PO Box 20203, Washington, D.C. 20041
2009 March Volume 3, No 3
Pro-Abortion Action
Obama Administration Takes More Steps to Promote Abortion Abroad
Recent actions by the Obama administration again demonstrate its commitment to promoting abortion policies abroad. The White House announced that it is sending $50 million to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), as provided in the recently passed Omnibus Appropriations Act. The $50 million was appropriated despite UNFPA's support for China's one-child policy which relies on forced and coerced abortions and sterilization for compliance. The U.S. has not contributed to the UNFPA for the past eight years under President Bush.
Additionally, President Obama this month announced the creation of a new foreign policy position focusing on women's issues to be headed by Melanne Verveer- former staffer to former First Lady Hillary Clinton and co-founder of Vital Voices Global Leadership-who will hold the position of Ambassador-at-Large. Vital Voices was formed to reaffirm the population and development goals of the United Nations conference in Beijing in 1995. In 2005, then Senator Clinton speaking at a Vital Voices forum on the 10th anniversary of Beijing lamented former President Bush's pro-life Mexico City Policy, "Under the Global Gag Rule {Mexico City Policy}, none of our foreign aid dollars can go to foreign NGOs that provide abortions beyond cases of rape, incest or endangerment to the mother. Or provide abortion counseling or advocate the legalization of abortion in their countries." Senator Clinton also advocated for the full range of reproductive health care services-which by any interpretation includes abortion-in developing countries around the world.
Marie Smith, PNCI director expressed great concern at the news of the new appointment, "The change to pro-life laws and policies that Hillary Clinton and Vital Voices pursue will now be promoted by a US ambassador. This is blatant disregard for sovereign laws and policies of nations who respect the inherent worth and dignity of life and who treat the unborn child as a valued member of the family. It is tragic that the US will pursue a path of imposing an extremist view of abortion that 60% of the world's countries reject, while at the same time, women globally are in need of life-affirming measures to improve their and their families' lives."
Secretary Clinton: Abortion Will be Key to American Foreign Policy
In accepting the Margaret Sanger Award from Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton praised the organization and its international work and made clear her intent to actively promote abortion at home and abroad. The award, the organization's highest honor, is named after Planned Parenthood founder and noted eugenicist Margaret Sanger. Clinton emphasized the partnering with NGOs like Planned Parenthood in U.S. development, "I believe that women's rights and empowerment is an indispensible ingredient of smart power and therefore is integrated into our renewed emphasis on diplomacy and development." Clinton also verified the fears pro-lifers have of an American policy to export abortion, "I want to assure you that reproductive rights and the umbrella issue of women's rights and empowerment will be a key to the foreign policy of this Administration," she said.
Pro-Life Action
Pope Benedict Voices Strong Pro-Life Message, Warns of Abortion Tactic
Pope Benedict XVI visited the African countries of Cameroon and Angola delivering strong pro-life messages and warning of the pro-abortion tactic of hijacking the terms "maternal health" and "reproductive health" to advance abortion. The Pontiff called Cameroon " truly a land of hope for many in Central Africa" and stated: "It is a land of life, with a Government that speaks out in defence of the rights of the unborn." (Cameroon recently stood up to CEDAW experts who were critical of Cameroon's laws restricting most abortions.)
Recognizing the great suffering that affects the region including poverty, violence, human trafficking and corruption, the Pope addressed the need to bring about reconciliation, justice and peace for all members of the family. He soundly rejected any "cultural models that ignore the rights of the unborn".
In Angola the Pontiff spoke of the strains placed upon the family, especially on women and girls. He condemned the discrimination, sexual violence and exploitation they endure and urged actions "to uphold the equal dignity of women and men, realized in harmonious complementarity." Pope Benedict highlighted the importance of the family throughout the African continent calling it "the foundation on which the social edifice is built."
The Pontiff exposed the tactics of pro-abortion NGOs, including International Planned Parenthood and Marie Stopes International, who have exploited the critical need to assist pregnant women by inserting abortion into the undefined terms "maternal health" and "reproductive health". These efforts seek to gain political will to advance the legalization of abortion as part of reproductive health care services included under the broad agenda of maternal health and reproductive health. Lawmakers who oppose abortion are often unaware of the duplicity of pro-abortion NGOs who use these undefined terms to advance their abortion agenda. The Pope judiciously declared, "How bitter the irony of those who promote abortion as a form of 'maternal' health care! How disconcerting the claim that the termination of life is a matter of reproductive health!"
EU Attempts to Clarify Health Delivery Does Not Include Abortion
The number of lawmakers around the world who realize the scandalous ploy used by pro-abortion organizations to hijack health measures to save mothers' lives and improve women's health is growing. The European Parliament recently adopted a resolution concerning the development actions of the European Commission in the delivery of health services to sub-Saharan Africa. The resolution calls for greater communication with national parliaments and country governments in the delivery of health services among other measures. The resolution carefully avoids use of the terms "sexual and reproductive rights and health", when advocating for health care programs to avoid misuse by pro-abortion NGOs who interpret the terms to include abortion. The EU does not have a formal position on abortion.
