Located in Washington DC, the International Monetary Fund, or IMF, is an international organization that tracks the economic policies of member nations, particularly policies affecting exchange rates, balance payments and debts, with the goal of stabilizing the international payment system.

On April 25, 2009, the IMF announced their intention to sell bonds as a method of raising funds, a measure that will provide an alternative method to developing countries instead of long-term loans.KansasCity.com: IMF head says it will sell bonds to raise funds

Established in 1944, the IMF was created as part of the Bretton Woods Agreement. The IMF has also operated as a lender of last resort, helping economies that have suffered large scale crashes. The IMF has been criticized for supporting military dictatorships who stifle democracy and violate human and labor rights. Some of the economic policies of the IMF have also been criticized for stifling, instead of promoting, economic diversity and development.

On April 2, 2009, the world's representatives at the G20 London summit agreed to give an additional $1 trillion in funding to the IMF and World Bank. The group stopped short, however, of putting together a stimulus package to aid the flailing global economy.Fox News: G-20 Leaders to Give ... (April 2, 2009)

• Google Video: Life and Debt - Globalization and Jamaica (Time: 1:26:06)

• Global Exchange: World Bank & IMF: Background

• The August Review: Global Banking: The International Monetary Fund

• Serendipity: How the IMF Props Up the Bankrupt Dollar System

• Hoover Institute: International Monetary Fund: Mission Creep

• YouTube: Antonia Juhasz - A History of Opposition to the World Bank (Time: 08:04)

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