With more than 70,000 Canadian signatures in hand, KAIROS Canada and faith-based advocates will head to Parliament Hill April 28 to press the federal government to play its part in turning sovereign debt into hope for some of the world’s poorest nations.

Launched in early 2025 as part of the global Jubilee 2025 initiative, the Turn Debt into Hope campaign looks to answer a clear and specific moral call rooted in both Biblical Jubilee principles and Pope Francis’ call to forgive the debts of countries that cannot repay them. 

This year’s continuation of the Turn Debt into Hope campaign also builds on the success of the original Jubilee 2000 campaign, which secured $100 billion in debt relief, framing debt cancellation as an economic necessity as well as a profound act of justice and hope during the 2025 Jubilee Year.

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Now, KAIROS Canada, supported by over 20 organizations and working with core partners such as Development and Peace - Caritas Canada, the Canadian Council of Churches, Citizens for Public Justice and the Office of Religious Congregations for Integral Ecology, have mobilized Canadian churches and civil supporters to rally behind the cause. 

To date, more than 70,000 Canadians have signed the global call to action on the sovereign debt crisis, with KAIROS already having engaged with Members of Parliament. 

While the team currently sits outside of its goal of 100,000 signatures as part of the 10-million signature campaign worldwide by 2025, KAIROS’  member relations and network coordinator Shannon Neufeldt is still encouraged by the support. 

“For us, it’s a significant piece of the global campaign. While we haven't reached (the goal) exactly, there were people in our committees who said we should set the goal at 10,000. It was an ambitious goal, but a goal that helped us to get to the significant number that we're sitting at now,” she said. 

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At noon on April 28, the team will bring those signatures to Parliament Hill as part of an in-person rally. Separate from the 70,000+ signatures on the global petition is a parliamentary petition that specifically addresses Parliament on its role in ensuring Canadian action. 

“We've started bringing that petition to MPs, and we want to meet in person during an opportunity on April 28 for an hour in the morning, when there will be a parliamentary roundtable,” Neufeldt said.

“We have Invitations to all MPs to come and hear a three-person presentation from our coalition, allowing them to ask questions and to better understand the debt crisis and the solutions that are being proposed.” 

Those solutions exist around the central demands for the House of Commons and Government of Canada to initiate a review of all debts held by Canada and to cancel and remedy unjust and unsustainable debts without conditions, advocate in multilateral forums for global financial reform and for the establishment of a transparent, binding, representative and inclusive UN body for debt resolution, and to increase the grants portion of Canada’s bilateral climate finance to 60 per cent, ensuring grants are used to address adaptation and loss and damage. 

On April 14, KAIROS Canada held “Turn Debt into Hope: The Road to Ottawa,” an online rally to help power this push to Parliament Hill. Neufeldt said 110 participants from across Canada attended, many of whom signed letters to MPs.  

While the global petition will close shortly before April 28, the parliamentary petition and meetings with MPs will continue. The coalition has also requested a briefing with the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and International Development and notes that its ongoing advocacy will continue through its usual channels.

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Neufeldt says the response on the Hill will likely shape how the campaign moves forward, with next steps to be determined after the team returns from Ottawa.