Ten years on - debt campaigners return to Birmingham

Campaigners from Sheffield outside St Chad's Cathedral, Birmingham [CAFOD]

Campaigners from across the UK returned to Birmingham on 18 May to mark ten years since a ‘human chain’ of 70,000 people encircled the city calling for debt cancellation.

What difference had that day made to them?

Carmel Wood from Sheffield was 12 years old when she joined the demonstration in 1998: “I was just becoming aware, as a young person, of injustice in the world and of the need to try and do something” she explained. “Doing something makes you feel more powerful.”

Her family returned this year – still proudly waving the same banner they had hand-made ten years ago.

It also had a lasting impact on Sarah Watts, from West London, a member of Hull University Catholic Society at the time.

She said: “I was a student then. Now I’m a geography teacher and I teach my A level students about debt and Fairtrade, they couldn’t believe that I’d been here ten years ago. Until then, I didn’t really understand the issues. This demonstration brought economics closer to lay people.”

The time she was joined by her father and over 60 other people from their area, who joined hundreds of other campaigners at a CAFOD Mass and speaker event in St Chad’s cathedral, Birmingham. This was followed by a Jubilee Debt Campaign event with music, film, panel discussions and participants from many different organisations.

A sense of solidarity

Even committed campaigners found something new and inspiring about the 1998 human chain.

“It was amazing to see people from all over the UK. It was a fantastic atmosphere as we joined hands in rows facing each other” remembers Ann Farr from Coventry. “It felt so important to be here. I’d been on lots of demonstrations before, but this had a real sense of solidarity and brought so many different people together.”

Birmingham ‘98 recruited and inspired many future campaigners. Those who took part were not only active themselves, but encouraged their parents, children or grandchildren to get involved too.

Campaigning continues

Although much has changed in the last ten years – not least the cancellation of over US $87billion of debt – the dedication of campaigners to building a better world has not.

Maria Elena Arana from CAFOD’s Campaigns team, speaking on a Jubilee Debt Campaign panel, encouraged people to look to the future.

She said: “We will continue to act on aid and debt, but we need to make the connections with climate change too. I’m convinced that people will keep on campaigning.”

Tony Willock from Sheffield summed up the personal and political impact of that day in 1998: “Progress has been made, and many people in developing countries are feeling the benefits.

Without that rally in Birmingham in 1998 it might not have happened – or at least not have happened so soon. If I never do anything else worthwhile in my life, I can look back on that day and feel really grateful to have been there.”