Global Policy Forum

Right-Wing Anti-Feminist Groups

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By Anick Druelle

under the supervision of Marie-Andrée Roy, Denise Couture and Anita Caron

Institut de recherches et d'études féministes Université du Québec í  Montréal

May 2000


Translated from the French by Sharon Gubbay Helfer
Translation was made possible thanks to financial support from the Feminist Alliance for International Action of Canada / Alliance féministe pour l'action internationale du Canada.
All views expressed in this report are those of the authors alone

Original Article
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Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Positions taken by right-wing anti-feminist groups
3. Right-Wing Anti-Feminist Group Strategies
4. Ways and Means for Responding to Right-Wing Anti-Feminist Groups at the United Nations

  • Endnotes
    5. BIBLIOGRAPHY
    6. Appendix A: Fact sheets on anti-feminist, non-governmental organisations that participated in the Fourth World Conference on Women, at the NGO Forum on Women, Beijing 1995, or at other United Nations meetings
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    The idea of putting together this background document came in response to feedback from women involved in the lead-up to Beijing+5. Many of these women, coming from women's groups or other NGOs in support of gender equality, expressed their unease at the presence of right-wing anti-feminist groups at the United Nations. This document is part of a larger research project designed to analyse the discourse and strategies of a number of national governments and groups that claim religion as their authority when they address the rights of women at the United Nations. The research project is supported by a strategic grant from the Women and Change Program of the Social Sciences and Research Council of Canada, (1) and is being carried out in partnership with the Quebec Women's Ecumenical Network.

    This document offers an overview of the positions and strategies developed by right-wing anti-feminist groups in their attempts to gain support for their views and to negate the work of groups supporting women's rights, in particular during the last meeting of the preparatory committee held in New York, March 3 to 16, 2000. This information should support a more adequate response to anti-feminist groups and their anti-democratic strategies during the upcoming United Nations meetings on women's rights.


    1. Introduction

    The presence of representatives of openly anti-feminist, right-wing groups was particularly marked during the last meeting of the 44 th session of the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, held in March 2000. The Commission was then acting as a preparatory committee for the United Nations General Assembly Special Session that would be held from June 5 to 9, 2000, to evaluate implementation of the Nairobi Forward-looking Strategies for the Advancement of Women and the Beijing Platform for Action. This process is better known as Beijing +5.

    The presence of right-wing anti-feminist groups at the United Nations has been intensifying since the International Conference on Population and Development held in Cairo, Egypt in 1994. It would appear that several of these groups receive sustained support from the Vatican and other religious bodies, as the information in this document illustrates. Officially, these groups calling themselves pro-life and pro-family have no more than a dozen organisations accredited with the United Nations Economic and Social Council. However, taking advantage of the lack of clearly established guidelines at the UN,.4 they were able to send large numbers of representatives to the last meeting of the Commission on the Status of Women. Just seven anti-feminist groups managed to have over 350 individuals accredited, including over one hundred men. (2)

    In one case, a single group signed up 90 representatives. (3) R.E.A.L. Women of Canada (see fact sheet 10) registered 60 representatives, thirty of them Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, an order established in New York since 1987 with the blessing of Archbishop John Cardinal O'Connor. (4)The other right-wing anti-feminist groups accredited with the Economic and Social Council are:

  • the Campaign Life Coalition and the Life Ethics Education Association (both of which have the same head office address in Canada: see fact sheet 2);
  • the International Right to Life Federation (6 representatives: (5) see fact sheet 8);
  • the National Right to Life Committee (USA);
  • the Couple to Couple League International (a Catholic organisation that signed up some 20 participants);
  • the World Movement of Mothers; (6)
  • the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (Peter Smith, who organises the evangelical section of the SPUC also represents the International Right to Life Federation (7));
  • the World Organisation of the Ovulation Method Billings (see fact sheet 11).

    Other anti-feminist groups accredited at the Fourth World Conference on Women were also able to send delegates to the March 2000 PrepCom. They are:


  • the Alliance for Life, Canada;
  • the American Life League, USA (since May 11, 2000, this group has had consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations: (8) see fact sheet 1);
  • the Comite Nacional pro-vida of Mexico;
  • Pro-vida Dominica of the Dominican Republic (see fact sheet 13);
  • Concerned Women for America (4 representatives; the founding president of this group, Beverly LaHaye, sits on the board of the International Right to Life Federation: see fact sheet 4);
  • the Eagle Forum, USA;
  • the Family Life Counselling Association of Kenya (see fact sheet 5);
  • the Family Life Council, USA;
  • Family Life International, New Zealand;
  • Family Life Promotion and Services, Kenya;
  • the Family of the Americas Foundation, USA (see fact sheet 6);
  • Focus on the Family, USA; the National Institute of Womanhood, USA;
  • Human Life International, Switzerland (see fact sheet 7);
  • Life Choices, (9) USA;
  • Lifeline, Canada;
  • the National Institute of Womanhood, USA (see fact sheet 9);
  • the National Right to Life/Education Trust Fund, USA;
  • the Value of Life Committee, USA;
  • the World Christian Life Community, Italy.

    These groups accredited members of other pro-life or pro-family groups, including:


  • the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (USA) (this group launched an appeal in December 1999 to a large population of anti-feminist groups at the 44 th session of the Commission on the Status of Women: see fact sheet 3);
  • the Howard Center (USA); the NGO Family Voice (USA);
  • the Family Research Council (USA) (including Dale O'Leary (10) and Richard Wilkins);
  • Rock for Life (USA);
  • the Mouvement en faveur de la vie/Campagne Québec-Vie, which is a member of the Campaign Life Coalition of Canada (president, Gilles Grondin: see fact sheet 2);
  • the Family and Society Program of the Civic Institute of Prague in the Czech Republic (11) (director, Michaela Freiová);
  • True Love Waits of Kenya (this group delegated two young women and two young men (12));
  • United Families International (13) (president, Susan Roylance);
  • the World Youth Alliance (14) (see fact sheet 12; this is not a legally-constituted organisation; the co-founders of the Alliance are: Anna Halpine from Campaign Life Coalition of Canada and Diana Kilarjian, an employee of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute).

    A number of the individuals accredited in the manner just described do not know the rules of procedure at the United Nations and the NGO caucuses. Anti-feminist groups organised a caucus on stable families that held no public meetings, by contrast with all the other caucuses of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (CONGO). Many other disturbing practices were denounced by representatives of progressive non-governmental organisations. In the following pages, we will document the positions of anti-feminist groups and the strategies they are implementing at the United Nations, in particular as part of the Beijing +5 process. Fact sheets on the right-wing anti-feminist groups that have consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council or which have been accredited for participation in the Fourth World Conference on Women and the follow-up to Beijing +5 are presented in an Appendix.


    2. Positions taken by right-wing anti-feminist groups

    The mobilization of right-wing anti-feminist groups has been orchestrated by Austin Ruse of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. Last December, Ruse sent an email message inviting pro- life and pro-family militants from different religions and denominations (15) to participate in Beijing +5 in order to fight the Beijing Platform for Action and the supposed "radical feminists" who had adopted it. In this message, Austin Ruse engages in disinformation, describing the Beijing Platform for Action as "one of the most radical and dangerous documents you can imagine." (16)

    In fact, this document is the fruit of intense negotiations among 189 States of all persuasions. It stipulates that women's basic rights are human rights, and indicates strategic measures designed to achieve this awareness in twelve critical areas of concern. For example, in the section on Women and Health, the Platform for Action states that:

    "The human rights of women include their right to have control over and decide freely and responsibly on matters related to their sexuality, including sexual and reproductive health, free of coercion, discrimination and violence." (Platform for Action, par. 96).
    The allocation of such basic rights to women disturbs right-wing groups identifying themselves as pro-life or pro-family. These groups demand not only that the right to abortion be denied, but also that the traditional patriarchal family be the only type of family to be recognised by national governments. Many of these groups have aggressive attitudes not only towards feminists but also towards homosexuals. They perceive feminism and homosexuality as threats to the family. They fail to note that every individual is part of a family and that homosexuals have families. Pro-life and pro-family groups recognise just one type of family: the traditional patriarchal family that leaves no room for equality between men and women.

    Although Austin Ruse's calls to action may give the impression that unity and solidarity exists among right-wing anti-feminists and extremists from different religions and denominations around the world, there is in fact a significant range of positions. There is as great a variety of practice and point of view here as there is among the progressive groups participating in the Beijing +5 process, including women's groups and groups identified with various religions and denominations. For example, groups of Muslims participating in the Second World Congress of Families in Geneva in November, 1999, stated that they were in favour of abortion where the health of the mother is in danger or when the foetus is stricken with an incurable disease. (17) Further, they stated that their definition of the family does not correspond to the traditional Western patriarchal model, since their model includes the brothers and sisters of the couple and their children, and also tolerates polygamy. (18) A good illustration of the diversity of practice in different countries living under Islamic law can be found in the work of the progressive group called Women Living under Muslim Laws / Femmes vivant sous lois musulmanes.

    Most of the people who responded to the anti-feminist call from the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute were from the Judaeo-Christian world, more specifically Catholics, Evangelicals, Baptists or Mormons from Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Australia, certain Latin-American countries and Kenya. Most of these groups are led by men, which explains the strong male presence they exhibit, constituting over one third of the 350 right-wing anti-feminist delegates. Another noteworthy fact is that most of the people who lead these organisations stay in office for many years, a point which may raise questions about the quality of democracy they practice. For example, Mercedes Arzu Wilson has been president of the Family of the Americas Foundation since the organisation began in 1977. (19) Gwendolyn Landolt, founding member of REAL Women of Canada in 1983, is still the organisation's vice-president. Gilles Grondin has been president of the Mouvement en faveur de la vie/Campagne Québec-Vie since its inception in 1985.

