SIECUS And Others On Lifestyle Left “Expose”World Congress of Families 

A recent report by the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States (SIECUS), the World Population Foundation (WPF) and like-minded groups purports to be an “expose” of World Congress of Families. “What Does The World Congress of Families Really Stands For ?” observes, “The WCF believes the ‘purpose’ of the natural family is: 1) to procreate; 2) to raise children; and 3) to ‘regulate’ sexuality.” Only to groups like SIECUS and WPF would this seem at all controversial. The Report also discloses, “The WCF promotes the idea that abortion not only threatens the life of the fetus (really?) but also the mental and physical health of women who choose to end their pregnancies.” It then claims there is “no scientific evidence” of either post-abortion syndrome or a link between abortion and breast cancer.” There is ample evidence of both post-abortion syndrome and the abortion/breast-cancer link. The Report also notes, “WCF categorizes any sexual orientation other than heterosexuality as a deviation from sexual norms,” and cites our support for a change in Romania's civil code to define marriage as the union of a man and a woman as evidence of WCF’s influence. (Over 600,000 Romanians signed a petition -- circulated by the Alliance for Romania’s Families -- calling for the change.) It further cites WCF’s role in a Lithuanian law prohibiting homosexual indoctrination in the schools. SIECUS, etc. refer to “numerous human rights treaties and international consensus documents” supposedly validating a right to certain sexual lifestyles. But rights, based on natural law, don’t come from international covenants. These documents are far from uniform. In December, the U.N. General Assembly voted to remove references to “gender identity” and “sexual orientation” from non-discrimination provisions of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Earlier, the U.N. Human Rights Council passed a resolution affirming “traditional values” as the foundation for human rights. What do SIECUS and the World Population Fund really stand for? Under the guise of educating, SIECUS works through U.S. public schools to de-couple sexual behavior from morality. WPF believes abortion and contraception are essential to reducing poverty in the Third World. While their facts are frequently wrong and their reasoning faulty, we appreciate these organizations calling attention to our positions. Click here to read the SIECUS/WPF report. Click here for Janet Morana’s speech to WCF V, “Women and the Culture of Life.”

Survey Gives High Grades to Amsterdam Congress 

On December 15, 2009, a survey of the World Congress of Families V (Aug. 10-12, 2009), was emailed to 536 registered attendees whose addresses were available. The survey sought to measure the success of the Amsterdam Congress and to identify areas for improvement. The results show enthusiastic support for World Congress of Families V among those who responded. Overall Rating • 87% of respondents gave WCF V an overall rating of “excellent,” “very good” or “good.” • 29% rated WCF V “excellent.” • Only 2% rated WCF V “inadequate.” Scheduling and Number of Speakers • 80.6% said WCF V was scheduled with the right number of sessions. • 72% said the number of plenary-session speakers was just right and 71% said there were the right number of break-out session speakers. • 76% said panel sessions offered sufficient time for questions. • 85% said there were adequate breaks in the program for meals and 81% said there were adequate opportunities for networking. • Only 24% said there were too many speakers in the plenary sessions, while 12% said there were too many speakers in the breakout sessions. Quality of Speakers • 94% said the speakers were well-credentialed and informative. • 90% said speakers were “excellent,” “very good” or “good.” • Only 3% rated the speakers “inadequate.” Themes and Topics • 89% said the themes were “excellent,” “very good” or “good.” • Of those, 69% said the themes were “excellent” or “very good.” • 58% said their top three pro-family issues were adequately covered. Additional Survey Results • 81% said networking opportunities at WCF V were “excellent”, “very good” or “good.” • 95% expressed support for the Amsterdam Declaration, adopted by delegates at the conclusion of WCF V. • 81% of respondents thought such declarations were useful. • Respondents indicated their top three issues, in order of importance, are: (1) Abortion, Euthanasia and Other Life Issues, (2) Marriage, Same-Sex Marriage and Divorce, and (3) Natural Family, Society and Community. • Other Issues in order of importance included: (4) Education, Values and Home-schooling, (5) Sexuality, Abstinence and Pornography, (5) Parenting, Parental Rights and Gender Differences, (6) Fertility and Demography, (7) International Laws and Institutions, and (8) Importance of Religion and Prayer. • Respondents said their favorite speakers included: Pat Fagan, Allan Carlson, Austin Ruse, Don Feder, Russell Nelson, Ted Baehr, Christine Vollmer, Sherri Dew, Steve Mosher, Janice Crouse, Kevin Andrews and Phil Longman. • Respondents mentioned the following possible locations for WCF VI: Spain, Italy, USA (Atlanta or Hawaii), Canada, Russia, Kenya, Latvia, Brazil, Singapore and Chile.

