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SPRING
2OO3

LifeUCDCannitleeMenbersNorcllaBroderick.
SorchaLynch.EoghanCasey

TheProLifeCampaign
haswritten
to theMinister
forHealth
andChildren,
MrMicheSl TD,questioning
Martin theimpartiality
oftheCommission
onAssisted
Human (CAHR)following
Reproduction completely
thealmost one-sided
nature
of itsrecent
oublic
conference in Dublin
hosted Castle.

Thepanelof speakers
invited
to address voiced
theconference ovenruhelming
support
forreproductive
technologies procedures
including thatentail
thedestruction
of human
embryos,
A similar
opportunity
wasnotafforded to putforward
to thosewishing ethical
approaches
to infertility
suchasNaPro
Technology,
whichhelpcouples
to conceive
ina lesstraumatic
manner
whilerespecting
human
life.

CAHR'sdecision
to ignore of public
thediversity opiniononanissueofsuchfundamental
importance
is inexcusable
andrepresents onitspart.
a majormiscalculation

CAHRwasestablished to prepare
bytheMinister onpossible
a report approaches
to theregulation
of allaspects
of assisted reproduction
human andthesocial,
ethical
andlegalfactors
to betakenintoaccount public
indetermining policy
inthisarea.
presented
lf thefinalreport isto haveanycredibility,
to Government immediate
corrective
action
mustbetakento demonstrate approach
aneven-handed
onthepartoftheCommission.

Onewayof redressing
someoftheimbalancewouldbeforCAHRto hostanother
public
forumwhereindividuals
ofthecalibre
of Professor
LeonKass,Chairman

s
of President
Bush's CouncilonBioethics,aregiventheopportunity
to put
a pro-life
fonruard visionthatseeksto protect humanlife.
ratherthandestroy
Thedecision oftheUSGovernment to withhold
funding fromtheUnited FundforPopulation
Nations
follows
Activities of itsinvolvement
allegations in promoting asa means
abortion of population
controlindeveloping Thishasincreased
countries. pressure to follow
onthelrishGovernment
suitincancellingitsannual
contributionof €1,800,000 agency.
to thecontroversial

WhiletheUNFPA, andinthiscountry,MinisterTomKittstrenuously
denytheclaims, theUSCongress andState Departmenthave
producedevidence showing UNFPA complicityintheChinese "One
policy.
Child" In 1998congressionalhearings recordedevidenceof
forcedsterilisations,
forced andextrajudicial
abortions for
detentions
thosewhodidnotcomply withtheChinese government'spolicy.
Allthis
washappening while theUNFPA wasaiding theChinese population
programme anddenying therewasany coercion.In200'1,
a further
hearingdetermined thatcoercion policy.
wasstilla keypartof Chinese

ThePeruvian Congress
appointed
a Commission similar
to investigate abusesduringPresident
Fujimori's
Alberto Theinvestigation
regime. human
foundsignificant violations
rights the
involving
UNFPA financially,
strategically
andtechnically.
TheMexican National
Human RightsCommission
(NHRC) alsorecently
denouncedUNFPA familyplanning
foritsroleincoercive programmesin Mexico.

&ilh Ap*HmWtmsH
Bercness fi:lary
Warn*ck chaireCtheConnriitee r:fEnquiry intcHurnan andErnbty*logv
F*rtiiisalicn
.ffi|
in ti.re s Tlratr*pci"t fcrnred
thebasrs r:ilegislaition rntheareaof assisled
iirBritain hrman
r"*pi'cductinn.Inrecertiluuseoi Lr:rCs
Se!*ctConrmiilee h*arrngsiinslemccllresearch, shs
apohgrsed forhavrnq reeS:ect
en*oiri"*ged forhuman embryas earlierinheriar*i:t.3hesaid:
"Y*ur:anrlat respecffuflypoursornefiring downthe sinkwhichis thefateof fheembry*
afferrf ftasfte*nusedfor researeft, or if if rs nrstgoingfo foeusedfee'rescarch ar anything
*f 'respecf' wasthat
efse"I f*rrk thatwhatwemeanfby fh* ratk*rfo*listrexpressron
ffteenriyemfuryo silo{.,Id
*everfteuscdfrivoJou sly f*r rese*rclipurps$*$. "