    Most pro-life groups say that they are non-violent. However, their discourse is one of intolerance with respect to the difficult reproduction-related choices certain women must make. The pro-life groups cannot deny the fact that this intolerant discourse has justified acts of violence perpetrated against abortion clinics in the United States and Canada. Some pro-life groups have gone so far as to spread personal information about doctors or their clients, who subsequently have become the victims of acts of violence or even murder. (20)

    Some groups officially declare themselves against feminist demands for gender equality. For example, the president of the Independent Women's Forum (USA), Anita Blair, denies that women are the victims of violence. (21) Other groups, such as Concerned Women for America recognise that women are the victims of violence, but do not adopt a feminist analysis to understand and fight the violence, arguing rather for a return to "traditional" values. R.E.A.L. Women of Canada says that it is in favour of equality but it opposes salary equity or affirmative action programmes designed to counteract the effects of systemic sexism and racism within the Canadian civil service and to achieve fair representation and remuneration for blacks or persons of colour, women or native peoples. By denying the existence of sexism and racism, R.E.A.L. women in fact contributes to their perpetuation. Further, the group actively campaigns against the awarding of equal rights to homosexuals in Canada, thus contributing to the reproduction of stereotypes that encourage violence against homosexuals. Dale O'Leary, a Roman Catholic member of the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (USA) wrote an article about the hateful assassination of young Matthew Shepard, in which she in no way condemns this crime, but rather calls on the members of the Catholic church to repent for not having done all within their power to heal their homosexual children. (22) With such statements, Dale O'Leary helps to encourage acts of violence against homosexuals and to perpetuating stereotypes about them.

    Other groups claim a "new feminism" that is in fact completely opposed to feminist critiques of the patriarchal system. On the contrary, the new feminist line insists on the primary role of women as mothers and on the complementarity of roles between men and women in the traditional family or in other patriarchal institutions like the Catholic Church. This discourse was proposed to the Fourth World Conference on Women by the members of the official Vatican delegation: Mary Ann Glendon, a law professor at Harvard and Janne Haaland Matlary, then associate professor at the University of Oslo, and subsequently the Norwegian Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Christian Democratic Party.

    An information leaflet distributed March 9, 2000 by the World Youth Alliance during the PrepCom for Beijing +5 sings the praises of the new feminism outlined by Janne Haaland Matlary in her book For a New Feminism. The new policy on the family adopted by Ms. Matlary's government in 1999 is cited as an example on the website Vinculum, published by the pro-life and pro-family organisations assisting the Vatican's Pontifical Council for the Family. (23) Ms. Matlary has participated in many Catholic gatherings in Europe. In August 1999, she made a presentation to the European meeting of youth (24) in Santiago de Compostello, Spain, in the presence of Pope John Paul II where she encouraged young people to express their religious convictions not only in their private lives, but also in public, as citizens. In 1998, she was a speaker at the Communication and the Culture of Life conference held in Rome and co-organised by the Culture of Life's Life Research Institute (USA). (25) In 1997, while a member of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, she made a presentation on the rights of motherhood to the International Theological-Pastoral Congress of the Pontifical Council for the Family. (26) In addition, as Norway's Minister of Foreign Affairs, she was part of a 1998 official delegation to Iran, at a time when her country had been enforcing a political boycott of the Teheran regime since the early 90s. During this visit, she met with Christian organisations in Iran. (27)


    3. Right-Wing Anti-Feminist Group Strategies

    Right-wing anti-feminist groups have developed multiple strategies for participating in United Nations meetings. During the Beijing +5 PrepCom II, held in March 2000, they targeted the work of particular caucuses, intimidated selected delegates, spread false information in their information leaflets, lobbied national governments (about a dozen countries have been specifically targeted, with the objective of seeing their governments adopt anti-feminist discourse).

    3.1. The Caucuses

    According to WomenAction (March 8, 2000, No. 7) the right-wing anti-feminist groups focused their actions on the Youth Caucus in particular, but they also made their presence felt in the Health caucus, (28) and the Girl Child and Violence caucuses. In order to listen in on the progressive groups, they also maintained a presence in most of the other caucuses, including the Linkage caucus. Finally, they targeted the Lesbian Caucus in order to practice intimidation, and also set up their own Caucus for Stable Families.

    3.1.1. The Youth Caucus

    Youth were also targeted at Cairo +5 in 1999. The World Youth Alliance was formed at this time. During the final two weeks of the 44 th Commission on the Status of Women, about forty young people from right-wing anti-feminist groups were reported to have participated in the Youth Caucus under the banner of the World Youth Alliance. (29) They were joined by Rock for Life, a group of young Americans who constitute a section of the American Life League. (30) Their presence prevented constructive discussion from taking place. The most visible players in the World Youth alliance are Anna Halpine and Diana Kilarjian who co-founded the Alliance. (31) Anna Halpine is a former president of the New Brunswick section of the Campaign Life Coalition of Canada and she also participated in an internship program offered to youth by the Campaign Life Coalition. (32)She has been an active participant in both the Cairo +5 and the Beijing +5 processes. Diana Kilarjian is an employee of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute.

    Young progressives felt the need to clarify the issue of representatives of right-wing anti-feminist groups in their caucus. WomenAction prints extracts from the declaration made by the facilitators of the Youth Caucus:

    In a statement from the Youth Caucus Facilitators of 14 March, amongst other issues they noted:
    "We are concerned about the misrepresentation of the activities of the Youth Caucus as well as the misquoting of statements made by members of the Youth Caucus during the past week as was published in Vivant. Further, we are disturbed by reports from Youth Caucus members of stalking incidents both within and outside of UN grounds, as well as harassing phone calls." It continued…
    "The presence at Youth Caucus meetings of non-participating adult monitors who were unwilling to identify themselves, as well as adults and youth, who are unfamiliar with young women's issues, continues to create an atmosphere of hostility."
    The statement was presented to try and clarify the activities of the Youth Caucus and to reiterate their support for the Beijing Platform for Action. (WomenAction, March 17, 2000, No. 13).

    3.1.2. The Lesbian Caucus

    Right-wing anti-feminist groups attempted to cause obstructions and prevent meetings of the Lesbian Caucus from taking place. During a panel discussion organised on Tuesday, March 14 by this caucus on the subject of sexuality and fundamental human rights, they sent hundreds of representatives, including the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, into the room in order to obstruct and intimidate by praying. (33) After the meeting, young anti-feminists, including one who spoke French very well and appeared to be from Québec, surrounded the Québec delegate, monopolising her attention and preventing her from continuing her networking activities. She had just given a presentation on the demands for protection of lesbians made at the World March of Women.

    3.1.3. The Caucus for Stable Families

    The Caucus for Stable Families might have been thought to be a ghost caucus since it was not announced anywhere. It may be presumed to have met, however, at the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (866 United Nations Plaza, suite 4038, New York) since it produced an information leaflet entitled Vivant! In Beijing in 1995, the caucus of right-wing groups was known as the "Well-being of Women Caucus" and was led by the National Institute of Womanhood (see fact sheet 9).

    3.2. Intimidation and Visibility

    The representatives of right-wing anti-feminist groups made themselves quite visible, wearing red buttons reading "Motherhood" or blue ones that said "Family;" by walking about with bibles in their hands, as was the case during the panel organised by the Lesbian Caucus; by marking their foreheads with ashen crosses on Ash Wednesday; or, in the case of the Franciscan Brothers, by wearing their robes. In addition to being visible, they committed acts of intimidation aimed at representatives of progressive groups. For example, the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal encircled a woman by joining hands and praying aloud. (34) (Butler, 2000: p. 8) A group of young people copied this deplorable practice on Friday, March 10, when they prayed out loud while encircling a woman who was sitting near the newspaper stand located beside the UN cafeteria. (35) (WomenAction, March 14, 2000, No. 11) These events caused a number of participants to lose the feeling of security they had had within the United Nations buildings.

    Despite their overall goal of high visibility, most of the individual members of the right-wing anti-feminist groups refused to introduce themselves during the Caucus meetings. Some were surprised in the process of copying down other participants' contact information rather than writing down their own on the attendance sheets. What is more, documentation from some progressive groups was destroyed, and suspicion rests heavily on the shoulders of right-wing anti-feminist groups. This practice had been detected at the first PrepCom to Beijing +5 held in March 1999, where posters announcing lesbian caucuses were destroyed. Some members of these groups went so far as to harass members of progressive groups by calling them at night or sending them email messages. (36)

    Many government delegations also claimed to have been harassed by representatives of pro-life or pro-family groups that did not respect UN rules of procedure. This led to the exclusion of all NGOs from inter-governmental negotiating sessions.

    3.3. Spreading False Information in Information Leaflets

    It would appear that some right-wing anti-feminist groups specialise in broadcasting declarations or in producing documents that contain erroneous, tendentious, or plainly defamatory information. For example, the vice-president of R.E.A.L. Women of Canada, Gwendolyn Landolt, demonstrated racism when she called the black representatives of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women of Canada "donkeys" (National Post, March 16 2000). Groups like Australia's Endeavour Forum (president, Babette Francis) circulate documents claiming that abortion causes breast cancer. (37)

    The pro-family coalition circulated a document suggesting changes to the proposed Beijing +5 Outcomes Document (Suggested Changes to the proposed Outcomes Document") stating that in Nigeria, an NGO funded by an American foundation had characterised virginity as a dangerous traditional practice. One Nigerian participant at the African Caucus stated that this was an outrageous lie and an extremist distortion of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. This Convention is continually brought into question by right-wing anti-feminist groups. "Many participants at the African caucus deplored the tactics of the Pro-Family Coalition as an attempt to divert attention from the real issues of the BPA, especially those of critical concern to Africa." (38)

    3.4. Lobbying the "Twelve" States

    At the Second World Congress of Families, held in Geneva from November 14 to 17, 1999, Austin Ruse, founding president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, made a presentation entitled "Towards a Permanent United Nations Pro-Family Bloc." (39) His presentation states that during the Cairo +5 process, his then fledgling bloc was able to rely on the Vatican, Argentina and Nicaragua, in particular for introducing proposed "language" into the system. (40) Ruse suggests enlarging the number of supporting states to twelve, chosen from among the Group of 77. He expresses confidence that such a number should be sufficient to advance the demands of pro-family groups within the United Nations. Although he does not actually name them, Ruse suggests that pro-life and pro-family groups develop an excellent knowledge of the twelve potential ally states.

