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Volume 21, Number 1
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January/February 2010
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Europe’s Demographic Winter
The Institute for Family Policies has said, “The aging population, critically low birth-rate, escalating abortions, the collapse of marriage, the explosion of family break ups, and the emptying of homes are the main problems for Europeans. It is at a historic crossroads. It either must make a real pledge for the family, maternity and childhood, or continue with the present bleak outlook which has catastrophic prospects for the near future. People over 65 now outnumber children under 14 by over 6,000,000. Because of the collapse of marriages, fewer marriages,
and more broken homes, two out of every three European homes no longer have children.”
Canada — A New Abortive Pill
A new “emergency contraceptive pill,” NorLevo has been approved for Canadian use. Like other similar drugs it acts to harden the lining of the uterus and prevent a one-week-old living embryo from implanting.
Therefore, it is an abortive agent.
Philippines — Pro-Abortion Bill Die
The Philippine House of Representatives, after a full year of wrestling with proposed changes in laws governing reproduction, has allowed its controversial abortion bill to die of inaction.
National elections are scheduled for May.
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Vietnam — A Two-Child Policy?
A two child limit on couples similar to the coercive forced abortion program in China has been proposed for Vietnam. Abortions there are already at an all time high and this will certainly increase that number. Current family planning laws are already draconian, as government officials who have a third child are denied raises and promotions. This new law will include sanctions for a third child or later. Critics, noting the traditional cultural preference for boys, predict that this will be exacerbated under the new measure.
Vietnam already has a 112 – 100 male/female ratio to birth.
Japan — Population Decline Worsening
Reported births in Japan in 2009 were 1,069,000 while deaths were 1,144,000, resulting in an estimated population shrinkage of 75,000 last year.
Predictions are that the decline will intensify and will increase.
Remove Pontifical Academy for Life President
Archbishop R. Fisichella should be removed as the President of the Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life. This call is being made by five lay members of the Academy and apparently supported by other members. Their statement is that being led by a churchman who does not understand what absolute respect of the sanctity of human life entails is “an absurd state of affairs in a Pontifical Academy for Life.”
It is one that can be corrected only by those who are responsible for his appointment as President.
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Timor in South East Asia is the World’s Newest Independent Nation
Recovering from violence one decade ago and now independent, it is experiencing a baby-boom resulting in almost six children per woman.
It remains an extremely poor nation.
South Africa — More Maternal Deaths
The latest report shows a 20% increase in maternal deaths 2005 – 2007 in South Africa.
It has one of the most permissive abortion laws in Africa.
Brazil — New Poll Anti-Abortion
In a major national poll, 74% of respondents in Brazil state that they are opposed to abortion. 23% support legalizing. We note that Brazil’s president, Lula da Silva has been attempting to weaken Brazil’s pro-life laws.
As part of this, the government has been distributing free the abortifacient, morning-after pills.
Planned Parenthood Demands Sexual Rights
In a new report, “Stand and Deliver,” the International Planned Parenthood Federation demands, “comprehensive sexuality education” for children as young as 10 years. “Young people are sexual beings and are entitled to sexual education which promotes individual wellbeing and the advancement of broad social and public health goals.” Therefore, “sex education must be mandatory in school and the government should insist on this.” IPPF says, “This is necessary to encourage young people’s self esteem, thoughtful decision making and negotiating skills, and they should be helped to develop satisfying and pleasurable sexual lives.” Therefore, they should have unrestrained access to sex education and services.
Philippines — Birth Control Bill Dead
Senator B. Aquino, the last Philippine Presidential candidate favoring the Birth Control Bill,
withdrew his support. With this, the long debated bill is dead. Aquino now states he would “leave it to parents to plan the number of
children they want and to educate them on the issue.”
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Girls Not Wanted in Azerbaijan
Because of a strong preference for boys, many women pregnant with girls in this country, are forced to undergo abortions or even are abandoned by their husbands because their families are determined to have male children. The situation has become so common that its Parliament is discussing
banning abortions after the sex of the child is known.
United Nations Report: A Rapidly Aging World Population
The U. N. Department of Economics and Social Affairs has published its “World Population Aging 2009” report. It includes:
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The current aging is without any parallel in history. By 2045 the number of persons over 60 is expected to exceed those under age 15. In more developed regions where aging is advanced,
this situation was already reached in 1998.
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Today the median age for the world is 28 years, with half the world’s population above that age and half above it.
By mid-century the median age will likely reach 38 years.
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Aging is affecting nearly all the countries of the world, due to reductions in fertility that have become almost universal.
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Aging will have a major impact on economic growth, savings, investment, labor markets, and taxation.
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Because fertility levels are unlikely to rise again to the high levels of the past, population aging is irreversible and the young populations that were common until recently are likely
to become rare during the Twenty-first Century.
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Worldwide there are currently about nine persons of working age to support older persons. By 2050 this will drop to four, with serious implications for pension schemes.
The current economic crisis has also brought about sharp reductions in the value of pension funds.
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New York Abortion Capital of U.S.
The New York Daily News reports that for the year 2004 there were 91,700 induced abortions in New York. Live-births for the same year were 124,100. This gives a ratio of 74 abortions for 100 live-births, which is three times the average for the rest of the country, where only 1 out of every 4 pregnancies now ends in abortion. As other states continue to adopt more legal restrictions against abortion, more and more women are traveling to
New York to kill their babies as is evident by these numbers.
