Who is Jubilee Aotearoa?

Jubilee Aotearoa is a network of agencies and individuals who meet regularly and plan collective actions on issues of debt and structural adjustment. Its membership includes development agencies, churches, trade unions, and many individual supporters. The national campaign is coordinated by Christian World Service in Christchurch and the policy dialogue with government by Caritas Aotearoa.

Other members are: Anglican Social Justice Office, Arena, Council for International Development, Development Resource Centre (known as Dev-Zone and the Global Education Centre), Latin America Committee, Oxfam New Zealand, Student Christian Movement, Tear Fund, Trade Aid, and World Vision.

What is Jubilee Aotearoa Campaigning for?

Read our Position Paper which details what we are campaigning for.

When was Jubilee Aotearoa formed?

Jubilee Aotearoa originally formed in August 1997 at a national meeting of agencies and individuals concerned at the raw deal being received by poor countries in the international arena. From 1998 it became a programme of lead agencies Caritas and Christian World Service who funded an office and coordinator which raised the profile of the campaign and put debt on the government's agenda in New Zealand .

What's wrong with debt?

Poor countries that have huge debts must repay the interest and the original debt from their government's budget. This means that already very poor governments, must send precious money overseas, instead of funding education, health services, or assistance to small farmers and food producers. At community level, this means your children may not have a school, the teacher may not be paid, or there may be no books to learn from. Or it means poor rural communities lack access to a local clinic, or must pay for treatment and basic medicines, leaving the poorest without access. It is the world's poorest people who are repaying these debts, through lost health and livelihoods.

In 2002, poor countries over $200 billion dollars flowed from poor countries to rich countries, far more than flows the other way.

Read our short outline of the debt issue.

You can find out more about how poor countries became indebted countries, how debt affects people, and what can be done about it.

Contact Us:

You can contact us, or by writing to

Jubilee Aotearoa
PO Box 22-652
Wellington
New Zealand

Or phone Gillian +64 (3) 3669-374