    In this article, Ruse also reveals a number of pro-family group tactics: breaking the UN rules of procedure forbidding the spread of promotional material on the floor of government delegations in the conference halls; making late-night calls to French or German members of parliament or to American Congressmen and Congresswomen, asking them to put pressure on the members of their delegations to meet the demands of pro-family groups.

    A variety of pro-life groups have taken up Austin Ruse's strategies. For example, Gilles Grondin, president of the Mouvement en faveur de la vie/Campagne Québec-Vie (the Québec section of the Campaign Life Coalition) attended the UN General Assembly on Cairo +5 (41) in order to act as a "pro-life lobbyist among the nations of the Third World." (42) Back in Canada, Grondin met with the ambassadors of twelve "Third World" countries most affected by a so-called "depopulation policy." (43) Once again, the names of these states are not revealed.

    A number of national governments also expressed their affinity with the Vatican and other pro-family groups' positions on the right to abortion. For example, former President Menem of Argentina declared in 1999 a national "Day of the Unborn Child" to be celebrated on March 25, the same day as the Feast of the Incarnation of Christ. Guatemala followed suit on May 20, 1999, when the Guatemalan Congress voted in a declaration to the same effect. Salvador and Nicaragua appear about to institute such a day as well. Pro-life groups are waging campaigns in Chile, Brazil and other Latin American countries, demanding that their governments adopt such a national day. (44) Depending on the parties in power, these groups can expect support from certain Latin American countries, as well as from Poland and Malta.


    4. Ways and Means for Responding to Right-Wing Anti-Feminist Groups at the United Nations

    The disproportionate presence of right-wing anti-feminist groups at the 44 th session of the Commission on the Status of Women makes it clear that these groups intend to intervene in the future whenever women's rights are at issue on the international scene. Ever since the 1996 Habitat II Conference, these groups seem to have made important gains on the international scene, some even referring to the "miracle of Habitat II." (45) It is important to relativise these gains and not to be intimidated by practices that disrespect the United Nations rules of procedure. To this end, representatives of progressive NGOs have already suggested a number of avenues.

    4.1. First of all, show solidarity. This is what produced sustained applause in response to statements by members of the Youth and Lesbian caucuses at the NGO plenaries. Solidarity was also responsible for the massive presence of progressive groups at the panel organised by the Lesbian Caucus. To the red "Motherhood" and blue "Family" buttons, the progressive groups responded with green buttons, "I Support the Beijing Platform for Action," white ones, "(M)Otherhood" and yellow T-shirts, "Youth for the Human Rights of Women."

    4.2. Second, develop a better knowledge of the right-wing anti-feminist groups in order to demystify them and to be able to lodge specific complaints when acts of intimidation or violence are committed. A better understanding of the workings of these groups can counteract the fear they sometimes engender and encourage individuals who are being harassed to lodge a complaint with the relevant authorities. If there is an emergency, do not hesitate to call the United Nations security agents (Tel: 963-6666, or 36 666 from inside the UN building) or the New York police, as appropriate.

    Following the events surrounding the PrepCom meetings for Beijing +5, letters of protest were sent to the UN Secretary General by a European NGO, the anti-fundamentalist Commission de la lutte contre les intégrismes (part of the Coordination Franí§aise du Lobby européen des Femmes or C.L.E.F.). In addition, Jennifer Butler of Ecumenical Women 2000+ began researching and writing an article to provide more information on the right-wing religious groups that participated in the March 2000 meeting. Her article also illustrates the strategies developed by progressive religious groups in order to show that right-wing groups are far from holding a monopoly on religious interpretation. (46) Information documents like these enable groups to better understand what is going on and to prepare themselves to respond accordingly.

    There are also progressive religious groups such as Catholics for a Free Choice that have very good documentary resources (47) about the activities of conservative religious groups that usually participate in United Nations conferences. This group may be freely contacted for information or eventually for support in the case of particular interventions.

    4.3. Third, clarify the caucus rules of procedure, in order be able to ask an individual who refuses to introduce himself or herself, or who copies participants' contact information without authorisation, to leave the caucus. The rules for NGO representation at the United Nations must also be clarified, in order to avoid groups abusing their status and sending overly many delegates. It is important to inform the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations and the UN Committee in charge of accreditation of the abuses perpetrated by particular groups. These bodies may then consider punishing the offending groups or even removing the right to participate in UN meetings from groups that do not respect democratic practice. The rules for accreditation clearly state that groups, like States, must subscribe to the principles of the UN Charter and actively support these principles, if they want to participate in the work of the United Nations.

    These measures and practices should help to re-establish the safety and security of the UN's meeting places. It is possible that the presence of right-wing anti-feminist groups has slowed down the work of adopting a common position within the framework of Beijing +5, but it is undeniable that the progressive groups have again shown great creativity and solidarity in diversity, faced with this challenge. Clarifying the rules of procedure for the caucuses and for NGO participation at the United Nations can only help to increase transparency and the experience of democracy on the international scene.


    Endnotes


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    1. For further information please contact Marie-Andrée Roy ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or Anick Druelle ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ).

    2. According to information provided by Jim Paul to the Global Policy Forum Listserv, March 20 to 24, 2000 (GPF Listserv, March 20-24).

    3. Ibid.

    4. According to statements made by Gwendolyn Landolt, national vice-president of REAL Women of Canada, as reported in the National Post, March 16, 2000, p. A1 and A2. Information about the brotherhood of Franciscans was distributed by Austin Ruse, president of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute, in an email message dated April 7, 2000, sent to the Friday Fax list: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it : "At Beijing +5 pro-life lobbyists were blessed with the presence of 30 monks from the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal who appeared at the meeting in full habit, long and grey, exquisite. A feminist was heard to exclaim derisively 'this is not heaven.' Jeepers. Who knew? One pro-lifer with an excellent sense of humor accredited all these impressive monks with an organization called REAL Women of Canada. This made very critical news in the Canadian papers. How dare men -- monks?-- represent women." For more information on the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal visit their website at: www.franciscanfriars.com.

    5. See Jennifer Butler "The Religious Right at the Beijing +5 PrepCom," article posted April 25, 2000 on the Global Policy Forum website, www.globalpolicy.org/ngos/ngo-un/access/2000/beij5.htm. This article is also useful for understanding the links among the various pro-family organisations and the World Congress of Families.

    6. Jennifer Butler locates this movement among the groups of the religious right. The movement has its headquarters in Paris and an office in Geneva, and it accredited several participants at the CSW in March 2000. Further, this group serves on the Executive Committee of the NGO Committee on the Family, a committee of the Conference of Non-Governmental Organizations (CONGO). (Butler, 2000: 6).

    7. For further information, visit the website: www.spuc.org.uk/hc48/uncrimct.htm. The site displays a photograph of Peter Smith, who also participated in the 43 rd session of the Commission on the Status of Women in March 1999. Dr. Majid Katme organises the Muslim section of the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children and has lobbied the delegations of some Muslim states during various United Nations meetings, notably during the negotiations to set up the International Criminal Court.

    8. Press release from the American Life League, May 11, 2000, available at the following website: www.all.org/news/release2.htm.

    9. A centre for health and well-being founded by the Second Baptist Church. See: http://thecabin.net/stories/072199/loc_0721990023.html.

    10. Dale O'Leary, a Roman Catholic, also represents the National Association for Research and Therapy of Homosexuality (USA). She has participated in the Cairo and Beijing Conferences.

    11. Prague was the venue for the First World Congress of Families, held in 1997; see their website at: http://www.worldcongress.org/WCF/wcf1_home.htm

    12. The information pamphlet entitled Vivant! (produced by pro-family groups gathered in the NGO Caucus for stable families at the head office of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute) in its March 10, 2000 edition, reproduces an article signed by representatives of True Love Waits and a photograph of the authors (Raymond Mutura, Carolyne Shisubili, David and Yvonne Odero) in the company of Vatican delegate Katherine Hoomkwamp. Ms. Hoomkwamp is a former president of the National Council of Catholic Women of Nigeria and was also a member of the Vatican delegation to the Beijing conference (according to information published under the title "Option in Favour of Girls and Young Women" by the Vatican information service, September 1, 1995 (VIS 950901) This document can be found at the following website: www.ugkc.lviv.ua/CDHN/95sep)01.html. The information pamphlet Esperanza! of March 14, 2000 indicates that Carolyne Shisubili works full time for the organisation Maji na Ufanisi (Water and development).

    13. The head office of United Families International is in the United States.

    14. This coalition was instituted in order to intervene in the meetings leading up to Cairo +5.

    15. More specifically, he named the following religions and denominations: Catholics, Evangelicals, Jews, Muslims, and Mormons.

    16. Cited by Jennifer Butler (2000, p. 1)

    17. These statements were made by Ayatollah Mohammed Ali Taskhiri, head of Iran's Organization of Culture and Islamic Relations, reported in an article in the Salt Lake Tribune, November 18, 1999, available on the following website: www.fww.org/famnews/muslems.htm.

    18. According to statements reported in the same article.

    19. As stated on their website: http://206.244.99.95/fusfolder/com323/sp1997/mgarzaro/final/index.htm.

    20. For further information visit the website of the California Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League, USA: http://www.caral.org/index2.html.