WCF Inspires Nigerian “Strong Families” Seminars 

In January, Priests for Life and the Foundation for African Cultural Heritage cosponsored a series of seminars, across Nigeria, titled "Stable, Strong & Happy Families: The Key to Healthy and Successful Nation Building.” Leaders from the two organizations first met at the World Congress of Families V in August and began planning the seminars in Lagos, Enugu, Onitsha and Abuja. Altogether, over 1,700 family leaders participated. Despite pressure from the international population-control movement, Nigerian society is strongly pro-life and fosters a culture rich in a family life that values motherhood and children and is supported by vibrant and active faith communities. Nigerians came to the seminars during a national fuel crisis and in 95- degree temperatures, to hear Priests for Life Outreach Directors Bob Lalonde and Michele Velasco talk about “Ending Abortion” and “The Results of the Culture of Death.” Nigerian speakers Theresa Okafor, Dr. Obi Ideh, Jerry Okwuosa, Dr. Zita Obi, Dr. Henrietta Williams, Prof. Pat Utomi, Dr. Wanda Alli-Balogun, Regina Bazuaye, Felicity Okolie and Jajia Aishatu Umar, addressed such vital issues as “Strong and Happy Marriages”; “Women Empowerment and CEDAW”; “Human Sexuality”; “Childrearing”; and “Women's Health.” Participating groups included Lagos Resource Center, Life League Nigeria, Project for Human Development, Doctor Health Initiative, Institute for Work and Family Integration and Happy Home Foundation. The Foundation for African Cultural Heritage was the organizer of the World Congress of Families Dialogue of Civilizations in Abuja, June 5-7, 2009. Priests for Life is a World Congress of Families Partner and was a cosponsor of WCF V. There will be a follow-up story on the Nigerian seminars in the March World Congress of Families News. Click here for more information on Nigerian Seminars Click here for the Priests for Life website.

WCF Commemorative Medals Presented At Moscow Conference 

At a January conference in Moscow, sponsored by the Russian Orthodox Church, Fr. Maxim Obukhov presented medals from World Congress of Families IV (Warsaw, 2007) to Elena Mizulina, an influential member of the Russian Duma, and Fr. Alexy Tarasov. The head of the Duma Committee for Family, Women, and Children, Mizulina has introduced a bill to ban abortion advertising and will soon introduce legislation to end government-funding of abortions. Fr. Alexy runs a pro-life network in Russia’s Volgograd region. Fr. Obukhov, the WCF Russian Coordinator, presented the medals at one of a series of conferences at Moscow’s Christ the Savior Cathedral.

12^th National Conference of Pro-Family FORUM ZIVOTA in Slovakia 

The Slovak pro-life and pro-family organization Forum Zivota will hold its 12th annual national conference on March 26-27, 2010 in Rajecke, Teplice. The theme of the conference is: "Women, Family and ‘Free Choice’: 15 years After Beijing." This year, Slovakia’s government will organize a number of public events to celebrate "Bejing+15" and present a one-sided perspective on the “Beijing Women’s Conference Platform for Action.” The Forum Zivota will present another perspective, which challenges the advocacy of the U.N. bureaucracy with a positive message. The conference’s themes are: “A Defense of the Dignity of Women” and “The Fight for the Role of Women for the Common Good.” As it has at past conferences, Forum Zivota will bestow its “Anton Neuwirth Award for the Protection of Life" recognizing the work of a national association, an individual activist and an international organization for the pro-life cause. The registration fee is about 50 Euros (includes evening reception, lunch on Saturday, and conference materials). Housing can be provided on request. For further information and registration please contact Mr Marek Michalčík, marek@forumzivota.sk The President of Forum Zivota is Dr. Anna Zaborska, a member of the European Parliament and regular speaker at World Congress of Families events.

