WCC news: Turn Debt into Hope: A faith-driven call for justice and sustainability

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has launched the “Turn Debt into Hope” campaign, a global call to address debt injustice and climate inequality, which prevent vulnerable nations from meeting fundamental human rights. Photo montage: Caritas website 04 February 2025 “Many low-income countries now spend more on debt repayments than on public health, education, and climate response,” said Athena Peralta, director of the WCC Commission on Climate Justice and Sustainable Development.“This traps communities in a cycle of poverty and environmental devastation. Meanwhile, increasing climate disasters force governments to take on more debt to rebuild, deepening economic instability.” Aligned with the New International Financial and Economic Architecture (NIFEA) initiative, WCC is collaborating with Caritas Internationalis, Jubilee USA, the World Communion of Reformed Churches, and the Asia Pacific Movement on Debt and Development to advocate for bold economic reforms. Inspired by the biblical Jubilee vision (Leviticus 25) and Romans 5:5—“Hope does not disappoint”—the “Turn Debt into Hope” campaign urges immediate cancellation and restructuring of unjust debt, reforms to prioritize human and ecological wellbeing over profit, and a transparent debt framework under the United Nations to ensure fairness and accountability. “The social and ecological costs of the debt crisis can no longer be ignored,” said Rev. Dr Kenneth Mtata, WCC programme director for Life, Justice, and Peace. “As people of faith, we are called to stand in solidarity with those burdened by unjust debt, upholding our shared commitment to a just and sustainable financial system where people and the planet come before profit.” WCC member churches and partners are encouraged to: Sign the petition at https://turndebtintohope.caritas.org.  Share the campaign across websites, newsletters, and social media. Share your testimonies—WCC member churches are encouraged to share stories of how debt injustice affects their communities. Join advocacy events, including the IMF-World Bank Spring Meetings, the UN Climate COP30 in Brazil, and the G20 Summit in Johannesburg. For more information, contact Athena.Peralta@wcc-coe.org. Learn more about the campaign Sustainability and Economy of Life See more

The World Council of Churches promotes Christian unity in faith, witness and service for a just and peaceful world. An ecumenical fellowship of churches founded in 1948, today the WCC brings together 352 Protestant, Orthodox, Anglican and other churches representing more than 580 million Christians in over 120 countries, and works cooperatively with the Roman Catholic Church. The WCC general secretary is Rev. Prof. Dr Jerry Pillay from the Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa. Media contact: +41 79 507 6363; www.oikoumene.org/press Our visiting address is: World Council of Churches Chemin du Pommier 42 Kyoto Building Le Grand-Saconnex CH-1218 Switzerland