Women's Rights/CURRENTS
Brazil cancels most of Mozambique's debt
Brazil has announced that it will write off $314 million of the $331 million that it is owed by Mozambique – around 95 per cent of the debt. Brazilian President Luis Inacio ‘Lula’ da Silva said that through this gesture his country wants to show its determination to help other countries that are poorer and facing greater needs than Brazil. He said that it makes no sense at all that very rich nations – most of whose wealth was accumulated by exploiting other countries’ resources – continue to insist on collecting debts that have been proved definitely unpayable.
Between 1980 and 2000, sub-Saharan African countries, including Mozambique, paid more than $240 billion to service their debts. Yet, due to the deterioration in debt ratios, these countries still owe almost four times the amount that they owed more than 20 years ago.
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Voices from the margins:
Multimedia: video, podcasts, and more.
- Poetry Slam in Zimbabwe
- The House of Hunger poetry slam held in Zimbabwe in 2006, and organised by the Pamberi Trust, showcased young artists performing inspirational work on issues from corporate power to child soldiers. The video features four of the poets.
Published by Pambazuka News.
- Iranian women speak out
- 3 March 2007, London. Women's rights activists marched through the English capital last week to celebrate International Women's Day with a protest against the misogyny of the Islamic regime in Iran and the threat of invasion by the US. Hear the voices of Iranian feminists Azar and Leila Parnian and the sounds of the demonstration as it passed through the heart of the city. Click here to learn more about the campaign.
Produced by Heidi Bachram.
- Raised Voices audio:
- Benny from West Papua on Corporate Power
- Vinayan from India on agriculture
