Scene: A quiet café table in Vancouver.
Sacha Baron Cohen sits with Joe and Nelly Furtado. Cohen has set aside the Borat accent for a moment and is speaking as himself.
Sacha Baron Cohen:
Alright, I’ll put Borat away for a minute, because there’s something people misunderstand about these biblical ideas. When people hear “Jubilee,” they imagine some secret ritual about money. In reality it’s the opposite—it’s an ancient idea about forgiving debt and preventing permanent poverty.
Joe:
The reset button.
Sacha Baron Cohen:
Exactly. In the Hebrew Bible—especially in the Book of Leviticus—there’s this concept called the Jubilee year. Every fifty years the system was meant to reset. Debts forgiven, slaves freed, land returned to the original families.
Nelly:
That sounds incredibly modern for something so ancient.
Sacha Baron Cohen:
It’s radical even now. Imagine telling Wall Street every fifty years: “Right, everyone calm down, give the land back and forgive the debts.” It was a way of saying wealth shouldn’t become permanent dynasties.
Joe:
That’s why people in the modern world tried to revive the idea.
Sacha Baron Cohen:
Yes, exactly. Musicians, activists, church leaders—people like Bono—pushed the idea through the Jubilee debt campaign.
Nelly:
The movement that asked rich countries to forgive debts owed by poor countries.
Sacha Baron Cohen:
Right. The campaign—often called Jubilee 2000—used the biblical Jubilee as inspiration. The idea was simple: if the ancient world understood that endless debt destroys societies, maybe the modern world should remember that lesson.
Joe:
Bono called it a “dove of peace,” didn’t he?
Sacha Baron Cohen:
Yes. The idea that debt forgiveness could be a gesture of peace—like sending out a dove. Instead of punishment, you create stability. Instead of permanent poverty, you give countries a chance to breathe.
Nelly:
It’s funny. People think these religious ideas are about control, but this one is about mercy.
Sacha Baron Cohen:
Exactly. And honestly, if Borat were here, he’d probably ask if he could take out a massive loan in year forty-nine.
Joe:
(laughs) And disappear before the Jubilee.
Sacha Baron Cohen:
Which is precisely why humans are still debating how to make these ideas work today.
Nelly:
Still, the message is beautiful.
Joe:
A world where sometimes… you forgive the debt.
Sacha Baron Cohen:
And occasionally press reset. That’s the spirit of Jubilee. 🕊️