Archivo de la etiqueta: Debt @en @en

Breaking away from debt at a municipal level

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Molins de Rei’s Council declares illegitimate part of its debt

Pablo Martínez & Iolanda Fresnillo, PACD members.

Hundreds of city councils all over Catalonia and the Spanish State are under financial hardship since the begging of the crisis. The debt of local corporations in the Spanish state has reached 67 billion Euros in December 2012, a rise in 230% since year 2000. Even though this comprises only 57% of the Spanish state’s public debt, this debt has a direct impact on the services provided by local governments to cover essential services such as education, health or social welfare policies, integration, equity and cooperation, as well as economic stimulation

More and more, the debate about the obligation to pay or not pay the debt is being considered by city councils. Recently the city council of Badalona has approved a motion that declares part of the municipal debt illegitimate. They were preceded by some city councils in the province of Valencia.

The financial drowning of the city councils has been caused by a deficient financing system and an unsustainable indebtedness. Adding to this, the political centralisation process (driven further by the Popular Party), is trying to diminish the power of local councils. Even though there is a clear shift of the local powers and competences to central government hands, thus separating them further from citizens and social control, there are still a number of aspects to exert pressure on in order to achieve changes at a the municipal sphere. Sigue leyendo

Towards the Week of Global Action against Debt and IFIs

Activists from all over the Spanish state celebrate the III State Meeting of the Citizen Debt Audit Platform (PACD)

 

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From May 31st to June 2nd the III State Meeting of the Spanish Citizen Debt Audit Platform (PACD)We don’t owe! We won’t pay! took place. Activists from all over the Spanish State (as well as some from Portugal and Belgium)participated in this meeting, that took place in Barcelona, where they put together all the work done by the regional groups and developed the strategy for the next months. Three days of intense work at the fantasticcollectivised space of Aurea Social. The meeting started with an international conference organized by the Observatory of Debt in Globalization (ODG), where different activists fighting against the oppression of debt in Tunisia, Ecuador, Philippines, Mexico, Peru, Portugal and Spain were heard. During this third encounter it was visible how the PACD has been growing in strength since it first started in October 2011. Nowadays it has become a reference for the fight against debt and austerity both inside and outside our borders, through the International Citizen Debt Audit Network (ICAN). Sigue leyendo

We don’t owe! We won’t pay! Democracy and Debt

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Meeting of the Spanish Citizen Debt Audit Platform – PACD in Portugal.


25th-28th April, Lisbon (Portugal)


Spanish activists meet in Lisbon with Portuguese groups to analyse the problem of debt and how it affects democracy.


For several days, members of the Spanish Citizen Debt Audit Platform – PACDwill attend a series of events in Lisbon, starting with the celebration of the Carnation Revolution, with a public event on Saturday afternoon, and meetings with various groups the remaining days. Geographical proximity and similarities in the situation both countries are going through during the crisis, makes international coordination and exchange of experiences key for building constructive citizen initiatives. Sigue leyendo

Debt Versus Democracy: A Battle for the Future

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Strike Debt on Fifth Avenue for Global Noise Demo. (Photo: Marisa Holmes)

In the US and Europe, the movement of squares has responded to attacks on the social good by debt resistance and direct democracy. In assemblies, mic checks and self-organization, they demonstrated that another world is possible. Now the movement is articulating full-scale resistance. Sigue leyendo

Coordinated efforts in Europe and North Africa to fight against Debt and Austerity (april 2012).

The International Citizen Debt Audit Network – ICAN, has been born under the slogan “We don’t owe! We won’t pay!”, bringing together movements and networks in different European and North African countries, fighting austerity measures through the implementation of Citizen Debt Audits

In solidarity with the Greek people, against illegitimate debts and austerity measures, let us mobilize!

For joint actions around the Greek elections, and for large Euro-Mediterranean’s mobilizations in autumn 2012!
http://www.cadtm.org/For-joint-acti…

The First Euro-Mediterranean Meeting of the newly formed International Network for Citizen Debt Audits, has been held on April 7th in Brussels. Activists from twelve countries participated: Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Poland, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium, Egypt and Tunisia. The different regions are developing or initiating Citizen Debt Audits or campaigns against austerity and debt. Sigue leyendo