    21. As stated in the lecture recorded on the site of Peter's Voice http://209.239.33.160/beijing.htm.

    22. Her article is published on the following website: www.afa.net/homosexuality/oleary.htm.

    23. See http://www.vinculum-news.com/English/va03fe/va03ae4.htm#top.

    24. For further information in Spanish, see the website: www.pionet.org/articulos/Europa_India.htm.

    25. See the website of the Culture of Life Foundation: www.culture-of-life.org/newsroom_currentmedia.htm.

    26. Her presentation may be accessed at the Catholic Church of Norway website: www.katolsk.no/artikler/motherhd.htm.

    27. See "Controversial trip to Teheran" in Norway Now, 1998, available at: http://simba-s.online.no/ud/publ/nn/98/14/news-1.html

    28. Pro-life groups put pressure on the Health Caucus to deny the existence of rights in the areas of sexuality and reproduction. They believe that these terms always mask the right to abortion. In addition, they produced a report for WomenAction that had the effect of further stigmatising people suffering from AIDS (WomenAction, March 3, 2000, No. 4).

    29. According to the testimony of a young Canadian delegate to the Youth Caucus. Butler also states that a majority of the right-wing young men came from the Washington D.C. region (Butler, 2000: p. 8).

    30. As stated in the information leaflet Esperanza! from the World Youth Alliance dated March 14, 2000. Rock for Life makes clear its association with the American Life League on its website: www.rockforlife.org/aboutus.html.

    31. As stated under the heading "Pro-Life Youth Groups Organize at UN Conferences" on the website of the Daily Catholic: www.dailycatholic.org/issue/99Sep/sep21dc2.htm.

    32. As stated in a letter from Jim Hughes, national president of the Campaign Life Coalition, from July 1998, www.lifesite.net/clc/national_news. In 1998, nine young people participated in this group's summer internship programme.

    33. As reported in WomenAction, March 17, 2000, No. 13: "The tension was tangible as many people noticed men in robes, women and men holding bibles and wearing ambiguous buttons. After days of reports of intimidation, people were unsure of what to expect. Ironic being in the United Nations building where one expects respect for difference rather than a concerted strategy to divert energy from the work we're here for."

    34. As Butler notes: "In some cases, they engaged in objectionable and aggressive behavior. A group of cassocked Catholic friars surrounded individual women's rights activists and began to pray. One target, feeling imprisoned by the friars who held hands around her, shouted, "I come from a long line of Lutherans and I am proud of what I stand for! Let me go!" Several of her colleagues came over to support her. Women's rights advocates also rallied around lesbian participants who felt vulnerable to verbal abuse." (Butler, 2000: p. 8).

    35. Lenka Simerska, who authored the report on this incident in No. 11 of WomenAction, immediately asked that a system of protection against harassment be set up at the United Nations and that NGOs sending representatives who become responsible for such behaviour should be sanctioned: "We want to have our work at the UN be as effective as possible. An atmosphere in which people are afraid to speak openly at meetings, are observed or attacked outside meetings can easily undermine the international forums for the advancement of women we have worked so hard to make happen. If governments truly desire to profit from constructive NGO contributions, we call upon the Beijing+5 NGO steering committee to organize a system of protection against disruption and harassment. In addition, we call upon those responsible to look into implementing a system of assessment for NGO behavior whereby those NGOs with ECOSOC status which willfully disrupt others can be penalized. In case you face a situation of harassment, you can call UN security number 9636666. If you want to contact the security inside the UN building, call 36666."

    36. One Québec group even believes itself to have been the target of a computer virus.

    37. The Endeavour Forum website (www.endeavourforum,org.au/) also lists links with the site www.abortioncancer.com.

    38. WomenAction, March 17, 2000, No. 13.

    39. Austin Ruse "Toward a Permanent United Nations Pro-Family Bloc," published on the website of the World Congress of Families II website: http://www.worldcongress.org/gen99_speakers/gen99_ruse.htm.

    40. As this revealing excerpt by Ruse from the same article attests: "But we will not win until we begin writing language and getting governments to introduce it for us. At Cairo +5 we did this for the first time. We wrote language, based on a new American law, that said specific forms of coercion in family planning would be forbidden. Specifically we named promises of food, clothing, medicine or shelter in exchange for accepting contraception, sterilization or abortion. This was introduced by the brave delegations from Argentina, Nicaragua and the Holy See. I am sorry to report that we lost, which gives the lie to the claims of our opponents that they are against coercion in family planning. But we learned a great deal about the process, principally we learned we have to start with a larger base of support than three delegations. But we are learning how to win."

    41. Thanks to financing from the Campaign Life Coalition.

    42. The publications of other pro-life and pro-family groups, such as REAL Women of Canada, write about the use of this type of strategy at other UN meetings, notably during the activities surrounding the Habitat II conference.

    43. Gilles Grondin highlights these strategies in his summary report covering the period September 1998 to December 1999, entitled Rapport d'activités de Campagne Québec-Vie de septembre 1998 í  décembre 1999 and available at: http://www.mlink.net/~provieqc/BulJanvier2000.htm. In the same report, Gilles Grondin writes of the inspiration his group derived from Pope Jean-Paul II's May 1998 address to Italian pro-life groups. In this address, the Pope encourages the pro-life groups to use all means of intervention available to them, including political pressure, in order to return to "a civilisation that respects the right to life from conception until natural death."

    44. According to Vinculum, the web page published by the Pro-Family and Pro-Life organizations assisting the Pontifical Council for the Family: http://www.vinculum-news.com/English/va03fe/va03ae5.htm.

    45. It is in these terms that a series of articles produced by right-wing, pro-family groups report on their participation at this event. See for example the report of the NGO Family Voice President, Richard G. Wilkins, "Executive Summary: The Transformation of the Habitat II Agenda," available at: www.nauvoo.byu.edu/TheArts/Exhibitions/Habitat/main.cfm.

    46. See Jennifer Butler "The Religious Right at the Beijing +5 PrepCom," published April 25, 2000 on the Global Policy Forum website: www.globalpolicy.org/ngos/ngo-un/access/2000/beij5.htm.

    47. This group has produced some very interesting information documents on the Vatican and the Fourth World Conference on Women (1995), as well as on conservative Catholic organisations (1994) See our bibliography for details.


    BIBLIOGRAPHY

    Back to Contents

    Bulletin des Négociations de la Terre, September 18, 1995.

    Butler, Jennifer. 2000. "The Religious Right at the Beijing +5 PrepCom," article published on the Global Policy Forum website: www.globalpolicy.org/ngos/ngo-un/access/2000/beij5.htm.

    Friedlander, Eva. (ed.). 1996. Voir le monde í  travers les yeux des femmes, Allocutions des plénií¨res du Forum des ONG sur les femmes, Beijing '95. Preface by Irene M. Santiago, Montréal: Alternatives, 321 p.

    Catholics for a Free Choice. 1994. A New Rite: Conservative Catholic Organizations and Their Allies. Document prepared by Steve Askin, 91 p.

    Catholics for a Free Choice. 1995. "Women to Vatican: Equal Is As Equal Does" Press Release issued March 27 in collaboration with Women-Church Convergence to launch the document Equal Is As Equal Does.

    Catholics for a Free Choice. 1995. The Vatican and the Fourth World Conference on Women, information package.

    Center for Women's Global Leadership. 1995. "Global Tribunal on Accountability for Women's Human Rights," Press Release issued August 16, 1995, 3 p.

    Moghadam, Valentine M. (ed.). 1994. Identity Politics and Women, Cultural Reassertions and Feminisms in International Perspective, Boulder, San Francisco, Oxford: Westview Press.

    NGO Alert (available from CRIAW, the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, ref. NGO Forum '95) .

    NGO Forum on Women, Beijing '95. 1995. The website: http://www.igc.org/beijing/ngo/ offers access to a substantial archive of documents relating to NGO participation in the Fourth World Conference on Women.

    NGO Forum on Women, Beijing '95. 1995. Look at the World Through Women's Eyes, 30 August - 8 September, Schedule of activities.

    Status of Women Canada. May 1998. Résumé et faits saillants des résultats de la 42e session de la Commission de la condition de la femme, du 2 au 13 Mars 1998, 5 p.

    Thibault, Charlotte. 1998. Interview with Anick Druelle in Montréal, May 5.

    United Nations. 1996. The United Nations and the Advancement of Women, 1945-1996. The United Nations Blue Books Series, Vol. IV, United Nations: New York, 845 p.

    United Nations, Conference Secretariat. 1995. Information for NGOs, Schedule of NGO Meetings at the BICC/BRC, September 1995.

    Willetts, Peter (ed.). 1996. "The Conscience of the World"; the influence of non-governmental organisations in the UN system. Washington: Brookings Institution.

    Documentation on NGOs was gathered from the following sources:

    Centre de documentation en sciences humaines, Université du Québec í  Montréal; International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development; Centre de documentation sur l'éducation des adultes et la condition féminine; Documentation Centre of the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women; the personal libraries of Marie-Andrée Roy and Charlotte Thibault; website of the NGO Forum for Beijing 1995..21

    Back to Contents
    APPENDIX A

    Fact sheets on anti-feminist, non-governmental organisations that participated in the Fourth World Conference on Women (FWCW), at the NGO Forum on Women or at other United Nations meetings.

    Fact Sheets:


    1. American Life League, USA
    2. Campaign Life Coalition and Mouvement pour la vie/Campagne Pro-vie Québec, Canada
    3. Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (USA) and the leaflet Vivant!
    4. Concerned Women for America
    5. Family Life Counselling Association of Kenya
    6. Family of the Americas Foundation, United States
    7. Human Life International (HLI)
    8. International Right to Life Federation (IRLF)
    9. National Institute of Womanhood, USA and the Well being of Women Caucus at Beijing
    10. REAL Women of Canada
    11. World Organisation of the Ovulation Method Billings
    12. World Youth Alliance and the Esperanza! information page
    13. Various pro-life and pro-family organisations


    Fact Sheet 1: American Life League

    Head Office: Stafford, Virginia, United States

    Goals and Objectives: Fight against the right to abortion in the United States. Fight for the adoption of an amendment to the American Constitution forbidding abortion under all circumstances, including cases of rape and incest (known as the Human Life Amendment).