New York Times Blames U.S. Evangelicals For Uganda Legislation 

In a January 5 editorial (“Hate Begets Hate”), The New Times claimed three U.S. evangelical Christians who spoke in Uganda last year were somehow responsible for pending legislation, which would impose severe penalties for certain homosexual acts, including pedophilia, rape and deliberately spreading HIV/AIDS. World Congress of Families Partner Don Schmierer and the others spoke in Uganda last March. In the course of their remarks, they discussed the ability of individuals to leave the homosexual lifestyle. Claiming their pro-family advocacy somehow provoked anger, which in turn led to the introduction of the Ugandan legislation, The Times charged, “You can’t preach hate and not accept responsibility for the way that hate is manifested.” WCF Managing Director Larry Jacobs responded: “Don Schmierer is a gentle counselor and an inspired teacher whose focus is repairing the relationship of fathers and sons. Because he believes in a Biblical worldview and thinks homosexuality is not genetic, The Times insists that he’s responsible for this legislation.” Jacobs continued: “The Times’ ugly attack on Schmierer is typical of the growing movement to intimidate and ultimately silence any who dissent from the gay agenda, including the activists working to preserve marriage.” Jacobs further noted: “World Congress of Families is proud of its association with Don, who has spoken at every Congress from Geneva to Amsterdam.” Schmierer’s group, His Servants, is one of a growing number of WCF Partners. Click here to read Don Schmierer’s remarks to WCF II (“The Family as the Protector of Children”). To order one of Don’s monographs – including, “Celebrating God’s Design” and “What’s A Father To Do?” To read a World Congress of Families press release on The New York Times attack, click here.

Partner Profile – The Father Piotr Skarga Institute 

The Father Piotr Skarga Institute (full name: The Father Piotr Skarga Social and Religious Education Institute) was founded in November 2001 in Kraków as a lay Catholic organization inspired by the Tradition Family And Property (TFP) movements. The Institute is a foundation which is financed entirely from benefactors’ contributions. One of its statutory aims is the defense of moral principles in social and cultural life. The Institute promotes and defends the values which are fundamental for our civilization, by upholding tradition, family and property. In 2002, to protect Europe’s Christian heritage, the Institute established the Pro- Europa Christiana Federation based in Strasbourg, in collaboration with other lay Catholic organizations from France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Portugal and Austria. The Federation promotes moral principles rooted in Christianity among European nations, particularly among young people. The Institute defends marriage and family. It blocked the legalization of homosexual unions in Poland, by sending protests to the Polish Parliament, organizing pickets, public conferences and lobbying activities and distributing relevant publications. The Institute actively protests against homosexual parades in Poland by organizing poster and mailing campaigns, as well as warning educational institutions against attempts to promote homosexuality among children and young people. The Institute also actively opposes public display of pornographic materials, and regularly cosponsors conferences and public meetings to discuss threats to marriage and family. In defense of the right to life, the Institute has distributed more than 150,000 copies of the book “50 Questions and Answers about Abortion,” in Polish. In 2007, together with other pro-life organizations and activists in Poland, it campaigned for an amendment to Poland’s Constitution that would guarantee the protection of human life from conception to natural death. The Father Piotr Skarga Institute also organizes the annual March for Life and Family in Warsaw, which attracts several thousand participants. Click here for the website of the Father Piotr Skarga Institute (in Polish). Click here for a list of all WCF Partners. Click here for information about becoming a WCF Partner.

