Pro-Abortion Group Criticizes Bush's Pro-Life "Christian" Foreign Policy

Pro-Abortion Group Criticizes Bush's Pro-Life "Christian" Foreign Policy

by Paul Nowak
LifeNews.com Staff Writer
January 7, 2004

New York, NY (LifeNews.com) -- The leader of a pro-abortion non-governmental organization (NGO) at the United Nations advocated the removal of pro-life and Christian NGOs in an address to the Fulbright Conference on Health as Foreign Policy, held in Berlin in November.

Adrienne Germain, president of the International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC), told the attendees to push for "the UN to require that NGOs formally engaged with the UN uphold fundamental human rights."

In Germain’s opinion, those "fundamental human rights," such as abortion, are those very ones opposed by the Bush administration's "fundamentalist Christian ideology."

"[The Bush administration] supports and promotes only those civil society organizations that share and promote its own fundamentalist Christian ideology, and its correspondingly rigid conservative world view," said Germain. "The ideology of the White House extends far beyond abortion politics. In endangers condoms use and family planning, sexuality education, the human rights of women, religious tolerance, and even freedom of speech."

Austin Ruse, President of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM), attributed the intolerant speech to the European Union as a desperate plea for more control to be given to pro-abortion organizations.

"They cannot abide democratic debate and therefore seek to ban competing voices, like yours and mine," said Ruse in the introduction to his organization's weekly Friday Fax memo.

In particular, Germain addressed the requirement that NGOs receiving HIV/AIDS funding must certify that they are against prostitution and its legalization.

"[The] organization that are best positioned to reach those in the sex trade area also commonly active in efforts to de-stigmatize and legalize sex work," stated Germain.

"Because faith-based groups that are against condom use - most often Roman Catholic and conservative Protestant groups – are by far the largest health service providers across sub-Saharan Africa and in Haiti, they will likely get most of the $8 billion allocated for HIV/AIDS treatment under the Global AIDS initiative," Germain pointed out, despite the fact that the distribution of condoms in Africa has failed to limit the spread of AIDS in the continent.

Germain called for the EU to gain more influence in the UN to "counter and redress harm done by current US policies" by "[taking] a firm stance in support of sexual and reproductive health and rights, as donors to and as executive board members of UN agencies, the World Bank, the Global Fund, and other international bodies."

The EU, Germain says, "can ensure that the Bush administration does not choose the next head of UNICEF or other pivotal UN agencies."

The United Nations' Population Fund (UNFPA) recently reported that it received its $294 million funding this year from a record 142 governments, not including the United States. The current number of donor nations is more than twice the 60 donors in 1999, with the largest contributions in 2003 coming from the Netherlands, Japan, Norway, the UK, Denmark and Sweden.

"Since 1979, the UN Population Fund has been the chief apologist for China's coercive one-child-per-couple policy," Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) told his fellow legislators during debates over US support of the UNFPA earlier this year.

"Despite numerous credible forced abortion reports from impeccable sources, including human rights organizations, journalists, former Chinese population control officials and, above all, from the women victims themselves, officials at the UNFPA always found a way to explain it all away," Smith said.


Enter your email address to receive news from LifeNews.com via email. Do you prefer to receive news daily or weekly? Daily Weekly Do you favor or oppose abortion? Favor Oppose Click here to make a PayPal donation to LifeNews.com!	Pro-Abortion Group Criticizes Bush's Pro-Life "Christian" Foreign Policy by Paul Nowak LifeNews.com Staff Writer January 7, 2004 New York, NY (LifeNews.com) -- The leader of a pro-abortion non-governmental organization (NGO) at the United Nations advocated the removal of pro-life and Christian NGOs in an address to the Fulbright Conference on Health as Foreign Policy, held in Berlin in November. Adrienne Germain, president of the International Women's Health Coalition (IWHC), told the attendees to push for "the UN to require that NGOs formally engaged with the UN uphold fundamental human rights." In Germain’s opinion, those "fundamental human rights," such as abortion, are those very ones opposed by the Bush administration's "fundamentalist Christian ideology." "[The Bush administration] supports and promotes only those civil society organizations that share and promote its own fundamentalist Christian ideology, and its correspondingly rigid conservative world view," said Germain. "The ideology of the White House extends far beyond abortion politics. In endangers condoms use and family planning, sexuality education, the human rights of women, religious tolerance, and even freedom of speech." Austin Ruse, President of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (C-FAM), attributed the intolerant speech to the European Union as a desperate plea for more control to be given to pro-abortion organizations. "They cannot abide democratic debate and therefore seek to ban competing voices, like yours and mine," said Ruse in the introduction to his organization's weekly Friday Fax memo. In particular, Germain addressed the requirement that NGOs receiving HIV/AIDS funding must certify that they are against prostitution and its legalization. "[The] organization that are best positioned to reach those in the sex trade area also commonly active in efforts to de-stigmatize and legalize sex work," stated Germain. "Because faith-based groups that are against condom use - most often Roman Catholic and conservative Protestant groups – are by far the largest health service providers across sub-Saharan Africa and in Haiti, they will likely get most of the $8 billion allocated for HIV/AIDS treatment under the Global AIDS initiative," Germain pointed out, despite the fact that the distribution of condoms in Africa has failed to limit the spread of AIDS in the continent. Germain called for the EU to gain more influence in the UN to "counter and redress harm done by current US policies" by "[taking] a firm stance in support of sexual and reproductive health and rights, as donors to and as executive board members of UN agencies, the World Bank, the Global Fund, and other international bodies." The EU, Germain says, "can ensure that the Bush administration does not choose the next head of UNICEF or other pivotal UN agencies." The United Nations' Population Fund (UNFPA) recently reported that it received its $294 million funding this year from a record 142 governments, not including the United States. The current number of donor nations is more than twice the 60 donors in 1999, with the largest contributions in 2003 coming from the Netherlands, Japan, Norway, the UK, Denmark and Sweden. "Since 1979, the UN Population Fund has been the chief apologist for China's coercive one-child-per-couple policy," Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) told his fellow legislators during debates over US support of the UNFPA earlier this year. "Despite numerous credible forced abortion reports from impeccable sources, including human rights organizations, journalists, former Chinese population control officials and, above all, from the women victims themselves, officials at the UNFPA always found a way to explain it all away," Smith said.