    Membership: According to 1990 figures, 62 affiliated groups and 259,000 families. Founder and president: Judie Brown, Roman Catholic. Officially, the group is not religious, but it has many links with Catholics. In addition, the group employs a Maryknoll priest as spiritual director.

    Budget: Revenue (1990): 8.2 million

    Links with Other Organisations or Governments:

    The following groups have offices at the same address:
    African American Committee, Athletes for Life, Castello Institute (research), Protect Life in All Nations (international), Teen American Life League/VOICE, Campus Outreach, American Life Lobby, Rock for Life (which is also part of the World Youth Alliance: see fact sheet 12). Reverend Father Paul Marx of Human Life International sits on the board of the American Life League, together with directors of Catholics United for Life and the Pro-life Action League.

    Special Friends
    Paul Weyrich and Phyllis Schlafly are Catholics who work actively to create political links with the fundamentalist Protestant Religious Right. In order to establish its credibility, the group's information brochures reprint quotes from bishops who support them, including Cardinal Edouard Gagnon (president of the Pontifical Council for International Eucharistic Congresses), Bishop James C. Timlin of Scranton, the late Cardinal John O'Connor of New York and retired Archbishop Daniel E. Sheehan of Omaha (October 1993 brochure).

    Status at the United Nations : The group was accredited to participate in the FWCW. In May 2000, the group was granted consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations.

    Type of Activity: Lobby

    Publications: ALL About Issues (bimonthly) and Website: www.all.org

    Information Sources: Catholics for a Free Choice (CFFC). 1994. A New Rite, p. 65.

    Complete Contact Information: AMERICAN LIFE LEAGUE, INC., 1179 COURTHOUSE ROAD, STAFFORD, VIRGINIA 22554, USA. TEL: (703) 659-4171; FAX: (703) 659-2586.23


    Fact Sheet 2: Campaign Life Coalition, Canada

    Head Office: Toronto, Canada

    Goals and Objectives: The group says it wants to re-establish the right to life, from the moment of conception until the moment of natural birth, at all levels of government in Canada.

    Membership: This organisation has 10 provincial chapters in Canada, including the Mouvement pour la vie/Campagne Pro-vie Québec headed by Gilles Grondin. The majority of provincial presidents are men (8 men and 4 women).

    Links with Other Organisations or Governments: The Life Ethics Educational Association shares the same head office. Anna Halpine, former president of the New Brunswick chapter co-founded the World Youth Alliance in 1999 (see fact sheet 12) while she was working for the Campaign Life Coalition in New York.

    Status at the United Nations : Participated in the FWCW in 1995. Achieved consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council in August 1999. The group had to issue press releases affirming its non-violent position in order to obtain this status.

    Type of Activity: Political lobbying in Canada at all levels of government in order to forbid the right to abortion under all circumstances. Since 1994, participation in many international conferences including those of Beijing and Cairo and their UN-organised 5-year follow-up processes.

    Youth education by means of summer internships: 9 recruits trained during the summer of 1998, including Charmaine Graves, then a student at the University of Toronto. Graves attended the World Conference of Ministers Responsible for Youth in Lisbon, Portugal, August 8-12, 1998. On this occasion, she represented the Campaign Life Coalition within the NGO Coalition for Family and Youth, which included the following groups: NGO Family Voice, United Families International, World Movement of Mothers, and the World Assembly of Muslim Youth (see the article: "Young pro-lifers defy UN at Lisbon" on the website: www.lifesite.net/interim/sept98/01youngpro.html). Two students from the Newman Student Center at the University of Toronto who attended an internship programme at the Holy See's Mission to the United Nations were named to the official Vatican delegation to the same international meeting (see: www.newmantoronto.com/Contents/events1/italy.html).

    Information Sources: Website of the Campaign Life Coalition: www.lifesite.net, including various articles from the Bulletin Interim, including: www.lifesite.net/interim/1999/aug/14campaign.html.

    Complete Contact Information: Suite 311, 53 Dundas street east, Toronto, Ontario, M5B 1C6, Canada.

    Current national president is: Jim Hugues in Toronto. Karen Murawsky is the public affairs director in Ottawa.


    Fact Sheet 3: Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (USA)

    Founded: 1997

    Head Office: New York

    Goals and Objectives:. Full-time pro-life and anti-feminist lobby at the United Nations.

    Membership: None. President: Austin Ruse. However, this group sends out its Friday Faxes on demand, and publishes them on its website: www.c-fam.org/FAX/ (sent to 5,500 addresses in November 1999, up from an initial figure of 125 fax subscribers (Austin Ruse letter published on the site www.rcav.bc.ca/99-11-29/letters.htm).

    Budget: Significant contributions made by Human Life International (according to the article: "C-FAM Institute advances Pro-Life Measures at the UN" http://hli.org/publications/hlir/1998/hr049802.html).

    Links with Other Organisations or Governments: Close ties with Human Life International, as well as with the groups organising the World Congresses on the Family. Staff member Diana Kilarjian co-founded the World Youth Alliance (see fact sheet 12).

    Status at the United Nations : The group has no consultative status with the UN at this time.

    Type of Activity: Lobbying at the United Nations.

    Production of the information leaflet Vivant! during the Beijing +5 process.

    In 1999? organised a seminar at the United Nations entitled: "Church, Synagogue, Mosque: Solutions for the Modern Family" in collaboration with the Organization of the Islamic Conference; the governments of Argentina and Nicaragua; the Howard Center for Family; Religion and Society; the Archdiocese of New York; the World Family Policy Center; the Islamic Center of Long Island, USA.

    Complete Contact Information: 866 United Nations Plaza, Suite 4038, New York, NY 10017, USA; Tel: 212-754-1192; Fax: 212-754-9291; Email address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Website: www.c-fam.org

    Revealing glimpses of this group's positions and strategies:

    "Even with CEDAW, our side did not wake up to the damage done by the UN until the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, the Cairo Conference. At that time, Pope John Paul II called forth people of all faiths to go to Cairo and to fight the Culture of Death. He knew that rumors of great danger whispered from that ancient city. More than 200 citizen lobbyists appeared out of nowhere, indeed from all parts of the globe. And these citizen lobbyists, who knew nothing about UN documents and nothing about UN lobbying braved a hostile environment and won significant victories. The most significant was stopping the feminists from their desire to make abortion an internationally recognized human right. Indeed, at Cairo, abortion as a method of family planning was strictly forbidden. Cairo not only saw the birth of the UN pro-family movement, it also saw the emergence of a new and very potent alliance between Catholic and Muslim countries. Our enemies call this an un-holy alliance. And so from their point of view it is, because it is from this alliance, new in the world, new to history, that our victory will come."

    Taken from: Austin Ruse "Toward a Permanent United Nations Pro-Family Bloc," published on the website of the second World Congress of Families: http://www.worldcongress.org/gen99_speakers/gen99_ruse.htm.


    Fact Sheet 4: Concerned Women for America

    Founded: 1979

    Head Office: Washington, D.C.

    Goals and Objectives:. The organisation was founded in order to oppose the National Organization for Women generally, and in particular to fight the Equal Rights Amendment. The group works on family values themes. It opposes abortion, the legislation of rights for gays and lesbians, federal financing for the arts, and sex education programmes in schools. It works to censor school books and programmes that do not express its own views. It favours school prayer and the teaching of "creationist" views in schools.

    Membership: 600,000 members in 1992, and 1000 prayer and action groups in all the states of the United States.

    Budget: Revenues: 8.2 million; expenses: 7.3 million in 1992.

    Links with Other Organisations or Governments: Member of the Well-being of Women Caucus convened by the National Institute of Womanhood at the FWCW. Links with the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights, and the group Catholics United for Life.

    Status at the United Nations : The group gained accreditation to participate in the FWCW.

    Type of Activity: Lobbying the U.S. Congress. The group retains four lawyers full-time to prosecute cases in different areas; for example, to defend the right of landlords to refuse to rent premises to unmarried couples (in conjunction with the Catholic League for Civil and Religious Rights), or cases against abortion (together with Catholics United for Life). The group adopts right-wing positions at the international level, for example by supporting the Contras in Nicaragua.

    Information Sources: CFFC, 1994, A New Rite, p. 67-68

    Complete Contact Information: CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA, 1015 FIFTEENTH ST., N.W., SUITE 1100, WASHINGTON, DC 20005, USA. TEL: (202) 488-7000; FAX: (202) 488-0806.27


    Fact Sheet 5: Family Life Counselling Association of Kenya

    Founded: ?

    Head Office: Nairobi, Kenya

    Goals and Objectives: Promote the family as the foundation of society; promote the natural method of family planning; oppose contraception; respect African culture and religious beliefs; leave the sex education of children to their parents.

    Membership: Margaret Ogola, vice-president and spokeswoman at the FWCW, is a pediatrician and director of a hospice for AIDS and HIV orphans.

    Links with Other Organisations or Governments: Margaret Ogola was on the planning committee for the second World Congress of Families (see: www.fww.org/events/congres2.htm).

    Status at the United Nations: Was accredited for participation in the FWCW and obtained the privilege of intervening in its plenary session.

    Type of Activity: Positions taken publicly at the FWCW.

    Information Sources: Margaret Ogola, Statement by Family Life Counselling, September 6, 1995, 3 p. (available on the Internet at: gopher://gopher.undp.org/1/unconfs/women/conf/ngo).

    Complete Contact Information: FAMILY LIFE COUNSELLING ASSOCIATION OF KENYA, POB 18077, MUCHUMBI ROAD SOUTH "B", NAIROBI, KENYA. TEL: 558926/555977; FAX: 544640.

