PO Box 20203, Washington, D.C. 20041
2009 February Volume 3, No 2
Pro-Abortion Action
Democrats in US Congress Fund Abortions Internationally
Democrats in the US House of Representatives were adamant in funding population control programs around the world that include abortion when passing the H.R. 1105, Omnibus Appropriations Act. The Omnibus bill provides $545 million for international population control programs and will allow international organizations to perform and advocate for abortion with US funds. Congress also approved an unrestricted $50 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) despite its support for China's one child per couple birth limitation policy.
Rep. Chris Smith, co-chair of the House Pro-Life Caucus, had attempted to offer two amendments to restore pro-life provisions to US family planning funds which existed under President Bush but was blocked by House Democrats on the Rules Committee.
In a statement Smith expressed his concern for countries with laws protecting unborn children from abortion and declared:
"The pro-abortion organizations who will divvy up the $545 million pot of U.S. taxpayer grant money contained in today's Omnibus bill have made it abundantly clear that they will aggressively promote, lobby, litigate and perform abortion on demand in developing countries. My amendment would have prevented that and from pushing abortions as a method of family planning." In regards to actions of UNFPA in regards to China Smith said, "The UN Population Fund has actively supported, co-managed, and white-washed the most pervasive crimes against women in human history."
"China's one-child-per-couple policy relies on pervasive, coerced abortion, involuntary sterilization, ruinous fines in amounts up to ten times the salary of both parents, imprisonment, and job loss or demotion to achieve its quotas."
In closing Smith criticized the House Democratic leadership for failing to defend Chinese women victimized by the coercive population policy, "So, how does Congress respond to the UNFPA's complicity in China's crimes against women? Do we demand reform and protection of Chinese women and children?
"Heck no. We gut the anti-coercion law and write a $50 million check to the UNFPA."
President Obama Approves Abortion Funding, Pro-Life Parliamentarians Respond
The tragic decision by President Obama in the first days of his administration to fund international organizations that perform abortion, counsel women to abort their unborn children, and/ or work to overturn sovereign pro-life laws demonstrates Obama's radical pro-abortion beliefs. The $545 million U.S. family planning funds in question for 2009 are distributed by U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and shared among 457 organizations. Last year, only five organizations opted out of the funding due to the abortion restrictions- International Planned Parenthood Federation, Marie Stopes International and family planning organizations in Kenya, Nepal and Bangladesh.
According to the Gallup Poll, 58% of Americans disapprove of Obama's decision to lift the ban restricting funds from paying for abortions or related activities. Pro-life parliamentarians in Latin America also voiced their opposition to the decision.
Liliana Negre de Alonso, vice-president of Argentina's Senate and president of the World Action of Parliamentarians and Political Leaders for Life stated: "We can't say we defend human rights if we don't defend the first human right, the Right to Life from conception to natural death." Congresswoman Martha Lorena de Casco of Honduras expressed sorrow and regret that "one of President Obama's first decisions is to revoke the Mexico City policy." She continued, "I interpret this action as a promotion of abortion and a threat to the national legislation of my country." Honduras strictly protects unborn children from abortion.
Ipas 'Toolkit' Seeks to Change Health Care Workers' Opposition to Abortion
Radical U.S. pro-abortion provider and promoter, Ipas, has released a "values clarification and attitude transformation" toolkit in an attempt to overcome opposition to abortion in developing countries where there is strong religious and cultural respect for the lives of unborn children. The 186 page manual targets reproductive health care workers and uses a variety of scenario exercises and group activities aimed at "reshaping values" to make abortion more acceptable. The toolkit gives particular focus on opposition to 2nd trimester abortion and includes activities that ridicule respect for the dignity of life as "personal beliefs" and elevates "professional responsibility" to include participating in abortions at all stages of pregnancy.
Pro-Life Action
Cameroon Defends Pro-life Law to CEDAW
Cameroon gave pro-life advocates around the world a strong example of how to stand up to pro-abortion pressure exerted by members of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) during a recent country review. Cameroon strongly defended its pro-life laws in response to CEDAW's questions about legal abortion.
Cameroon's official response stressed the importance of children and motherhood and the physical and emotional dangers of abortion stating: "It should be noted that, in our society, motherhood is extremely sacred. The desire to have children is linked to the desire for renewal and continuity of one's race, family line, or sociological group."
Cameroon was critical of arguments to legalize abortion: "Abortion is made out to be a matter of conscience or conviction, without mentioning that it is murder... Abortion is elevated to the rank of a right and dignity." Cameroon's official response to CEDAW's questions can be found on the CEDAW website for the 43rd session.
Legislative News
Australia: Government Refuses to Fund International Abortion Activities
In a pro-life move completely opposite the position of President Obama, the Australian government blocked a Senate motion to lift a ban on foreign aid for abortion promoting organizations. Senator Ron Boswell strongly opposed the move arguing it would take money away from life saving solutions. "Which services would we have to cut in order to provide abortion services?" he asked. "Medicine, a village well, food, birthing kits?" Australia is now the only first-world country that will not fund abortion services overseas.
Peru: Vice President of Congress Says Abortion is Not a Solution
Defending adoption as a positive solution to a pregnancy resulting from rape, the Vice President of the Peruvian Congress, Fabiola Morales Castillo, said, "We cannot allow children to be killed in the wombs of their mothers under any circumstances in order to solve the problem." Morales Castillo noted that unborn babies are innocent, defenseless, and worthy of life, contradicting the Minister of Women's Affairs Carmen Vildoso recent statement that adoption for an underage rape victim is "traumatic". Morales Castillo called on the Minister to focus on creative and positive solutions rather than abortion.
