Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt

 For a European coordination of struggle against the debt and austerity plans !

Adressees: All social movements and political parties in Europe that are convinced that a popular respond must be developed against the offensive launched by the Capital under cover of the explosion of the public debt.

Dear friends, dear comrades,

On the occasion of its European seminar in Namur (Belgium) 22 to 24 May 2010, CADTM and its European network launched a call to a transborder mobilization against the dictatorship of creditors. Relying on this call, our delegation at the European Social Forum (ESF) in Istanbul in early July 2010 worked towards the construction of a European coordination against the debt and austerity plans.

The various actions planned in Brussels and elsewhere in Europe on 29 September, called a.o. by the European Trade Union Confederation, are crucial. We hope that they will bring large numbers of participants together and be the beginning of a concerted response to the attacks launched on behalf of capital owners and of creditors against social benefits.

The CADTM-Europe network calls all political forces, trade unions and citizens associations to come together and set up a common platform and a schedule of initiatives and actions on a European scale.

With the help of the IMF IMF
International Monetary Fund Along with the World Bank, the IMF was founded on the day the Bretton Woods Agreements were signed. Its first mission was to support the new system of standard exchange rates.

When the Bretton Wood fixed rates system came to an end in 1971, the main function of the IMF became that of being both policeman and fireman for global capital: it acts as policeman when it enforces its Structural Adjustment Policies and as fireman when it steps in to help out governments in risk of defaulting on debt repayments.

As for the World Bank, a weighted voting system operates: depending on the amount paid as contribution by each member state. 85% of the votes is required to modify the IMF Charter (which means that the USA with 17,68% % of the votes has a de facto veto on any change).

The institution is dominated by five countries: the United States (16,74%), Japan (6,23%), Germany (5,81%), France (4,29%) and the UK (4,29%).
The other 183 member countries are divided into groups led by one country. The most important one (6,57% of the votes) is led by Belgium. The least important group of countries (1,55% of the votes) is led by Gabon and brings together African countries.

http://imf.org and of the European Commission, Capital and the leaders of European countries are resolved to have the lower classes pay for the crisis.

What is at stake is social regression, rising unemployment, and a challenging of peoples’ fundamental rights.

Popular mobilizations, starting with that of the Greek people directly and unprecedently aggressed, may not be successful if we cannot construct a united and offensive response, coordinated at the European level.

As you already know, for twenty years now CADTM (www.cadtm.org/English) has developed an expertise in the field of public debt in terms of diagnosis and of alternatives. Over the last two years it has developed an analysis of the public debt issue in industrialized countries, and it now wishes to share Share A unit of ownership interest in a corporation or financial asset, representing one part of the total capital stock. Its owner (a shareholder) is entitled to receive an equal distribution of any profits distributed (a dividend) and to attend shareholder meetings. it (as well as proposals for demands) with as many social and political movements as possible. CADTM took the initiative of this meeting that aims at setting up a light and nimble concertation so as to decide together on the meeting’s agenda.

We invite all political and social organisations to send a delegation to Brussels for a first meeting towards such concertation using the occasion provided by the demonstration called upon by ETUC on 29 September.

 Proposed meeting on 29 September from 8.30 am to 12.15 am in Brussels

Venue : Centrale Générale des Services Publics,
9-11 Place Fontainas, 1000 Bruxelles
(it is less than 10 minutes walk from the departure point of the ETUC demonstration which begins at 13:00 at the gare du midi)

(see agenda on next page)

A reminder will be sent in early September 2010 with a list of participating organizations. Organizers do not see to accommodation and meals. On the other hand, they do organize translation into at least two working languages: English and French.

Each delegation will have to make sure that at least one of its members can translate into their national language from French or English.

We look forward to seeing you on 29 September and send you our best activist greetings,

For the CADTM-Europe network,
 Eric Toussaint and Myriam Bourgy, President and secretary general of CADTM Belgium
 Pascal Franchet and Sophie Perchellet, Vice-presidents of CADTM France ;
 Juan Tortosa, CADTM Switzerland,
 Jérôme Duval, CADTM Spain
 Giorgos Mitralias, Committee against the Debt (Greece)

 Proposed agenda:

 08.00: registration of participating organisations;
 08.30: general debate on the crisis and on current mobilizations;
 09.45 – 10.00: pause;
 10.00–11.30 : proposal of common demands and of a schedule of initiatives and actions;
 11.30 -12.15: setting up a liaison committee.
 End at 12.15
(The present agenda can of course be changed)

Will you kindly fill the form ? This will help practical organisation.

Eng. invitation 29 september