Shamef
uily,Earoness\ffarncck
wa$oileaf thel*arlinggueslspeake
rs ai therccenlCAHR
in DublinCastle.
Confer*nr:e
 uS Femrilntsts
Iaun*h Frffi*ilife
'Wmrm€ffiffi}emmtrww
ffiw€&#rf ffiffiffiffiffi€Wm
TheUS,"'r*sed grulp,F*riirtislsittr'tiftai* t,.:lii*ft.:leiri:liir:
chanipiol ing iom pas*trr:nats niterneliives :c al;'..r'iir-r
i:. Tlir':r1
arsa!sn1*adinlt tnewfiyin exi:inrir":,: sf pr*;eritrrflihe
r1';ffii*
-ile
prc^iile
messagc t0 a mcrsccni*riiicratialCi*n,:e
Wrsnten i)eszt,;cSefit:rtani:aiEnrs;llc l;iesl iti a i,ili;{rs
EsmyAwrrd winningtuto.
ri naiian-wiri* i:*ingpni"rcl*cibi; Fll" F0rit'tct*
inilieirv*s
frftn'rh fqgt@ut Chiii
n chcck sut wv,rw
infr:rmatra "f* mi ni sfsf*rfif*.arg

Ofalltheimportant thepro-life
facing
challenges movement
overthecomingyears, noneis moreimportant
thandevelopinga comprehensive
education
strategy outto thepublic
reaching witha messageof respect
forlifeandcareforwomen.

wemustreach
While outtoallagegroupsandsectors themostatriskareyoung
ofsociety, people. They
aremostlikelyto comefacetofacewiththedifficulties pregnancy
of unexpected theirpeergroup
within
andarealsotheonesmostaggressively targetedbythosewhowishto seeabortionlegalised
in lreland.

Withthisin mind, thePLCis proposing to develop essayandresearch

anannual competitiononthevalue
of human lifeforTransitionYearstudents. Thecompetition
willrequire to writeanessay,
students or
engage insomepractical research witha viewto deepening ofthevalueof human
theirunderstanding life.
It is hopedto havethisinitiative
upand runninginschools
bythestartof thenext
academic year.

ThePLCencourages its supportersfo assistin whateverwaytheycanin developing

project.
this veryworthwhile
 HonoraryPresident
DesHanafin

ffifllv,Llr*
Chairperson
DrJoeMcoaroll
DeputyChairpecon
Puilishedby thePrcLifeCanpaign, l\4arieVemon
34 GardirerStrcetUWr, Dublin1.
LegalAdviser
Tel:01-8748090 Far 01-8748M
Prcfessor
William
Binchy
Enail: ptoli6@indigo.
ie
Webste : w.Wec4ryaign.ie iredical Adviser
DrBerryKiely
LegalConsullant
Caroline
Simons
Secretary
JohnO'Reilly
Educationofficers
GeEldineMartinSRN& Dr RuthCullen

PLGts new
3 Gard Gampaign
$ slmplesfeps- srgn'em"sfamp'emandsend'em/
ThepushbyEUfederalists to havetheCharter
onFundamentalRights andotherquestionable
clauses
incorporated intoa legally
binding poses
constitution protection
to lreland's
realdangers of theunborn.Sodoes
thethreatof taxpayers'moneybeingusedto funddestructive
researchonhuman embryos. Addedto thatis the
issueof lreland'sannualcontribution
of€1,800,000
totheUNFPA, despite association
theagency's withcoercive
abortionpractices inChinaandothercountries.

Aspreviously
mentioned,
thechallenges
wefaceareimmensebutnotinsurmountable.Weknowwecannot
achieve
everything -
at once sothekeyto practical inthefuturewillbea stepbystepapproach.
advances

Thatis whyweareasking youto takepartimmediately

intheProLifeCampaign'snew3 CardCampaign
to bring
maximum political
pressureto bearontheissues
alluded postcard
to abovebywayof a nation-wide campaign
focussing
theattention
of ourelectedrepresentatives.

Theeffectiveness
of thecampaignwilldepend
onhowwecollectively respondto thechallenge.lf eachperson
reading
Birthright
signs,stamps,andsendsthethreecardsto theirlocalTD(s)and persuadesfamily,friendsand
acquaintances
to dolikewise,
wewillcreate
sufficient
momentum leadingto concretepolitical
results.I strongly
urgeyouto playyourpartinthisimportant
campaign!

Foradditionalpostcardsor information,pleasetakethe timeto call our officetoday-

or emailusat prolife@indigo.ie
Iel'.01-8748090

Manythanks
Geraldine
Martin

Making a subscription
ff you wishto makea financialcontributionto thePro LifeCampaign,pleasefill in the eouponandretum it to the addresslisted below- thankyou!
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