    Declaration to the FWCW Family Life Counselling of Kenya made a declaration as an NGO to a plenary session at the FWCW, affirming that the woman is the heart of the family, that natural methods of birth control must be made available, that the right to be born must be protected, and that parents play an irreplaceable role in the sexual education of children, in conformity with African culture and religious beliefs. While recognising that some aspects of culture are undesirable, the declaration affirms that the whole of the culture must not be abandoned in favour of the Western values contained in the Platform for Action, which is not clear on the themes of family and gender.


    Fact Sheet 6: Family of the Americas Foundation, United States

    Founded: 1977

    Head Office: Dunkirk, Maryland, United States

    Goals and Objectives: Promote natural family planning using the Billings technique.

    Membership: ?

    Links with Other Organisations or Governments: Group president Mercedes Arzu Wilson claims close ties with Pope John-Paul II. In 1995, Mercedes Arzu Wilson was a delegate of the Guatemalan government to the March 15 - April 4, 1995 PrepCom for Beijing, and to the UN World Summit for Social Development in Copenhagen, March 6 - 12, 1995 (see CFCC, 1995, Vatican Delegates and Allies, - Government Allies, p. 3).

    In an interview she gave to the newspaper "The Wanderer" in 1983, Mercedes Arzu Wilson said: "I report to the Pope regularly, two, three times a year personally and by correspondence, several times more than that. In this last trip... I had the privilege of seeing him briefly and presenting him ... a report of what we have been doing the last few months... He thanked me, thanked our organization, really, for the work we're doing, and [told us] to please continue" (The Wanderer, August 18, 1983) (CFFC 1995, Vatican Delegates and Allies, p. 3).


    Family of the Americas Foundation is a member of WOOMB (see fact sheet 11).

    Status at the United Nations : Accredited for participation at the FWCW.

    Type of Activity: Lobby

    Information Sources: CFFC, 1995, Vatican Delegates and Allies, p. 5

    Complete Contact Information: FAMILY OF THE AMERICAS FOUNDATION, INC. (FAF), P.O. BOX 1170, DUNKIRK, MD 20754, USA TEL: (301) 627-3346; FAX: (301) 627-0847.29


    Fact Sheet 7: Human Life International (HLI)

    Founded: 1981

    Head Office: Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States

    Goals and Objectives: This group is pro-life and pro-family. It opposes abortion and contraception, defines the family as a marital union between a man and a women, open to the creation of life and to caring for children. It opposes sex education in schools and claims that overpopulation is a myth. The group holds Orthodox Catholic views and is notable for its aggressive intolerance for dissidents.

    Membership: The group claims that HLI is the largest pro-life organisation in the world, with 30,000 members. However, the group's tax reports show no membership structure. The group's founder and president is Father Paul Marx, who holds Orthodox Catholic views.

    Budget: Expenses in 1992: 4.7 million, Revenues: 2.7 million (surpluses pay off the deficit).

    Links with Other Organisations or Governments: The group has 25 local chapters in North America and 53 chapters internationally, in the following countries: Canada (191 Granville St, Vanier, ON, K1L 6Y3, Tel: (613) 745-9405, fax: (613) 745-9868), Costa Rica, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Equador, Salvador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Holland, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Kenya, Lesotho, Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Australia, Burma, India, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka. It also has divisions and affiliates, such as:

    1) HLI Endowment Inc. that makes donations to various groups around the world; 2) Population Research Institute that does research on population, attempting to show that overpopulation is not a problem for developing countries and attacking groups that support family planning, like UNICEF, and planned births (planned parenthood); 3) Pro-life/Family Institute; 4) Humanae Vitae Priests, Religious and Laity International (founded in 1991); 5) World Council for Life and Family; and HLI contributes to the activities of Seminarians for Life International, which trains pro-life priests. In 1993, the organisation launched a group of nuns against abortion.

    Close ties are maintained with the Catholic hierarchy. For example, Cardinal Alfonso Lopez-Trujillo, President of the Pontifical Council for the Family, has spoken to the group on a number of occasions. The group claims to be in close contact with many Latin American priests. American bishops have regularly participated in HLI meetings.

    Status at the United Nations : The group requested accreditation for consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council in 1990. The NGO Committee of the Council recommended that the group be added to its List (the last category provided for by resolution 1296 XLIV) in January 1991 (See UN document, E/1991/20, p. 12). Nevertheless, in May 1991, the Economic and Social Council refused to endorse this recommendation and sent the request to be examined during the 1993 session of the NGO Committee (see UN document, A/46/3, p. 126, par. 63 and decision 1991/216). In May 1993, the request was rejected (E/1993/63, p. 15). Willetts believes that the fact that this group actively campaigned in the United States against school children collecting money for UNICEF probably justified this refusal, in accordance with para. 3 of resolution 1296 (XLIV) to the effect that the organisation must undertake to assist the United Nations in its work (Willetts, 1994: 60 n24).

    However, the Swiss branch of Human Life International was accredited for participation in the FWCW. (no 761. on the list of Attendees, FWCW, HUMAN LIFE INTERNATIONAL SWITZERLAND, OBERSEEMATTWEG 4, 6403 KOSSNACHT, SWITZERLAND, TEL: 041 811644, FAX: 041 81 66 14)

    Type of Activity: Lobby, Congress.

    Publications: (partial list) HLI Reports, international information bulletin Fr. Marx's Special Report PRI Review (bimonthly aimed at discrediting pro-choice groups) Escoge La Vida! Seminarians for Life International Newsletter (quarterly publication) Pro-life/family Parish Notes (monthly bulletin) Caminos de Esperanza HLPL News The Feminist Takeover, on the diabolical history of feminism and its plans for the future. Information Sources: Website: http://hli.org/ CFFC, 1994, A New Rite, p. 18- 20. Willetts, Peter. 1996. "Consultative Status for NGOs at the United Nations" in "The Conscience of the World", The Influence of Non-Governmental Organisationt in the U.N. System, Washington, DC and London: The Brookings Institution and David Davies Memorial Institute Studies. pp. 31-62.

    Complete Contact Information: Human Life International, 7845 Airpark Road, Suite E., Gaithersburg, MD 20879, USA. Tel: (301) 670-7884; Fax: (301) 869-7363 There is also an office in Miami.


    Fact Sheet 8: International Right to Life Federation (IRLF)

    Head Office: Rome, with a New York office for the United Nations representative.

    Goals and Objectives: group dedicated to the protection of all innocent human life, from conception to natural death.

    Membership: A world-wide grouping of pro-life organisations from 170 countries.

    Links with Other Organisations or Governments: The fact that the organisation has its head office in Rome would suggest closeness to the Vatican. Nonetheless, the statement made to the FWCW contained absolutely no religious references.

    Status at the United Nations : Holds special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council. Was accredited for participation in the FWCW and gained the privilege of intervening in one of its plenary sessions.

    Type of Activity: The group's New York representative made a statement to the FWCW, September 7, 1995, in which she denounced the reproduction in the Beijing Platform for Action of language taken from the International Conference on Population and Development. She simultaneously denounced the Beijing document's failure to give proper attention to the protection of national sovereignty. She further stated that the report distributed to delegates by the NGO Forum did not represent the views of the IRLF. She concludes her declaration by urging delegates to the FWCW, if they share the views of the IRLF, to stand firm against the cultural imperialistic tactics of the Western world. (IRLF, 1995, p. 3).

    Workshops organised at the NGO Forum, Beijing '95: · "Abortion Aftermath", Theme 6) Health: Lecture organised par Dr. David Logan; · "The Protection of Women's Lives Throughout the Life Cycle", Theme 6) Health: Panel organised by Dr. David Logan.

    Information Sources: - Jeanne Head, Statement by International Right to Life Federation, September 7, 1995, 3 p. (electronic version available from: gopher://gopher.undp.org/1/unconfs/women/conf/ngo). - Preliminary Program of the NGO Forum available in pdf format over the Internet, NGO Event.

    Complete Contact Information: INTERNATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE FEDERATION, INC., 44 VIA NICOLO V, ROME 00165, ITALY. TEL: (39-6) 39387704; FAX: (011 39-6) 637 4086.32

    Components of the Declaration Made by the IRLF to the FWCW: The international non-governmental organisation International Right to Life Federation which has consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council, and that represents pro-life groups in 170 countries, made a statement to the FWCW against abortion and in favour of protecting all innocent human life from conception to natural death. This declaration does not contain any reference to religious traditions. Rather, it lists statistics in support of a variety of claims about the increase in the number of abortions in particular countries and about the rate of maternal mortality in the countries where abortion is legalised. Further, this group affirms its disagreement with the contents of the Beijing action plan, which speaks of reproductive health and dangerous abortions and concludes by affirming that its position is shared by hundreds of NGOs present at the conference but that their points of view are not found in the NGO report distributed to delegates. The IRLF enjoins all delegates who share its views to oppose the imperialist tactics of the Western world.

    Despite the fact that this group's official discourse contains no religious references, information supplied in documents produced by the American group Catholics for a Free Choice makes it clear that there are numerous links between pro-life groups and a variety of religious groups, including the Catholic Church.


    Fact Sheet 9: National Institute of Womanhood and the Well-Being of Women Caucus at Beijing 1995

    Head Office: Chevy Chase, Maryland, United States

    Goals and Objectives: Opposition to contraception and abortion, and promotion of a view of the nature and role of the woman as inextricably tied to maternity.

    Membership: ?

    Links with Other Organisations or Governments: In principal, this is a non-religious group. However, president Cecilia Acevedo Royals is a member of Opus Dei, an Orthodox Catholic organisation. She worked to promote Vatican views at the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo. Further, the views expressed by the Institute reflect Vatican positions. The Institute has a chapter in Uganda, where the President is Agnes Komukyeya Katama (see the Monitor article, translated into Spanish, posted on the Opus Dei site: http://spanish.opusdei.org/media/itm98113001.html).