Sex-Selective Abortion: Causes and Consequences 

Excerpts from the remarks of Steven W. Mosher At World Congress of Families V “There is a movement in the United States to ban sex-selective abortions. Pro-abortion critics have denounced this as an assault on abortion rights by pro-lifers. But a quick glance at international statistics suggests that sexselective abortion is no dystopian fantasy. It is a chilling reality in many countries in Asia. New evidence shows that it is now spreading to the U.S., Canada, and Europe. As everyone knows, modern medicine allows parents to learn the sex of a baby before it is born. Widespread abortion makes it possible to eliminate the less desirable sex, which in most cultures means females. Sex-selective abortion, as it is called, is especially serious where population control programs restrict parents to one or, at most, two children. Up to 200 million unborn baby girls may have been killed in this way, mostly in Asian countries. The selective elimination of female fetuses has serious social consequences.” Gendercide in Asia “Consider the situation in India, which has a de facto twochild policy. The British medical journal, The Lancet, recently estimated that as many as half a million female fetuses are aborted there each year because of their gender. In New Delhi alone, reported The Hindu newspaper, ‘one in seven female fetuses is said to be aborted.’" “The problem extends beyond India. A recent United Nations Population Fund report says at least 60 million girls are ‘missing’ in Asia because of sex-selective abortion, infanticide and neglect. The most egregious example is China, where a brutally enforced one-child policy has produced a national ratio of 117 boys born for every 100 girls, with some provinces posting ratios of more than 130 boys per 100 girls. The shortage of girl children is obvious to anyone who visits rural China, as I have recently. Demographers predict that there will be 30 million more Chinese men than women of marriageable age by 2020. The practice is also found in other ‘Confucian’ cultures, such as South Korea and Vietnam.” The Socioeconomic Causes of Sex-Selective Abortion “It would be easy to regard female infanticide and, by extension, female feticide, as traditional practices—the Chinese Communist Party would say ‘feudal’—that modernization, industrialization and rising levels of education will soon extinguish. This is, in fact, precisely what the Beijing regime claims.” “Government demands to limit childbearing to one (China) or two (India, Vietnam, and South Korea) means that parents no longer enjoy this option of simply continuing to reproduce until they conceive a son. In this way, population-control programs combine to reinforce the age-old bias toward boys and make the womb a disproportionately dangerous place for girls.” The Cultural and Social Consequences of Sex-Selective Abortion “First, we should recognize that the practice of sexselective abortion itself is a contributing factor to the ongoing degradation and devaluation of women. That is to say, the practice of aborting female fetuses not only stems from a demeaning attitude to women, but also reinforces it in each and every case. Each tiny corpse is a mute testimony to the low value placed on female life.” “Women are being treated more and more as a commodity. This has led to early and coerced marriages of young girls, increased violence against women in general, and more exploitation of women and girls through the region's already burgeoning sex-slave trade. A kind of slave trade has sprung up in and around India and China. How this works is as follows: Women are kidnapped from their native villages and taken to a distant province. There they are sold to the highest bidder, who in China may be a farmer interested in acquiring a wife or in India a brothel owner seeking to expand his line of prostitutes.” “While sex-selective abortion clearly lowers the societal worth of women, this is not to suggest that skewing the sex ratio in favor of males in any way benefits males. Prostitution and homosexuality are on the rise in China, as is the crime of rape, as single men seek sexual outlets outside of marriage. Men may be frustrated in other ways as well, especially by their inability to form families after the normal fashion, that is to say, with a wife and natural or adopted children. This may drive them to seek surrogate families, such as gangs, the military and, in the Chinese context, secret societies.” Sex Selective Abortion Comes to the West “Most Westerners rightly recoil from sex-selective abortion, but it is neither illegal nor unheard of in Western countries. Lax abortion laws and technological access make it easier than ever for parents to target and delete unwanted daughters or sons before birth. A new study suggests that female feticide may be disturbingly common in some Asian-American communities. In an analysis of 2000 Census data published recently in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Columbia University economists Douglas Almond and Lena Edlund examined the sex ratio of births among U.S.-born children of Chinese, Korean and Asian-Indian parents. They found what they called ‘son-biased sex ratios,’ that is, a higher ratio of boys to girls than would occur in nature.” What is to be Done? “Sex-selective abortion is rightly seen by many as the ultimate form of discrimination against women. Overwhelming numbers of Americans oppose the practice. According to a 2006 Zogby/USA Today poll, 86% would like to see it banned. Yet, at present, it remains legal in the U.S. to abort a child for any and all reasons, including the fact that she happens to be a little girl. Some have suggested that the use of ultrasounds to detect the sex of unborn children could be banned. This is a nonstarter. The Chinese government has such a ban in place, and it has proven completely ineffective.” “A bill to ban sex-selective abortion now languishes in the U.S. House of Representatives, hostage to the abortion issue. The pro-abortion leadership of that body continues to countenance the ugliest form of misogyny imaginable, a misogyny that kills. The reason for this inaction is that most American feminist leaders have remained silent in the face of this modern atrocity. Their refusal to brook any limits on abortion rights has led to one of the bitterest ironies of our post-feminist age: that the abortion license touted as the key to liberating future generations of women would become the preferred means of eradicating them. This is the worst form of sex discrimination in the world.” Steve Mosher is the president of The Population Research Institute, click here for PRI’s website. To read Mosher’s speech in its entirety, click here.

World Congress of Families: Profiles in Leadership

Tony Perkins

Jim Hughes

 Thank you to all WCF Partners for your continuing support.