This comes from Oxfam:
"At the moment the world's attention is focused on Haiti. Leaders are pledging to stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Haiti and help them build a brighter future out of the rubble.
There is one thing they can do right now to potentially transform the future prospects of Haiti. By cancelling the country's crippling debt, Haitian people can have a chance to build a brighter future.
Even before the earthquake, Haiti was weighed down by debt. They owed over $891 million to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and others. This is a legacy of loans to unelected governments of years past.
Leaders are meeting in Montreal on Monday to decide on the amount of aid that they will give. The IMF has said that it will work to cancel the debt, and this now needs to happen.
They have also offered a $100 million loan to Haiti but this should be converted into a grant. The head of the IMF, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, has subsequently said that they will turn this loan into a grant but we need to make sure that he does everything that he can to make this happen.
If these debts aren't cancelled, Haiti will be sending tens of millions to the IMF and other international bodies even as it struggles to rebuild. If these debts are cancelled, the Haitian government will have a better chance to build their country, so that it is stronger than before.
Email the head of the IMF Dominique Strauss-Kahn to demand that when leaders meet on Monday they cancel Haiti's debts immediately. Make sure that earthquake relief doesn't create a new debt burden."
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Moby - Why Does My Heart Feel So Bad.
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