Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt

FRIDAY 6 APRIL
0900-0910: Registration
0910-0940: Welcome and Introductions
Sandun Thudugala - Law & Society Trust

Session 1: International Financial Institutions and Debt
Moderator: Linus Jayatilake - United Federation of Labour

0940-1000: Opening address: We struggle against illegitimate public and private debt
Eric Toussaint - CADTM spokeperson

1000-1030: Break

1030-1300:
 Japan: Nuclear Debt
Tsutomo Teramoto - Osaka Education and Amalgamated Workers Union
 Sri Lanka: Debt Crisis or Debt Trap?
B. Skanthakumar - Social Scientists’ Association

1300-1400: Lunch

Session 2: Chinese Loans and Investments
1400-1600:
 Moderator: Vidya Dinker - President, Indian Social Action Forum
 General Introduction
Au Loong Yu - Borderless (Hong Kong, China)
 Sri Lanka: Whose Pearl?
B. Skanthakumar - Social Scientists’ Association
 Pakistan: Economic Corridor
Abdul Khaliq - CADTM Pakistan

1600-1630: Break

Session 3: Corporate Debt and its socio-economic impacts
1630-1800:
Moderator: Rabbiya Bajwa - Advocate, Supreme Court of Pakistan
 India
Sushovan Dhar - CADTM India
 Global Perspective
Eric Toussaint - CADTM

1800: Close of Day 1

SATURDAY 7 APRIL 2018

Session 4: Microcredit, Women and Household Debt
0900-1100:
Moderator: Nalini Ratnarajah- South Asia Alliance for Poverty Eradication (SAAPE)
 Bangladesh
Monower Mostafa - Development Synergy Institute
 Japan: Student Debt
Tsutomo Teramoto - Osaka Education and Amalgamated Workers Union
 Sri Lanka
Niyanthini Kadirgamar - Collective for Economic Democratisation

1100-1130: Refreshments

Session 5: Peasant Debt, Farmer Suicides and Agrarian Crisis
1130-1330:
Moderator: Vimukthi de Silva- Movement for National Land and Agricultural Reform
 India
Sushovan Dhar- CADTM India
 Nepal
Balram Banskota - All-Nepal Peasants Federation Association
 Pakistan
Zafar Lund - Advocate, High Court of Punjab
 Sri Lanka
M. K. Jayatissa - Progressive Farmers’ Association

1330-1430: Lunch

1430-1530: Peasant Debts: Q & A

1530-1600: Refreshments

Session 6: Multilaterals: New and Old
1600-1800:
Moderator: Fatima Khilji - Senior Lawyer
 Asian Development Bank Case-Studies: Nepal: Hydropower, Big Dams
Ratan Bhandari - Jal Sarkar (Water Governance)
 Sri Lanka: Northern Province Sustainable Fisheries Development Project
S. Vishvalingam - Sri Lanka Nature Group
 Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank
Hasan Mehedi - Coastal Livelihood and Environmental Action Network
 New Development Bank
Eric Toussaint - CADTM

1800: Close of Day 2

SUNDAY 8 APRIL 2018

Session 7: Debt Audits: Campaigns against Illegitimate Debts
0900-1100:
Moderator: Marshal Fernando - Ecumenical Institute for Study and Dialogue
 Introduction
Nathan Legrand - CADTM Secretariat
 Case Studies: Ecuador and Greece
Eric Toussaint - CADTM

1100-1130: Refreshments

1130-1300:
Moderators: Sushovan Dhar & B. Skanthakumar
Strategy & Planning: Perspectives for Debt Audits in South Asia

Close of Workshop

1300-1400: Lunch