"When Jubilee is proclaimed, debts are recognized by all people of faith to
be cancelled by God's grace working through the faithful. Any actions to
collect these debts are a transgression against the sacred. It is the duty
of all
believers to resist all actions to collect the debts." - Robert Naiman, CPT
Reservist

Join us in proclaiming Jubilee! As the Christmas season
approaches and we, in Christian Peacemaker Teams, start the countdown
towards the year 2000, our hearts and minds turn to the many people we work
with on our various CPT project sites. How can Christmas and the New Year
be "good news" to the Indigenous of Chiapas, the Palestinians of the
Occupied Territories, and the Natives here in North America with whom we
have created bonds of friendship?

Millions of people of faith worldwide have declared 2000 to be the year of
Jubilee - a year of rest for the land, release of those captive, forgiveness
of debts, and return of the land to those dispossessed An international
campaign, Jubilee 2000, calls for the forgiveness of the poorest country's
debts. Christian Peacemaker Teams joins our voice to the chorus in a Public
Witness at the International Monetary Fund in Washington D.C. from
Dec.26-Jan.1, 2000.

The many people around the world with whom we work know first hand the
effects of injustice - hunger, violence, loss of ancestral lands. The
insurmountable debt has a terrible human cost. Repaying foreign debts,
incurred by wealthy elites in the 2/3rds world, diverts scarce money away
from health care, education, and other vital services.

As CPT members and supporters, we ask for your prayers during our week-long
Witness. Remember us as we vigil and fast at the IMF, preparing for and
then proclaiming Jubilee. Remember the teams in Chiapas and Hebron who will
also be creating their own vigils and actions around the Jubilee theme this
season. Join in solidarity with the Jubilee Team in D.C. by fasting for a
day or more, or by using some of CPT's Jubilee resources in a worship
service or during a public witness of your own.

Blessings to you as you prepare to celebrate the coming of Christ and the
good news of Jubilee. If you would like any further information about CPT's
Jubilee Witness or a copy of any of the following Jubilee resources, please
do not hesitate to contact the CPT office at 312-455-1199, or email
guest.10645 [at] MennoLink [dot] org.

CPT's Jubilee resources for worship and witness:

1. Jubilee liturgy (in bulletin insert format)
2. Information Sheet on the Debt Burden: Why Jubilee?
3. Jubilee Bookmarks (one side - facts on the debt burden; other side -
jubilee
prayer)
4. Washington D.C. Jubilee Witness Timetable and description of events

Peace be with you,
Anita Fast
Jubilee Witness Co-ordinator

===================================
Anita Fast
Jubilee Witness Coordinator

Christian Peacemaker Teams is a violence reduction project supported by
Friends meetings and Church of the Brethren and Mennonite congregations. For
more information, contact CPT at PO Box 6508; Chicago, IL 60680; PH:
312-455-1199; Fax: 312-432-1213; E-mail: cpt [at] igc [dot] org