Turn Debt into Hope
Right now the world is facing its worst debt crisis. Countries right around the globe – from Samoa to Malawi – are struggling under crushing debt. This problem has only been getting worse. This crisis is taking away hope, lives, and opportunity from the poorest people in the world.
Families in Fiji are already being hit hard by climate change. Photo credit: Caritas Australia.
Jubilee year, debt and hope
"About 3.3 billion people now live in countries that spend more on repaying debts than on healthcare, education or tackling the climate crisis"
- CAFOD (Catholic Agency For Overseas Development)
Together, we can turn debt into hope
It’s time to fix the broken debt system. It’s time for fairness and justice. This Jubilee Year, join us and the global Caritas family to speak up and demand real change. By signing this petition, you are joining thousands of people from around the globe in calling on world leaders, and public, private, and multilateral institutions to:
Stop the debt crisis now by cancelling and remedying unjust and unsustainable debts, without economic policy conditions
Prevent debt crises from happening again by addressing their root causes, reforming the global financial system to prioritise people and the planet
Establish a permanent, transparent, binding and comprehensive debt framework within the United Nations.
Caritas Oceania's message of hope
"Frequent, strong cyclones destroy our schools our hospitals and our homes but there's a bigger problem we are facing, a money problem."
- Leba Tamari , Caritas Fiji
“For those of us in the Pacific, the connections between debt and climate disasters are important ones to consider. In many developing countries, and countries that are vulnerable to climate change, governments are paying more in interest and other debt servicing obligations than they are on health, education, or climate adaptation. Action must be taken to forgive debt and prevent it in the future.”
Australian launch of Turn Debt into Hope
On May 16, 2025, Caritas Australia launched the Turn Debt into Hope campaign. This webinar, hosted in partnership between Caritas Australia and the Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace. Kirsten Sayers CEO of Caritas Australia was joined by Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge, Dr Luke Fletcher, Executive Director of the Jubilee Australia Research Centre, and Leba Tamari, Advocacy Coordinator for Caritas Fiji.
How we can tackle the global debt crisis - Caritas Internationalis
"The debt system relies heavily on expensive private credit. Today's restructuring systems are inadequate, pushing countries into crisis. The most vulnerable are the most affected"
- Caritas Internationalis
