This campaign was helped when the eight richest industrial countries met in Germany to discuss the world debt problem, and consequently agreed to cancel some of the debt owed by other countries (40 in total). This involved the heavily countries in debt who, to get out of debt had to undergo major reforms in their country for six years before their debt was paid off.
The debt however, has not gone away. As well as continuing to work on debt through the Jubilee Debt Campaign, Christian Aid is supporting many campaign groups in indebted countries.
For example, in Ghana an organisation called SEND is helping people to find out more about their country's debt and how they can make sure any funds from debt cancellation are spent wisely.
Christian Aid's main focal point is now to rewrite the international rules and practices that govern the trading laws this enabling poverty to be reduced lifting the weight of debt repayments enabling poor countries to develop their industries and earn more from trade. Better trade makes it easier for countries to pay their debts and stop getting into debt in the first place. Therefore, Christian Aid is now working to persuade the big rich industrial countries not just to throw out their view of a satisfactory sum of money, but also to really try to think of a proper solution to the debt problem in the various countries that Christian Aid is helping.
A new report from Jubilee Research at the New Economics Foundation reveals that the debt cancellation programme is working, and is therefore a good campaign.
The report examines public spending in 10 African countries, which have benefited from debt cancellation. It shows to me that total spending on education in these countries had increased, therefore as a result of higher educated people, therefore any debt being paid of twice as quickly as before.
The story is similar with spending on health, which has risen by 70 per cent than what it was before without debt relief, and is now one third higher than when the country was spending money on debt repayments. Christian Aid also states that despite most people believing that the money is to fuel military schemes, it is not and that it is contributing to take countries out of debt and out of the ‘third - world’ category.
My analysis of Christian Aid’s work is that it is a very generous, good, and coherent campaign, my reasons for which are as follows. It is a very worthwhile scheme, because certain countries are benefiting from these schemes and it is very good to see debt cancellations, meaning that countries can get on with what is necessary to spend their money on, rather than paying back richer countries who do not particularly need the money. As stated above, even if Christian Aid only help a little bit with certain countries’ debt then as shown above, a significant increase in health and general economical benefits will arise. Christian Aid seems to be doing the right thing in means of world development. Maimonides’ eight-step ladder showing the best form of charity is to give a person/country exactly what it needs to carry on or to be self-dependant, and as stated by Christian Aid themselves they try to give people their own solutions to the problems. That is why debt cancellation has developed, because as well as the programme making people aware of their own countries debt, the cancellation helps education and therefore making the country self-sufficient as its ministry will benefit for the qualified people.
I believe that Christian Aid is one of the few charities that in my eyes do enough for the third world countries. St. Paul stated that ‘Christian churches should be generous in helping others, even if they themselves are poor.’ This I am sure is one of the many reason Christian Aid operates, because they are serving God by what they re doing. In addition, John 3. 17:18 describes that you must ‘put your faith into action. The rich must not ignore the poor.’ This should thereby encourage many people of the world to try to be like Christian Aid in the way that they help the world to be a better place. In this instance, by serving God you are getting rid of poverty and the derogatory affiliations that the term ‘Third –World’ carries with it.
