Building on the legacy of Thomas Sankara’s 1987 call for a united front against debt, this webinar will explore how the modern colonial financial architecture continues to shape today’s global crises, and the growing resistance from communities across the world who are organizing to reclaim sovereignty and their right to the future.
As part of the 2025 Global Week of Action with the theme “Stop the Harm, Cancel the Debt! Reparations and Just Transition Now,” The conversation will bring together feminist economists, social movements, and activists from across regions to expose the failures of the current global financial architecture, weaknesses of the 2025 Financing for Development Conference (FFD4) and advance people-centered alternatives for a just and sustainable global financial system.
Co-organized by: International Network for Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ESCR-Net) , Asian Peoples’ Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD) and The Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD).
Date: Wednesday, October 15, 2025
Time: 1:00 PM Nairobi | 9.00 AM ET New York | 9.00 PM Manila | 4:00 PM Cairo – Your local time HERE
Online Event (Zoom) – Link will be shared upon registration.
Please register your participation via this form.
Event Program
09:00 – 09:05 | Welcome and Housekeeping
Welcome remarks and introduction to the Global Week of Action for Debt Justice.
Speakers: Basma Eid | ESCR-Net Campaigns Director
09:05 – 09:20 | Opening & Context: Sankara’s Legacy and the Polycrisis
Exploring the historical significance of October 15 and the connections between debt, colonial legacies, and the ongoing resistance to neoliberalism.
Speaker: Mae Benventura – Asia Peoples Movement on Debt and Development (APMDD)
09:20 – 09:45 | Part 1: Understanding the Role of Public Development Banks (PDBs)
Breaking down the mandates of PDBs and examining how their lending practices exacerbate debt, care, and climate crises.
Featuring case studies from two regions illustrating community impacts.
Speakers: Rosario Fassina- International Accountability Project (IAP); Titi Soentoro – Asia Pacific Forum on Women, Law and Development (APWLD).
09:45 – 10:10 | Part 2: How Do We Stop the Bleeding?
Community-led and feminist alternatives to debt-driven development.
Exploring pathways toward systemic transformation and people-centered financing.
Speakers: Shereen Talaat- MeNA Fem Movement for Economic, Development and Ecological Justice (MANA Fem); Catherine Mithia- Africa Forum and Network on Debt and Development (AFRODAD)
10:10 – 10:25 | Call to Action and Closing
Reflections and collective next steps toward launching the Right to the Future campaign.
Speaker:Collins Liko, Economic Policy Working Group Program Coordinator, ESCR-Net