    Status at the United Nations : The NIW was accredited for participation at the FWCW, where it was the group responsible for the Well-Being of Women Caucus that met daily during the Conference from 12:30 to 1 P.M. at the Beijing recreation center (United Nations, Conference Secretariat, Information for NGOs, Schedule of NGO Meetings at the BICC/BRC, September 1995)

    Type of Activity: Lobby At the level of discourse, opposes use of the term gender in the Platform for Action maintaining that this terminology is an instrument for promoting the agenda of the Lesbian Caucus (CFFC, 1995, refers here to an article entitled "Conservative Groups Mobilize for U.N. Women's Conference" that appeared in the Washington Times, June 22, 1995). NIW President, Cecilia Acevedo Royals made a statement to the UN Commission on the Status of Women in the name of the Well-Being of Women Caucus, on March 21, 1995 (CFFC ref., 1995, p. 5 n29, to the UN Commission on the Status of Women Press Release, WOM/821, March 21, 1995).

    Information Sources: CFFC, 1995, Vatican Delegates and Allies, p. 5. United Nations, Conference Secretariat, Information for NGOs, Schedule of NGO Meetings at the BICC/BRC, September 1995 Complementary information is available in the CFFC document, A New Rite, Addendum 5, 1995.

    Complete Contact Information: THE NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF WOMANHOOD (NIW) 4612 NOTTINGHAM DRIVE, CHEVY CHASE, MD 20815, USA. TEL: (301) 657-3750; FAX: (301) 657-3759.34


    Well-being of Women Caucus at Beijing 1995

    Contact information for the members of the Well-being of Women Caucus at Beijing who were also accredited for participation at the FWCW.

    In addition to the American group, the National Institute of Womanhood, there were: CONCERNED WOMEN FOR AMERICA (see fact sheet 4) 1015 FIFTEENTH ST., N.W., SUITE 1100, WASHINGTON, DC 20005, USA; TEL: (202) 488-7000; FAX: (202) 488-0806

    EAGLE FORUM

    18 PROSPECT AVENUE, PORT WASHINGTON, NY 11050, USA; TEL: 516 883 1060; FAX: 516 944 6851 Eagle Forum, together with groups like Feminists for Life, Concerned Women for America, the Family Research Council, the American Life League, the Free Congress Foundation, the Catholic League, and the Pro-Life Action League, have put pressure on corporations to cease funding the Planned Parenthood group. Feminists for Life was founded in 1972 and publishes an information bulletin entitled "Sisterlife." It is located in Washington D.C. (CFFC, 1994, A New Rite, p. 71).

    ECUMENICAL COALITION ON WOMEN AND SOCIETY (INSTITUTE ON RELIGION AND DEMOCRACY)

    1331 H. STREET, SUITE 900, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20005-4706, USA TEL: (202) 393-3200; FAX: (202) 638-4948

    FOCUS ON THE FAMILY 8605 EXPLORER DRIVE, COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80920, USA; TEL: (719) 531-3400 or 531-3334; FAX: (719) 548-4525

    Focus on the Family organised a workshop within the framework of the NGO Forum at Beijing '95, entitled: "Essentials for a Stable Family Life", (Theme 6: Health), workshop organised by Tom Minnery (Source: Preliminary Program for the NGO Forum, available over the Internet in pdf format, NGO Event.)

    WOMEN'S FEDERATION FOR WORLD PEACE, INTERNATIONAL

    4 WEST 43RD STREET, NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10036, USA; TEL: (212) 764-7239; FAX: (212) 768-0791 WOMEN'S FEDERATION FOR WORLD PEACE-PHILIPPINES

    #32 SAMAR AVENUE, DILIMAN, QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES; TEL: 924 1636; FAX: 924 1826

    WOMEN FOR WOMEN

    63/2 LABORATORY ROAD, DHAKA 1205, BANGLADESH; TEL: 880 2 504697


    Other groups that did not participate at FWCW but who are members of the Caucus: Catholic Campaign for America (request for accreditation refused; reason: lack of information showing the relevance of this association's participation in the women's conference, see information supplied in CFFC, 1995, p. 5), National Association of Black Professionnal Women, United Families of America.


    Fact Sheet 10: REAL Women of Canada

    Founded: 1983

    Head Office: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

    Goals and Objectives: According to information provided to the UN Secretariat for the Fourth World Conference on Women and appearing in Secretariat notes about the list of NGOs recommended for accreditation, REAL Women of Canada has a membership of the national type. The relevance of its participation in the Conference derives from the fact that the group aims to promote the equality and well-being of women and to improve the condition of women and their families with the help of education, research, and lobbying activities (no. 249, E/CN.6/1995/L.4/Add.1).

    According to an information leaflet produced by members of the Canadian NGO delegation (March 31, 1995, no author listed), REAL Women of Canada is an organisation that is extreme-right and anti-feminist, founded in 1983, that is opposed to day-care services, divorce, abortion, affirmative action, equal pay for work of equal value, the legal protection of gays and lesbians and to secular schooling. Membership: President: Jeannine Lebel. Former national president Cecilia Forsyth was also President of Pro-Life in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Vice-President C. Gwendolyn Landolt, one of the group's founders, was national president of the Canadian organisation Alliance for Life, from 1975 to 1978. The text (with photo) of Gwendolyn Landolt's presentation to the Second World Congress of Families is available at the following website: http://www.worldcongress.org/gen99_speakers/gen99_landolt.htm. Alliance for Life was also accredited for participation at FWCW.

    Links with Other Organisations or Governments: According to testimony from Canadian NGO representatives associated with the Canadian Coordinating Committee for Beijing and who participated in the March 1995 preparatory commission in New York, REAL Women of Canada had ties with the Holy See. Catholics for a Free Choice also present REAL Women of Canada as being among the Vatican's NGO allies (CFFC, 1995, Vatican Delegates and Allies, p. 5-6). The members of REAL Women have many ties with pro-life, anti-abortion groups, such as the Alliance for Life Canada (see fact sheet 9) and Saskatoon Pro-Life.

    According to an information leaflet produced by members of the Canadian NGO delegation (March 31 1995, no author listed), this group has close ties with anti-abortion groups, including: The Campaign Life Coalition, Alliance for Life, Operation Rescue. Some members also have ties with white supremacist organisations such as: the Christian Heritage Party, the Western Guard Party, and the Heritage Front.

    Status at the United Nations : REAL Women was accredited for participation at FWCW and also participated in the NGO Forum. The group achieved consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Council in June of 1998.

    Known Types of Activity:
    - Press conferences in New York in March, 1995, to denounce manipulation of the UN by Western women (REAL Women Press Release, "Manipulation of UN Preparatory Conference", March 28, 1995)
    - During the March 1995 Preparatory Conference in New York, distributed leaflets denouncing the Canadian delegation, stating that its negotiators were lesbians. The leaflets also misrepresented the work done by the Lesbian Caucus and made statements to the effect that the Canadian delegation had no valid (social or legal) reasons for negotiating the inclusion of sexual orientation among the types of discrimination to be prohibited (According to information supplied in the reports of Charlotte Thibault and another member of the NGO delegation that reported to the Canadian Coordinating Committee for Beijing, April 12, 1995, from another reliable government delegation source and from an information leaflet produced by members of the Canadian NGO delegation (March 31, 1995, no author listed)).
    - REAL Women did not attend meetings of the Canadian Coordinating Committee for Beijing (CCCB) during the March 1995 preparatory committee meetings in New York, (Thibault, April 19 1995: 2). At Beijing, however, they probably attended a few of the briefings organised by the CCCB and open to all Canadians, in order to gather information (Thibault, May 5, 98, p. 17).
    - REAL Women from across Canada organised the following activities during the NGO Forum at Beijing '95:
    1. Real Women of BC: "Ushering in the New Millenium: Women and Men Together as Equal Partners", Theme 4, Peace and Human Security; type: panel; organiser: Laurie Geschke;
    2. Real Women of Canada (Ontario): "The Vital Role of Women in the Twenty-First Century", Theme 3, Human/Legal Rights; type: panel; organiser: C. Gwendolyn Landolt;
    3. Real Women of Canada (Ontario): "The Vital Role of Women in the Twenty-First Century", Theme 3, Human/Legal Rights; type of workshop: presentation; organiser: C. Gwendolyn Landolt;
    4. Real Women of Canada (Burnaby, BC): "The Family as the Corner Stone of Society", Theme 4, Peace and Human Security; type: workshop; organiser: Barbara Anne Stasuk.

    Information Sources: CFFC, 1995, Vatican Delegates and Allies, p. 5-6 April 19, 1995 report by Charlotte Thibault, co-President of the Canadian Coordinating Committee for Beijing.

    Information leaflet dated March 31, 1995 (no author listed, produced by some Canadian NGO delegates) Preliminary Program of the NGO Forum available in pdf format over the Internet, NGO Event. Website: www.realwomenca.com.

    Complete Contact Information submitted in order to participate in the FWCW: REAL WOMEN OF CANADA 45 SUNNYWOOD CRESCENT, RICHMOND HILL, ONTARIO L4C 6W2, CANADA TEL: (905) 889-1993; FAX: (905) 770-1117

    Contact information for other REAL Women groups that participated in the Forum:

    - Real Women of BC 21676 Spring Crescent, Mapleridge, BC V2X 4M6, CANADA Tel: +1 (604) 463-1611, fax: +1 (604) 463-1601,
    - Real Women of Canada, 8275 Burnlak Drive, Burnaby, British Columbia, 15A 3L1, CANADA Tel: +1 (604) 420 0955, fax: +1 (604) 420-5377.37


    Fact Sheet 11: World Organisation of the Ovulation Method Billings (Australia, Canada, Ireland, United States)

    Head Office: Australia

    Membership: Founders: Evelyn Billings et John Billings, Australian doctors who invented the "ovulation" or "mucus" method for natural family planning.

