TAKE ACTION: HAVE A HEART FOR LIBERIA

Support immediate cancellation of Liberia’s debt so the country can curtail resource exploitation and support vital needs such as health, education and infrastructure.

WE HEART LIBERIA: Join us in this important, timely and fun push to cancel Liberia’s debt.

Make A Valentine

1. Recycle your holiday greeting cards, scraps of pink construction paper or regular card board food boxes and paper to cut out a heart shape.
   
   
2. On your heart write:

- “I Heart Liberia”

- “Have a Heart Treasury!”

- “Treasury Secretary Paulson, Have a Heart and Cancel Liberia's Debt!”

- “I urge you, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, to have a heart and cancel Liberia’s debt!”

- “Please use your influence to cancel Liberia’s debt immediately.”

3. Then sign your heart with your name and town and mail it to us.

We will deliver the Valentines to the U.S. Treasury Department on February 6, to send a message prior to the February 13-14 Liberia donors conference in Washington. We will also hold a call-in day to US Treasury on February 6. Stay tuned for more details.

MAIL your heart and any hearts that you collect to:
Saif Rahman
Institute for Policy Studies
Liberia Valentines
1112 16th St. N.W.
Suite 600
Washington, D.C. 20036

Please be sure to mail them no later than January 31!

THE REASON WHY

Currently, Liberia’s debt totals around $3.5 billion. Liberia's annual budget is less than one fortieth of that amount, and interest continues to accumulate.

President George W. Bush and the international community have repeatedly pledged their support and aid to help the country rebuild, but so far they have stopped short of cancelling Liberia's unjust and un-payable debt.

Rich country creditors are currently insisting that Liberia make $1.5 billion in back payments and accumulated interest or “arrears” before it can become eligible for any debt relief or cancellation.

At the current payment rate, this would take literally over a thousand years!