| Economic Justice |
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In this section: As we look at the world economic order, we are struck by the growing imbalances and inequalities, both within and among nations. While a few feast, far too many go hungry. This trend has been reinforced and exacerbated by U.S. trade policies, skewed to benefit large corporations and multilateral debt payments that serve only to siphon off scarce resources from impoverished countries to the North.
Trade is an important, integral part of relationships among countries. However, as people of faith, we are concerned that free-trade agreements are negotiated to maximize the advancement of a wealthy and powerful few while marginalizing an ever-growing number of poor people. We believe that trade agreements should take into account the most-vulnerable members of society, not put them further at risk, and uphold the integrity of creation. A host of new free trade agreements (FTAs) are being negotiated in the wake of the implementation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) in 1994, each one seeking to further expand the power and privileges of large multinational corporations. As we look back on the decade since NAFTA took effect, the harm caused, both at home and abroad, of a profit-driven trade policy are increasingly obvious. This includes job loss, environmental degradation, the undermining of small-scale agriculture, increasing migration flows, rising prices and falling wages; the list goes on. The repercussions of this trade model are often felt first and hardest by the poorest and most-marginalized members of society. For instance, poor farming communities in developing countries cannot compete with subsidized agricultural products from the United States. Farmers' livelihoods are threatened as trade barriers fall, forcing many to make the difficult choice to migrate. Meanwhile, labor is treated as another commodity to be traded and exploited, and then discarded in the search for profit, with workers' rights to a living wage, union representation, and safe and healthy working conditions completely disregarded. The environment, as well, is seen primarily as a source for potential profits, opening the way for the privatization and exploitation of waterways, forests, mines, oil and gas deposits and other natural resources. Even seeds, plants and traditional knowledge become a resource to be exploited, patented and profited from, robbing communities of their cultural and ecological heritage. Health, too, comes under assault as stringent patent protections will deprive many people in developing countries from access to life-saving drugs for treatable illnesses by preventing the entrance of generic alternatives in the market. We envision a new trade policy centered on human dignity and respect for creation. The rights of farmers and workers, the dignity of work and the fair distribution of profits should be upheld by trade agreements, while sustainable development and care for the natural world should take precedence over corporate profit. Trade agreements should be negotiated with meaningful participation by civil society, and should support fragile democracies by not undermining governments' ability to legislate in the national interest. We emphasize that economic integration is not an end in and of itself, but, based on principles of justice, fairness and solidarity, should be a means to promote the well-being of all.
Many impoverished countries are burdened by overwhelming foreign debt. Developing countries owe more than $2 trillion in international debt to the World Bank, International Monetary Fund (IMF), regional development banks (such as the Inter-American Development Bank), private banks and to other sovereign governments. Jubilee USA estimates that at least 74 nations require immediate, 100-percent cancellation of debts to meet basic human needs. Some of the countries where Columban missionaries live and work are particularly affected, including the Philippines, Chile and Peru. Throughout the 1970s, money was lent to developing countries almost without a thought about their ability to repay, or to what purpose the money would be directed. Loans were given to corrupt and oppressive governments, who often pocketed the money or used it to tyrannize their own people. Huge debts were accrued in the name of development, while the poor in borrower countries rarely saw any benefits. Thirty years later, much-needed resources are being siphoned off as some of the most destitute countries in the world are forced to spend more money repaying these illegitimate debts than on vital poverty-reduction efforts. Although insufficient in scope and accompanied by strict conditions, several impoverished countries have received some level of debt relief in recent years. Notable benefits of this relief include increased investment in rural infrastructure, health, education and anti-hunger programs. Despite international recognition of the positive effects of debt relief in combating poverty, lack of political will still hinders full debt cancellation for all the countries that need it. The Jubilee movement for debt cancellation is based on biblical foundations of restoring right relationships between people and nations, and a Judeo-Christian sense of justice and compassion. People of all faiths have joined together to call for debt cancellation for countries that are unable to pay without increasing the misery of their people.
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