Spain: Advisor to Parliament Says Science Proves Abortion Hurts Women
Dr. Natalia Lopez Moratalla, a biologist, bioethicist and advisor to Spain's parliamentary subcommittee studying the nation's abortion law, has said scientific evidence proves the harmful effects of abortion upon a mother. Citing drug addiction, emotional stress, suicide as examples of the type of damage abortions can incur, Lopez Moratalla explains the natural attachment a mother forms to her baby as a part of the process of preparation for motherhood, which abortion then abruptly ends. She states that abortion is never a viable option, and that women who do so are always pressured into the action, either by lack of support from the father or family or limited economic resources. "Experience worldwide shows that if the woman receives help and options, she will never do it (obtain an abortion). There is no right to an abortion," she said.
Executive News
Pope Benedict: Catholic Elected Officials Obligated to Oppose Abortion
In a meeting at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI used the opportunity to speak to U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about the need to protect the unborn from abortion. Pelosi, while Catholic, is an ardent abortion supporter who has long supported to fund and expand access to abortion services in the U.S. and abroad. The Vatican statement read: "His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in co-operation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development."
Judicial News
European Court Rules in Favor of Abortion Ship's Distribution of Abortion Pills
The European Court of Human Rights says Portugal's actions to block the Dutch abortion ship from its territory violated the European Convention on Human Rights in regards to freedom of expression. In 2004, Portugal's law protected the unborn from abortion and the government took measures to block the abortion ship's access to its sovereign waters. Women on Waves which oversees the ship admits its purpose is to "circumvent domestic abortion laws" by supplying women with abortion pills.
Mexico Supreme Court to Hear Case Challenging Pro-Life Constitution Amendment
Pro-abortion groups are challenging the state of Baja California's constitutional protection of life in Mexico's Supreme Court. The constitutional amendment, which was passed last October in response to Mexico City's legalization of abortion, protects life from the moment of conception. Led by the president of Baja's Human Rights Commission, the suit argues that the pro-life amendment violates the Mexican Constitution. The Supreme Court has agreed to hear the case. This same month, the Mexican state of Colima unanimously passed an amendment to its state constitution protecting life "from the moment of conception."
European Court of Human Rights to Look at Abortion Access in Moldova
Radical pro-abortion Center for Reproductive Rights had filed a new abortion case at the European Court of Human Rights. The complaint is filed on behalf of a woman in Moldova who was imprisoned for an illegal abortion; Moldova has very liberal abortion laws. No details are available as to the stage of pregnancy or method of abortion. The abortion took place at home and resulted in heavy bleeding, sounding like a self-induced abortion with abortion pills. The lawsuit charges Moldova with violating several rights guaranteed under the European Convention on Human Rights, including freedom from sex discrimination, and seeks to increase access to abortion through use of self-induced abortion with pills and use of the manual vacuum aspirator. While the case has been filed, the Court has yet to deem it admissible for consideration.
Issues
Malaysia: Improves Maternal Mortality Without Abortion
The recent Universal Periodic Review of Malaysia by the UN Human Rights Council showed significant strides in improving the country's maternal mortality. Malaysia, where abortion is tightly restricted, is evidence that real solutions to reducing maternal deaths do not include abortion. SPUC reports that during the meeting a favorable report from the World Bank highlighted the success of two countries with pro-life laws that reduced the rate of maternal mortality while maintaining protection for women and unborn children from abortion. Malaysia reduced maternal deaths from 1,085 in 1933 to just 19 in 1997 and in Sri Lanka it dropped from 2,136 in 1930 to 24 in 1996.
The World Bank credited the reduction in maternal deaths to access to health care, assisted childbirth, emergency obstetrical care, essential medicines and equipment, education, improved communication and transportation. Development of roads in rural areas was critical to ensuring that women facing emergencies in childbirth had timely access to health facilities. The cost of these vital measures was very modest averaging 1.8 percent of GDP in Malaysia and between 1.4 and 1.8 percent GDP in Sri Lanka.
Adult Stem Cells Show Success in Treating Parkinson's
Scientists have announced the successful use of adult stem cells in the treatment of Parkinson's disease. The first clinical trial using a patient's own brain cells to treat Parkinson's disease has reversed the effects of the disease and showed safety in long term effects. Larger clinic trials are planned next, and lead researcher Michel Levesque, MD says, "It's our hope that this trial will result in the launch of a cost-effective and lasting therapies for the millions of patients suffering from debilitating neurodegenerative disorders."
UK: Top British Environmental Advisor Says Abortion Will Save the Planet
The chairman of Britain's Sustainable Development Commission, Sir Jonathan Porritt, says the world's environmental problems can be solved by abortion and contraception, and that couples who have more than two children are "irresponsible". The former Green Party politician who had been Tony Blair's adviser on the environment will urge environmental groups to make population control a part of their lobbying efforts.Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe, Vice-chairman of the All Party Pro-Life Parliamentary Group, reacted strongly to the Porritt's statements reflecting that Britain's problem was not too many children but too few. "At a time when we have all the worries of too elderly a population, depending on fewer and fewer people of working age, it seems an absolutely ludicrous proposition.
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The Parliamentary Network for Critical Issues (PNCI) is committed to networking members of democratically-elected legislatures in efforts to advance respect for the inherent value, worth, and inviolable dignity of every human being from the first moment of existence. PNCI issues the Parliamentary Network E-News to provide lawmakers, and those who work with them, news from various sources on the international threat to pro-life laws and current legislative and judicial actions on critical life issues challenging parliamentarians around the world. PNCI is a project of Life Issues Institute.
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