As I've blogged about before, our church is a partner with the New Life for Haiti project, which is seeking to make life better for the people of south-western Haiti by bringing health care, education, micro-finance, water systems, etc. Last fall we participated in raising nearly $40,000 for the start of projects over there; and just last week an exploration team led by Pastor Fran Leeman of our parent church, LifeSpring in Plainfield, was over there to plan future work-trips and projects. You can read their daily updates and all the latest on our Haiti project here.

Today also just happens to be Make a Call for Haiti day. A few weeks ago at church we talked about the Jubilee Network to reduce Third World debt. There is currently a bill before Congress to cancel Haiti's debt. This would go a long way towards helping Haiti reach economic stability. Here is an excerpt from the Jubilee website:

Make A Call for Haiti. We need your help to expand the promise of debt cancellation to more countries, including Haiti, the most impoverished country in our Hemisphere.

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Haiti's constitution, a significant milestone in the decades long struggle for democracy and respect for human rights. This day is being observed by groups in Haiti and internationally.

Haiti is eligible for debt relief but continues to face delays and is not projected to see full debt cancellation until 2009. By that time, Haiti will have paid $138 million in debt service to creditors. Haiti can't wait that long; it needs full debt cancellation now.

Rep. Spencer Bachus (R-AL), Rep. Donald Payne (D-NJ), Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL), and Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY), have joined with Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) to introduce H.Res. 241, the Haiti debt cancellation resolution. The resolution urges the US Treasury, IMF, and World Bank to expedite debt cancellation for Haiti and to provide full debt cancellation without further delay, so that Haiti can use the money to fight poverty.

Will you make a call today for Haiti? Jubilee USA is organizing a national call-in day to the Capitol today. Please call the Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121, and ask to be connected with your Member of Congress. When you reach your Member's office, please ask for the staffer who works on international affairs and international debt relief. Then ask them to co-sponsor H.Res 241, the Haiti Debt resolution. Click here for the phone script.

I encourage all of you to take just a few minutes out of your day to make this call and make a difference for Haiti.

Labels: social justice