Legislative News
Mexican States Legislators Act to Protect Life
Mexican states continue to show they support laws that protect the unborn and are opposed to 2007 law in Mexico City which legalized abortion on demand. This month, the state of Puebla approved a constitutional amendment to protect life "from the moment of conception to natural death, except in cases foreseen by law." This amendment, the sixth of its kind among Mexican states, will ensure the state does not legalize abortion on demand, and was passed by a vote of 29-10 despite heavy pressure from pro-abortion groups and socialist members.
Additionally, attempts to expand Mexico City's law legalizing abortion have met with great opposition in several states, even among those governed by the Mexican socialist party- Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD) - which is fueling the initiatives. Proposed legalization of abortion laws have failed in three of the five PRD controlled states and others have initiated pro-life amendments. The response to this abortion push demonstrates that while PRD members in Mexico City support abortion, socialists in the rest of the country reject legalizing abortion on demand.
Kenya: Parliament Debates Legalizing Abortion
Kenya's parliament is currently considering legislation to legalize abortion. The Reproductive Health and Rights Bill, which was drafted in part by the pro-abortion Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA)-a partner of the Center for Reproductive Rights- would make Kenya the first East African country to permit abortion on demand. The bill faces strong opposition from pro-lifers, who argue that abortion is not only immoral, but a violation of traditional African culture and a product of western NGOs.
Pro-life gynecologist Dr. Jean Kagia argues that deliberate destruction of the life of an unborn child is alien to African culture: "Children even belong to the community, and there is no community that throws away a child. Even when the mother dies, there is always somebody else who will take over that child." Dr. Kagia not only opposes legalization of abortion but advocates redress for the basic rights and needs of women including access to clean water, shelter, food, basic health care and education.
U.S.: Bill Seeks to Raise Awareness of Abortion, Depression Link
U.S. Congressman Joe Pitts recently introduced a bill to study the emotional effects of abortion on women. The Post Abortion Depression Research and Care Act would direct the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to examine the impact abortion has on women's mental health and establish treatment programs to help them. Research conducted in New Zealand has found that women who have abortions experience higher rates of depression than those who do not. "Women deserve to know the long-term effects of abortion on their mental and emotional well-being, and women who have had an abortion deserve to have mental health professionals who acknowledge the emotional impact of abortion and have the tools to treat it," said Congressman Pitts.
Luxembourg: Euthanasia Legalized
Luxembourg published a new law this month legalizing euthanasia, becoming the third EU country to do so. The law comes into force following a much heated controversy that resulted in the parliament voting to make the monarch of the country a purely ceremonial role after the Grand Duke Henri refused to approve the bill. In so doing, the government was then able to enact this legislation which says that doctors who perform euthanasia or assisted suicide will not face criminal or civil charges.
Alex Schadenberg of the Euthanasia Prevention Coalition opposed the law and warned of the dangerous direction Luxembourg was taking. He compared it to the Netherlands, "After many years of euthanasia in the Netherlands, it has now become very apparent that the euthanasia experiment is a failure. People with chronic depression can be killed and in the last government report in 2005 it stated that 550 people were killed by euthanasia without consent."
Executive News
Northern Ireland: Health Department Guidelines Instruct on Abortion
Northern Ireland's Department of Health has published guidelines for health professionals on abortion. Abortion is illegal in the country, with an exception for the life of the mother. Co-Chair of the All Party Pro-Life Group of the Northern Ireland Assembly, Jeffrey Donaldson MP, expressed several concerns with the guidelines that were brought to the attention of the health minister. "Some were resolved, some remained unresolved and for that reason our ministers voted against the guidelines at the executive. We will not be liberalising the law on abortion here." Abortion advocates are praising the move as the first step to making abortion available in certain circumstances. Bernadette Smyth of the pro-life group Precious Life criticized the move, "...as these guidelines are written, it would give doctors full permission to carry out a direct act of violence towards unborn children." Guidelines can be accessed here.
Australia: Reverses Policy, Promotes Abortion Overseas
Following the US, Australia has overturned its laws prohibiting the use of government funding for groups that promote and perform abortions internationally. Responding to pressure from the Green Party, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd repealed the 13 year old policy of former Prime Minister John Howard that prevented taxpayers' dollars from being used to promote abortion abroad. Pro-life groups and MPs are furious. "This will be the first time in Australia's history that our aid dollars are used to kill unborn children overseas," said Australian Christian Lobby Chief Jim Wallace.
Judicial News
Mexican Supreme Court Rules: Abortion Not a Constitutional Right
The 1,000+ page final ruling by the Mexican Supreme Court on Mexico City's law legalizing abortion failed to establish abortion as a constitutional right, a positive step for the pro-life community. The Court's decision ensures that states which prohibit abortion will be able to keep those protections in place. While the Court upheld the constitutionality of the city law, the concurring judges failed to reach consensus on reasons why abortion should be legalized, further weakening the pro-abortion argument. However, the dissenting judges presented a unified pro-life front opposing the law. The Supreme Court is expected to revisit the issue again soon as state pro-life constitutional amendments are challenged.
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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.
All news articles include links to original source. PNCI cannot verify that the information contained in the news articles is accurate. info@pncius.org
