On this day 25 years ago, over 70,000 people came together to form a human chain around the city of Birmingham to call for debt cancellation.  

We won debt cancellation before and we need to win debt justice again.

The world’s most powerful leaders were holding a G8 meeting in Birmingham in 1998 – I was there, were you?  

I can still feel that electric atmosphere as tens of thousands of us came together to powerfully demand debt cancellation.  

By the time we were in our designated places the sun was shining on Birmingham, people were laughing and the power of solidarity rang through-out the crowd. I was a wide eyed 16 year old, travelling with my church, inspired by the idea of cancelling debts as a true way to celebrate the millennium.

Little did I know that 25 years later I would be working for the organisation that emerged out of that momentous occasion. For me it was the beginning of my journey into understanding debt as a global tool of exploitation and how we in the UK could campaign in solidarity with people in countries in debt crisis like Jamaica and Zambia.  

As I did then, I fully believe we can achieve a debt jubilee again. Our work is urgent given the looming climate emergency, the recent pandemic and the current cost of living crisis, but even more relevant. That’s why we are fighting for systemic change - a new law to force private lenders to stop acting like cowboys and take part in debt cancellation.  

Campaigning together we managed to get $130bn of debt written off for lower income countries , but now we need to come together again. Debts are ballooning, 54 countries are in crisis, and this time we need to rewrite the rules to stop debt building up in the first place.   

Will you support us again? 

Thanks so much for everything you do. If you have any memories of the human chain please do get in touch and share your photos and thoughts.  

In solidarity, 

Tim Jones 

Campaigner – Debt Justice (formerly Jubilee Debt Campaign) 

PS. If you want to read more, here is a blog I've written to mark this occasion