Turn Debt into Hope — A Call for Economic Justice

SMC Faith in development, in collaboration with Caritas Sweden, Act Church of Sweden, Diakonia, PMU, and the churches within the Christian Council of Sweden, invites you to join the Turn Debt into Hope campaign.

A growing debt crisis is currently affecting low- and middle-income countries across the globe. Nations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America are being forced to spend a large portion of their national revenues on repaying debts, funds that could otherwise be invested in education, healthcare, and climate adaptation.

In response to this injustice, the global campaign Turn Debt into Hope has been launched. It aims to create fair conditions that enable indebted countries to invest in sustainable development instead of being pushed further into crisis. By urging governments and creditors to act on unjust debt, we hope to see a real impact and promote economic justice.

“If we truly want to pave the way for peace in the world, we must strive to eliminate the root causes of injustice — and that means cancelling unjust debts.” Pope Francis’s decree, Hope Does Not Disappoint, ahead of the Jubilee Year 2025. Let us together respond to the call for a more just and compassionate world.

We call on Swedish and global decision-makers to:

• End the debt crisis now by addressing unjust and unsustainable debt, without imposing economic conditions.
• Prevent future debt crises by tackling root causes. Reform the global financial system so that it prioritises people and the planet.
• Work through the United Nations by creating a permanent, transparent, binding, and comprehensive debt resolution mechanism under the UN framework.
• Ensure climate finance does not worsen debt burdens — provide climate support to the most vulnerable countries as grants, not loans.

You can sign the petition and learn more about the global campaign on the Caritas International website.