    Links with Other Organisations or Governments: The Family of the Americas Foundation (see fact sheet 4) represented this group in the United States. The WOOMB method is one of the natural planning methods approved by the Vatican. The links between this group and the Vatican arise from positions taken by the president of the Family of the Americas Foundation, which represented the government of Guatemala in Beijing (see fact sheet 6). (CFFC, 1995, Vatican Delegates and Allies, p. 5). Status at the United Nations: Accredited for participation in the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo, 1994) and for FWCW (Beijing, 1995). WOOMB International of Canada was part of the March 1998, 35-member Canadian NGO delegation to the 42 nd session of the Commission on the Status of Women in New York (Status of Women Canada, May 1998, Résumé et faits saillants des résultats de la 42e session de la Commission de la condition de la femme, du 2 au 13 Mars 1998, p. 5).

    Goals and Objectives: To promote the method developed by the Billings doctor couple for natural family planning.

    Type of Activity: Attendance at international meetings (lobbying venues). Organisation of activities at the NGO Forum, Beijing '95 by various WOOMB groups: - "Educating Women to Control their Fertility by a Natural Cost Free Method," Theme 5, Education, workshop organised by Jane Quinlan, WOOMB group from Ireland
    - "Multiple Choices for Women," Theme 4, Peace and Human Security, presentation organised by Jane Quinlan, WOOMB group from Ireland
    - "Regulating Family Size by Natural Methods: A Cost Free Aid Development," Theme 6, Health, presentation organised by Jane Quinlan, WOOMB group from Ireland
    - "Women and the Law: How to Achieve Equality," Theme 3, Human rights/law, Presentation organised by Jane Quinlan, WOOMB group from Ireland.
    - "Billings Ovulation Method Workshop," Theme 6, Health, workshop organised by Susan Fryer of the World Organization of the Billing Ovulation Method of Canada (Calgary, Alberta) (According to the Preliminary Program of the NGO Forum available in pdf format over the Internet, NGO Event)

    Complete Contact Information: MELBOURNE SECRETARIAT, 20 MILFAY AVE, KEW VICTORIA 3101, AUSTRALIA; TEL: 61-3 853 9909; FAX: 61-3 482 4208

    Contact information for other Forum participants: - World Organization Ovulation Method (Billings), Family Life Centre, Model Farm Road, Cork, IRELAND, Tel: +353 21 541434; Fax: +353 21 545344; World Organization of the Billing Ovulation Method, 1247 Bel-Aire Drive, SW, Calgary T2Y2C1, Alberta, CANADA Tel: +1 403-252-9084; fax: +1 403-252-3929.


    Fact Sheet 12: World Youth Alliance

    Founded: 1999, during the Cairo +5 process.

    Head Office: None, officially. In reality, probably in New York, at the offices of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute (see fact sheet 3).

    Goals and Objectives:. Promote pro-life and pro-family agendas.

    Membership: Youth, mostly from various pro-life and pro-family groups in the United States, from Canada (including some from Québec), and from Kenya.

    Links with Other Organisations or Governments: Co-Founders Anna Halpine and Diana Kilarjian are respectively members of the Campaign Life Coalition of Canada and staff of the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. Other organisations clearly linked with the Alliance are: True Love Waits of Kenya and Rock for Life, which is a section of the American Life League (see fact sheet 1). Whis Hayes is identified as founding director of the Rock the World Youth Alliance (see newspaper article in The Pitt News from the University of Pittsburgh: "Christian Students Get Fired Up About Satan" available at the following website: http://www.studentadvantage.com/article_story/1,1075,c1-i34-t0-a17569,00.html.)

    Status at the United Nations: Difficult to establish since this is not a legally constituted group. However, this group did get authorisation to make a statement to the General Assembly Special Session on Cairo +5, June 30 to July 2, 1999; see the following website: http://www.undp.org/popin/unpopcom/32ndsess/gass/state/youth.pdf.

    Type of Activity: Attempts to monopolise discussion in the Youth caucuses by sending large numbers of pro-life and pro-family men et women as representatives, to the Beijing +5, Cairo+5, and Habitat II +5 processes, for example.

    Information Sources: Information leaflets: "Vivant !" produced at the C-FAM headquarters and "Esperanza!" produced by the World Youth Alliance during the 44 th session of the UN Commission on the Status of Women.

    Complete Contact Information: No official contact information. However, there is a section of the World Youth Alliance located at 100 Edgewood Ave, Suite 1240, Atlanta, Georgia GA 30303, where the contact person is: Carletta Geier-Idris. Tel: 404-827-9111; Fax: 404-827-0054 (see website: www.gsu.edu/~wwwcsl/worldyouthalliance.htm.) Georgian lawyer Roy Miller claims to be on the board of this group (see: www.proresults.com/miller.htm). Email address: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .


    Fact Sheet 13: Various Pro-life and Pro-family Organisations

    Founded: Various dates

    Head Office: Various locations

    Goals and Objectives:. Fighting the right to abortion

    Membership: Various types

    Links with Other Organisations or Governments: Catholics for Free Choice reports that Martha Lorena de Casco, Honduras representative at the International Conference on Population and Development (Cairo 1994) and at the March 1995 PrepCom for FWCW Beijing 1995, is a Catholic conservative, formerly president of Pro-Vida of Honduras. During the 1994 Cairo negotiations, she opposed use of the term "safe abortion," stating that abortion is always dangerous for the foetus (CFFC, 1995: 3).

    Status at the United Nations : Many pro-life organisations were accredited for participation at the FWCW. Many requests for accreditation were likewise rejected (Earth Times, March 15-31, 1995: 8). Pro-Vida of Honduras is not on the list of accredited groups.

    Type of Activity: Lobby

    At the NGO Forum, an undated, unsigned information sheet was distributed, denouncing the "Women's Linkage" caucus led by the WEDO group. The sheet, entitled "NGO Alert!" states that WEDO does not speak for the women of the world because: it is for abortion; it states that young girls of 13 can negotiate sexual relations without danger it opposes considering abstinence until marriage as responsible sexual behaviour; it wants to force all countries to accept gay and lesbian behaviour and rights; it opposes the mention of parents' rights in the platform for action; it opposes the use of words like "maternity," "the dignity of women," "ethical values," "religious" and "spiritual" (NGO Alert). This strategy is similar to the one used by Jeanne Head of the IRLF, when she denounced the lack of appropriate representation at the NGO Forum (see fact sheet 7).

    Information Sources:

    CFFC, 1995, Vatican Delegates and Allies Earth Times, March 15-31, 1995: 8 NGO Alert (available from CRIAW, the Canadian Research Institute for the Advancement of Women, ref. NGO Forum '95).40

    Complete Contact Information for various Pro-Life and Pro-Family groups accredited at the FWCW: COMITE NACIONAL PRO-VIDA, A.C. BAHIA DE LA CONCEPCION #25, COL. VERONICA ANZURES, C.P. 11300, MEXICO; TEL: 52 260 7271; FAX: 52 260 7273 PRO-VIDA DOMINICANA CALLE D #4 ENSANCHE NACO, SANTO DOMINGO, REPUBLIC DOMINICANA; TEL: (809) 567-4045; FAX: (809) 567-4045 ALLIANCE FOR LIFE (see fact sheet 10, REAL Women of Canada) B1-90 GARRY STREET, WINNIPEG, MB R3C 4H1, CANADA; TEL: (204) 942-4772; FAX: (204) 943-9283 AMERICAN LIFE LEAGUE, INC. (see fact sheet 1) CAMPAIGN LIFE COALITION (see fact sheet 2) FAMILY LIFE COUNCIL, INC. 2416 N. 74TH STREET, WAUWATOSA, WI 53213, USA; TEL: (414) 442-3943; FAX: (414) 444-0363 FAMILY LIFE COUNSELLING ASSOCIATION OF KENYA (see fact sheet 5) FAMILY LIFE INTERNATIONAL P.O.BOX 91271, AMSC., AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND; TEL: 64 09 358 3122; FAX: 64 09 357 0832 FAMILY LIFE PROMOTION AND SERVICES, P.O.BOX 10608, NAIROBI, KENYA; TEL: 254 2 332779; FAX: 254 2 339087 HUMAN LIFE INTERNATIONAL SWITZERLAND (see fact sheet 7) INTERNATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE FEDERATION, INC. (see fact sheet 8) LIFE CHOICES, INC 813 TIMBER CREEK, CORDOVA, TN 38018, USA; TEL: (901) 757-5537 LIFE ETHICS EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION (see fact sheet 2) LIFELINE (AID TO WOMEN) 300 GERRARD STREET, EAST TORONTO, ONTARIO M5A 2G7, CANADA; TEL: (416) 921-6016; FAX: (416) 444-7068 NATIONAL RIGHT TO LIFE/EDUCATIONAL TRUST FUND 419 SEVENTH STREET NW, SUITE 500, WASHINGTON, D.C. 20004, USA; TEL: (202) 626-8800; FAX: (202) 737-9189 VALUE OF LIFE COMMITTEE, INC. 637 CAMBRIDGE STREET, CAMBRIDGE, MA 02135, USA; TEL: (617) 787-4400 WORLD CHRISTIAN LIFE COMMUNITY BORGO SANTO SPIRITO, 8 CP 6139, 00195 ROME, ITALY; TEL: 396-686-8079; FAX: (011 39-6) 687 9283

    Other Canadian pro-life groups that organised workshops on family planning during the NGO Forum at Beijing 95:

    - "Issues Surrounding Family Planning", Theme 6, Health, workshop organised by Eileen Collins: Westcoast Women For Family Life, 272 Burne Ave, Kelowna, BC, British Columbia, V1Y 5N8, CANADA 1- 604-763-5897; 1-604-764-3248


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