India Court – Unborn are Equal
The Delhi High Court has ruled that an unborn child is to be considered equivalent to a minor child and directed an insurance company to pay compensation to a man who lost his pregnant wife and (fetal) baby in a road accident.
“The Court holds that an unborn child—(age five months in the womb) until birth—is treated as equal to a child—the fetus is another life in the woman, and loss of the fetus is actually loss of a child in the offing.”
The Court awarded the husband a substantial payment.
Korea Now Has Birth Subsidies
To remedy the alarming birth dearth in South Korea, families with more than two children will now receive state subsidies. Businesses will be required to set up day care centers and single parents will be able to be enrolled in state-sponsored free child care services.
So far other efforts to increase the birth rate have failed.
Chile Remarkable Reduction in Mortality
Maternal mortality in the South American nation of Chile has declined from 275 maternal deaths per 100 live births in 1960 to 19 deaths in 2000. This is the largest reduction in any Latin country. Chile tightened its restrictions on abortion in the late 1980s and continues to protect unborn life in its penal laws and constitution.
Certainly in Chile permissive abortion laws have not been necessary to reduce maternal mortality.
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Peru — No Emergency Contraception
Its Supreme Court has banned the distribution through the Public Health System of the abortifacient,
so-called “emergency contraception pills.”
Mexico City – More Abortions
Since legalization three years ago there have been 34,000 abortions in Mexico City. To date,
17 Mexican states have passed laws or state constitutional amendments completely banning abortion.
Contraception and Sex Ed Equals More Pregnancies
The Young People’s Development Program in Britain was an attempt to cut down on teenage pregnancy. It did so by giving large groups of teenagers sex education and advice about contraception. At the end of the project 16% of those involved became pregnant.
A comparison group held at 6%.
Britain — Don’t Tell Her Parents
The General Medical Council in February stated that family doctors will be paid extra for getting teenage girls to use long-term hormonal birth control, such as injections, implants and coils.
The parents will not routinely be told.
Spain — Total Abortion on Demand
In the face of what will shortly be a declining population, Spain has further radicalized abortion laws. New legislation allows it for any reason up through 14 weeks and up to 22 weeks in additional cases.
The vote in the Congress was 184-158.
Italy — Abortion Pill Approved
Sales of RU 486 have been given final approval in Italy. It is limited to within seven weeks of conception and must be
administered “in a hospital environment.”
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Stem Cells Repair Eye
A man was partly-blinded when ammonia was squirted into his eye, severely scarring his cornea. Stem cells were taken from his healthy eye, grown on a layer of amniotic tissue and then transplanted to the damaged eye.
Six months later, vision was nearly as good as before.
Dead Man Wakes During Autopsy
In Venezuela, a man declared dead in the morgue woke up when the medical examiner cut into his body for the autopsy. They first realized something was amiss when he started bleeding. Then he woke up. “I felt the pain, it was unbearable,” he said.
His grieving wife came to the morgue to bring him home.
Another Adult Stem Cell Success
This includes re-growing patient’s jaw bones and repairing heart damage. We note that the Family Research Council’s new web-site details stories of patients successfully treated for sickle cell anemia,
spinal cord injury and scleroderma.
Dominican Republic — From Conception
After seven months of debate, the Dominican Republic has now implemented a new constitution which defends life “from conception to natural death.”
This is in their new “Constitution of the 21st Century.”
Bangladesh to Follow China Policy
This nation will soon introduce a one-couple, one-child, family-planning policy.
For now, the campaign will be voluntary.
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Embryonic Stem Cell Research Obsolete
Using “direct programming” scientists have made a major breakthrough, which further renders embryonic stem cell research obsolete. With the application of three genes they are actively and directly changing one cell type to a completely different type. This is a striking advance. It transforms cells directly into the desired functional tissue and short cuts
the previous need to first revert these cells to a pluripotent state.
Kenya – When Does Life Begin?
A Select Committee on Constitutional Review in Kenya recommended a revision in the country’s Constitution to change from stating that life begins at conception to a new definition that life begins at birth. Unanimously, Catholic and Protestant religious leaders, who make up three-fourth of the Kenya’s population, stated, “Life is sacrosanct and the Constitution must define it as starting at conception and ending at natural death.” As a direct result of the intervention of the religious bodies, the Parliamentary
Committee decided to continue to define life as beginning at conception.
Marie Stopes Did 920K Abortions in 2009
The British-based abortion business, Marie Stopes, has announced that it did 920,000 abortions in 43 countries in 2009. This is the British equivalent of the U. S. Planned Parenthood.
This represented a 50% increase in the numbers of abortions committed in the previous year.
Paris — March for Life
Up from 15,000 last year, 25,000 pro-lifers marched in Paris.
This consisted largely of families and young people.
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www.internationalrighttolife.com
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J.C. Willke, President,
International Right to Life Fed.
1821 West Galbraith Road
Cincinnati,
Ohio 45239 USA
Phone +1 (513) 729-3600
Fax +1 (513) 729-3636
e-mail:
IRTLF@lifeissues.org
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International
Right to Life Fed., International Office
Ruitersweg 35-37 1211 KT Hilversum
The Netherlands
Phone +31 35 624-4352
Fax +31 35 624-9141
e-mail:
info@schreeuwomleven.nl
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