20 years ago this month, Nelson Mandela gave an iconic speech in Trafalgar Square to mark the opening of the Make Poverty History campaign. “Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural,” he said. “It is man-made and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings.”
Nelson Mandela speaks in Trafalgar Square in 2005
Along with trade justice and increased aid, the campaign was calling for debt cancellation for poorer nations. This was 2005, and progress from the Jubilee 2000 campaign to tackle the debt crisis of that time was well underway, resulting eventually in significant success.
Here in the Jubilee Year of 2025, however, 54 lower-income countries are in debt distress. In 34 African countries more is spent on debt repayments than health or education – when hospitals and schools are desperately underfunded already. How did we get from there to here?
Between 2000-2015 the global Jubilee campaign won $130 billion of debt cancellation for 36 lower-income countries. Children completing primary school in those countries increased from 45% to 66% as the money governments saved went into public services.
However, the scheme did not prevent debt crises recurring. Despite efforts by Jubilee 2000, no new regulations were introduced to make lenders more responsible or transparent. The same structural causes that led to the crisis remain in place.
Economic shocks triggered by the COVID pandemic and war in Ukraine have pushed dozens of countries into debt distress since 2020. The human toll has been devastating, manifesting in “the struggle, pain, and tears that the Kenyan people face every waking day… as roads collapse and children die in hospitals that can no longer access medicine”, according to Kenyan activist Kiama Kaara.
The Bible tells us that Jubilee years are a time of restoration, addressing inequality and the cancellation of debts. As part of the global Church campaign, CAFOD is calling for urgent action on the debt crisis in 2025.
Nelson Mandela told the crowd in Trafalgar Square, “Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity. It is an act of justice.” Echoing these words, Pope Francis has recently called for action on the debt crisis, saying, “More than a question of generosity, this is a matter of justice.” Let’s work for justice in this Jubilee Year.
