“Turn Debt into Hope”

The Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary (SNJM) continue to keep abreast of current issues and getting involved. Their latest commitment is to the “Turn Debt into Hope” campaign.

Julie Tétreault, SNJM volunteer and moderator of the meeting, with some of the participating Sisters.

Spearheaded by the non-governmental organization (NGO) Development and Peace – Caritas Canada (D&P), the campaign aims to put an end to unjust debt. During the presentation of the foundations of this operation, Ms Julie Tétreault, SNJM volunteer, reminded the Sisters present that there are more than 3.3 billion people directly concerned by the terrible indebtedness of many countries.

She pointed out that, “This debt is insurmountable for about a hundred countries. In some cases, governments allocate more money to debt repayment than to investment in health care or education”. In many countries, the amount of debt is so astronomical that it is impossible to repay. “This has major repercussions for populations, such as dashing hopes for a better future for generations to come,” added Ms. Tétreault.

A signature campaign

The D&P campaign is highlighting the realities in Peru and Tunisia, in order to shed light on the damaging effects of this situation, which is caused by rich countries exploiting their wealth and controlling the financial levers for repayment. In the case of Peru, where SNJMs are still active today, mining companies, many of them Canadian, continue to violate human rights. They cause serious environmental damage and threaten the survival of many indigenous communities.

Julie Tétreault, SNJM volunteer and moderator of the meeting, with some of the participating Sisters.

In the spirit of Pope Francis’ message, Development and Peace has therefore launched a petition to put an end to the debt crisis now, to prevent the recurrence of these debt problems, in particular by attacking the sources. The signature campaign also aims to establish an independent, permanent and binding structure attached to the United Nations for more equitable debt management.

“If we really want to pave the way for peace in the world, let us commit ourselves to remedying the root causes of injustice, let us clear unjust and insolvent debts” – Pope Francis (Spes Non Confundit, 16)

Following the example of the SNJMs, please sign the petition and share the information with your network.