts totalling $40bn cleared immediately for 18 nations.

Another $11bn will follow for nine countries in 12-18 months.


Fuck me, good work!

[borntoend]

Hooray for Gordon!

It's not perfect, granted, but it's a damn good start.

[tzb]

As you say, good start. About fucking time, as well. Good old Gordo.

[sofarsideways]

Yay for Gordon! I shall not allow Thomas The Tank-based train jokes about him anymore. That really is marvellsome. Finally...

[rpmacmurphy]

Go Gordon !!!!!! :cool:

[sarah_wire]

i knew i loved Gordon Brown for a reason....:D:D this is very good indeed!

[mrsmanics]

Wow, good work Gordon! :D

[Jamie_Manic]

And of course Bono and Liam Neeson, round of appluase for these lads :mrgreen:

[leericketts]

a sense of cautious optimism greets the news on this side of the world. of course it's a fantastic gesture, and a clear sign that the world is moving away from neoColonialism and "super powers", but the real trick is economic reform.

I hope this acts as a flashpoint for more co-operation between African nations, as that's what really is holding this place. I do hope the same comes true for the South American nations, of course, who for far too long have hidden below the shadow of that monster to the north.

[agnostic cheers]

Better late than never although the millions who have died inbetween would disagree!

[Ennui]

This is great stuff. Definitely a positive thing for Mr Brown, who I've always been a bit unsure of in terms of credibility.

[*lisa simpson*]

a sense of cautious optimism greets the news on this side of the world. of course it's a fantastic gesture, and a clear sign that the world is moving away from neoColonialism and "super powers", but the real trick is economic reform.

I hope this acts as a flashpoint for more co-operation between African nations, as that's what really is holding this place. I do hope the same comes true for the South American nations, of course, who for far too long have hidden below the shadow of that monster to the north.

yes, i agree iwth that. it's good news but we need to watch carefully to see what happens next.

[littlebabyeverything]

Go Gordon, persuading the US is quite some achievement.

[arabiansanchez]

All hail Jesus (Bono), the shrewd accountant (Gordon) and Qui-Gon Jinn! :D :P

Thats really good.

I'm slightly tipsy and not clear on the TOTAL DEBT but that sounds like a real good plan. :)

[froggie77]

It is great that the approximate 2 billion they had to pay in interest payments alone can now be freed up to fund more education and health care concerns. I am hoping an extremely large amount of money will be now directed to the AIDS epidemic.

[leericketts]

It is great that the approximate 2 billion they had to pay in interest payments alone can now be freed up to fund more education and health care concerns. I am hoping an extremely large amount of money will be now directed to the AIDS epidemic.

a-ha, now here's the trick. obviously my hometown South Africa is excluded from this debt relief (somehow we are just about all "paid up" and have a very healthy economy thanks to our genius Finance Minister), but the view towards AIDS across Africa is still the one held here.

instead of addressing the problem, there is just a lot of philosophical discussion around "what is AIDS" and "how best to deal with it". there are some amazing and frightening theories doing the rounds - if we leave alone the "the disease is not real" one, you get a lot of people believing that things like boiled bleach or a certain kind of potato will cure it. scarily, there is a school of thought that sex with a virgin cures AIDS, which is why there is a huge problem with child rape across this continent.

I cannot speak for our friends in South America, but the likelihood of Africa directing these freed up funds to AIDS research or treatment is remote.

for those of you with a concern or interest in this subject, you may wish to look up the (what seems like) one and only voice arguing for AIDS to be addressed in SA in specific but Africa as a whole :

Treatment Action Campaign (http://www.tac.org.za/)

[*lisa simpson*]

scarily, there is a school of thought that sex with a virgin cures AIDS, which is why there is a huge problem with child rape across this continent.


:eek: :eek: jesus....

[raven]

It just won't work

Tony Blair's desire to save Africa is admirable; his ideas are not

Ken Wiwa
Sunday June 12, 2005 -


http://observer.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,6903,1504599,00.html

[Sleepflower]

I was so pleased when I found this out! I started crying :o Loads more work to be done, but we're on the right lines! It's a great start :mrgreen:

[maradona]

it's a very good start but unless trade barriers to Europe, America and other developed markets are lessened and unless there are large improvements and reforms in governance (both in the African states themselves and at corporate level) then nothing is going to change because the reasons for getting in the debt in the first place will still be there and another write off will be required 15 or 20 years from now.

a-ha, now here's the trick. obviously my hometown South Africa is excluded from this debt relief (somehow we are just about all "paid up" and have a very healthy economy thanks to our genius Finance Minister)

That's actually a bit of a problem - countries where there has been good governance and who have managed to avoid massive debts are effectively being penalised.

[Karen]

scarily, there is a school of thought that sex with a virgin cures AIDS, which is why there is a huge problem with child rape across this continent.

I heard that too and couldn't believe how stupid and scary that is.

With regards to the debt, this is very good news. I didn't know about this until last night when I switched Sky News on and saw Bono talking about it.

[leericketts]

I heard that too and couldn't believe how stupid and scary that is.



scary indeed. you have to bear in mind the perceptions here. you cannot "see" AIDS. there is a widespread view across Africa that this AIDS "myth" is all made up by white people in an attempt to stop black people breeding. years of colonial abuse, and of course what went on in my dear adopted home country, and you can understand the view.

however, the "actions" taken can never be justified. most of it comes from "sangomoras", which the western world would just call witch doctors or, at best, quacks. they give "popular" medical soultions like having sex with virgins to heal practically anything.

it really is a sad state of affairs. after years of struggle and the miracle of democracy here in 1994, the government is helping to wipe out the millions of people it sought to bring equality to through blind ignorance and prejudice. what makes it worse is that the only voice in SA trying to get action in regards of AIDS awareness/treatment are seen as mostly white liberals who will never be heard above the all powerful ANC government.

thus far AIDS has killed more black people in SA in a matter of years than the apartheid government did in decades. you would have thought that would have said something to the masses here, but sadly not.

it's not all doom and gloom, though. the "next generation", who I am lucky enough to live and work with every day, irrespective of gender and colour, see the world as it actually is and are not tied into "the past". the future is still very much bright, something I hope you and the world will all join in and see when we showcase the World Cup in 2010 ;)

[leericketts]

That's actually a bit of a problem - countries where there has been good governance and who have managed to avoid massive debts are effectively being penalised.

possibly in South America yes, but no, not here. one thing SA has been very successful in is building towards an "African renaissance" (excuse the spelling), and spreading our economic success across the country. for Africa, levelling the financial playing field could be a major boost, and maybe one day we will have a commercial/freemarket unity that Europe is "supposed" to have.