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Jubilee USA holds Vigil Against Vulture Funds outside New York Courthouse February 28th, 2013

Yesterday, Jubilee USA stood with the poor and against vulture funds at the New York 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals – the last stop before the Supreme Court. Anti-debt supporters held a vigil outside and observed with hundreds of people packed into the courtroom, and several overflow rooms.

The media have been very interested in the story. Agence France-Presse (AFP) quoted Jubilee USA Executive Director, Eric LeCompte: “We pray that they will side with the people of Argentina, the US government and the world’s poorest people. If the judges rule in favor of these hedge funds, it will mean these funds will more aggressively target poor countries in fragile financial recovery. If they rule with Argentina, it will mean that it will be harder for these types of funds to exploit countries in financial distress.”

In addition to Jubilee USA’s vigil outside the US Court, Jubilee South organized an amazing demonstration in Buenos Aires and Jubilee Debt Campaign banged pots and pans outside the doors of the London office of the lead vulture fund, NML Capital.

Watch a video of the vigil by Occupy Bronx.

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Ketchup or Sequestration? February 27th, 2013

One stream of the analysis of the January retail numbers focused concretely on the impact that the reinstatement of the payroll tax had on the paychecks of more than 160 million U.S. workers and therefore on their spending habits. At the stroke of midnight on Dec. 31 the temporary rolling grand bargain on the fiscal cliff immediately brought lower paychecks to many households. For workers earning $50,000 in annual salary, that means $80 a month slashed from take-home pay, a bag of groceries weekly.

Read the blog…

In Gratitude for Pope Benedict XVI February 27th, 2013

“In this world of ours, in which, despite the profession of good intentions, the value of the person, of human dignity and human rights is seriously threatened by the widespread tendency to have recourse exclusively to the criteria of utility, profit and material possessions, it is important not to detach the concept of justice from its transcendent roots. Justice, indeed, is not simply a human convention, since what is just is ultimately determined not by positive law, but by the profound identity of the human being. It is the integral vision of man that saves us from falling into a contractual conception of justice and enables us to locate justice within the horizon of solidarity and love. ” – Pope Benedict XVI, Message for World Day of Peace, Educating Young People in Justice and Peace, 1 January 2012

These quotes reveal the Holy Father’s deep concern for the environment and the importance it plays in the lives of people:

“Preservation of the environment, promotion of sustainable development and particular attention to climate change are matters of grave concern for the entire human family.” (Address to Religious and Scientific Leaders, September 1, 2007)

“My dear friends, God’s creation is one and it is good. The concerns for non-violence, sustainable development, justice and peace and care for our environment are of vital importance for humanity.” (World Youth Day, June 2008)

“Creation is the beginning and the foundation of all God’s works and its preservation has now become essential…It is imperative that humankind renew and strengthen that covenant between human beings and the environment, which should mirror the creative love of God, from whom we come and towards we are journeying.” (If You Want to Cultivate Peace, Protect Creation, January 2010)