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What if your bank controlled your life?
Imagine if your bank manager ruled your life. Imagine running every decision you take past him. And if he didn't like one of your choices - you'd have to change it. This is the reality for many poor countries. And they can't just switch accounts...
Right now, as you sit reading this, two of the largest banks in the world, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank, are causing huge damage to poor countries. That's why we are demanding changes to these institutions. We want the UK government to cut funding to the IMF and World Bank until they stop forcing damaging free-trade policies on poor countries.
What happens?
In return for loans from the World Bank and IMF poor countries have to surrender the right to decide their own trade policies.
'For the majority of families in this area it has been like a massacre.'-Fremy Maitre.
To make matters worse, the policies they are forced to follow have been a disaster.
The poor end up paying for poverty.
The poor end up paying for poverty.
Fremy's story
Fremy Maitre, a sugar farmer in Haiti, had to pay the price when his government had to borrow some money to support their struggling economy.
In return for the loan, the IMF forced Haiti to open up its local markets to foreign imports. The results were catastrophic for local farmers like Fremy.
The markets have now been flooded with cheap imports from large international companies, making it impossible for farmers like Fremy to compete.
Now it's difficult for Fremy to support his family and he has a crop that is worthless. All because his country needed help at a difficult time.
In return for the loan, the IMF forced Haiti to open up its local markets to foreign imports. The results were catastrophic for local farmers like Fremy.
The markets have now been flooded with cheap imports from large international companies, making it impossible for farmers like Fremy to compete.
Now it's difficult for Fremy to support his family and he has a crop that is worthless. All because his country needed help at a difficult time.
Here's where you come in
Chancellor Gordon Brown and Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for International Development, are the UK's men at the IMF and World Bank.
In 2005, they told Make Poverty History campaigners that poor countries would not be forced into opening up their markets and privatising their services.
In 2005, they told Make Poverty History campaigners that poor countries would not be forced into opening up their markets and privatising their services.
Things can change - but they need your action.
However, the IMF and World Bank continue to do this - and the UK government continue to fund these institutions.
What we want
We want the UK government to stop paying for poverty. We want it to cut funding to the IMF and World Bank until they stop forcing damaging free-trade policies on poor countries.
We want Gordon Brown and Hilary Benn to use their influence to stop the IMF and World Bank forcing these policies on poor countries.
We want Gordon Brown and Hilary Benn to use their influence to stop the IMF and World Bank forcing these policies on poor countries.
Campaign update
On 5 December Hilary Benn released the £50 million that he had been withholding from the World Bank. He withheld it in September due to their lack of progress in removing the damaging conditions they attach to loans it gives to poor countries. Find out more
What you can do
Help us make the UK government keep its promises so people like Fremy can work their way out of poverty. Watch this space for more actions in 2007.
Act now: Find the latest actions here
Act now: Find the latest actions here
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