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FEATURED NEWS
ARTICLES
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Editor’s Note: The following excerpts are
taken from the week’s news around the world all relating to family and family
policy. By clicking on the following links, you may read the entire
article from its source. Our intent is to help our readers remain current
on the state of the family in the world today. The positions taken and
choice of wording and advocacy belong to the authors of the articles; inclusion
here does not imply endorsement by the
1. Press Conference
on Presentation of ‘Petition for the Unborn Child’
United Nations News
December 12, 2008
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights had been “sullied” by the
addition of “supposed” new rights -- notably the right to abortion -- and
United Nations treaty monitoring bodies were at the forefront in causing harm
by “ordering” Governments to change their laws, Austin Ruse of the Catholic
Family and Human Rights Institute said at Headquarters today.
At a press conference sponsored by the Permanent Mission of the United
States, Mr. Ruse described the actions of those entities as an “assault on
human rights, national sovereignty and international law”. He was
accompanied by panellists Wendy Wright of Concerned Women for America; Noelia
García Ayuele of the Institute for Family Policy; Beverly Rice of United
Families International; Lech Bosek of the Polish Federation of Pro-Life Groups;
and Martha de Casco, a Member of Parliament from Honduras. They were in
New York to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and present a petition on the rights of the unborn child.
Mr. Ruse said the petition presented today urged States to recall the
original words -- and understanding -- of the Universal Declaration. It
was organized around six points: the right to life (article 16); the
right of men and women alone to marry and found a family (article 16); the
concept of family as the fundamental unit of society (article 16); the
entitlement of motherhood and childhood to special care and assistance (article
25); and the prior right of parents to educate their children (article 26).
He went on to say that the petition, launched 60 days ago in response to
another drive calling for the recognition of abortion in United Nations
documents, had gathered more than 500,000 signatures from 168 countries thus
far. Some 300,000 had been added since last Friday and the goal was to
have 1 million names by the convening of the next General Assembly session, at
which time the petitioners would request that it take action.
Taking the floor next, Ms. De Casco said article 16 of the Declaration
established that men and women had a right to marry and found a family, and
thus, were entitled to protection by society and the State. As such, it
was no surprise that the word family was mentioned six times throughout the
Declaration. Family based on marriage was not an “accidental social
construction”; marriage and family had their own inalienable rights. When
the family was broken, serious individual issues arose which weakened the State
as it had to provide for the family one way or another. There was a need
to promote family through political, socio-economic and legal measures.
To
view the entire article, visit http://www.un.org/News/briefings/docs//2008/081210_Petition.doc.htm
Related Article
Pill to be Given out by Chemists
BBC News
December 10, 2008
A pilot scheme allowing pharmacists to give women
the contraceptive pill without a prescription has been given the go-ahead for
next year.
Women and girls aged over 16 will be able to get
the pill at two London primary care trusts, Southwark and Lewisham, Pulse
magazine says.
If the pilots are successful, the pill could
become available over the counter like the morning after pill.
Officials say this might help reduce the UK's high
teen pregnancies.
Although the teenage pregnancy rate in Britain is
falling in many areas, it remains the highest in Western Europe.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said:
"We want to improve women's access to contraception and help reduce the
number of unintended pregnancies without undermining patient safety.
"Pilots like these will help to show whether
supplying contraception through pharmacies is effective in reducing unintended
pregnancies."
To
view the entire article, visit http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7773894.stm
................
2. N.J. Should Allow Same-Sex Marriage, Commission Urges
Boston.com
December 11, 2008
PHILADELPHIA - New Jersey should follow two other
states and allow same-sex couples to marry, rather than just enter into civil
unions as state law currently permits, a commission recommended yesterday.
In a report
that could lead to New Jersey legalizing gay marriage, the Civil Union Review
Commission said same-sex couples cannot achieve equality with heterosexual
couples if their legal status is restricted to civil unions.
Full marriage is the only way to meet a state
constitutional requirement for equality, said the 13-member panel of public
officials, clergy, lawyers, and same-sex marriage advocates.
The panel was picked by the governor, other state
officials, and state agencies and charged with evaluating New Jersey's civil
union law. Its recommendation, reached after 18 months of study, was unanimous.
"The commission finds that the separate
categorization established by the Civil Union Act invites and encourages
unequal treatment of same-sex couples and their children," the panel said
in a 79-page report.
Citing "overwhelming evidence," it said
"civil unions will not be recognized by the general public as the
equivalent of marriage in New Jersey."
New Jersey's state Supreme Court ruled in 2006
that same-sex couples are entitled to the same civil rights as heterosexual
couples, but it declined to say whether a same-sex union should be called
marriage. The court handed the question to the state legislature, which created
the civil union law in 2007.
The commission's report may now revive legislative
efforts to legalize gay marriage, said Joseph Roberts, speaker of the
Democrat-controlled Assembly.
"Same-sex marriage in New Jersey is only a
matter of 'when', not 'if,'” Roberts said in a statement. "The report should spark a renewed sense
of purpose and urgency to overcoming one of society's last remaining barriers
to full equality for all residents."
To view the entire article, visit http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/12/11/nj_should_allow_same_sex_marriage_commission_urges/
Related Article
Gay Group Organizes
'Pink Christmas' in Amsterdam, Manger with 2 Josephs and 2 Marys
Star Tribune
December 8, 2008
AMSTERDAM, Netherlands - A Dutch gay group said
Monday it has planned a "Pink Christmas" festival for the first time
in Amsterdam, featuring a manger stall with two Josephs and two Marys.
Other attractions in the 10-day festival include
parties, an open-air market, gay-themed films, an ice skating rink and
religious services on Dec. 25.
ProGay group chairman Frank van Dalen said Monday
the event is intended to increase the choices for homosexual men and women
during the Christmas holiday week.
"Right now, there's not much to do," he
said.
The festival will also encourage people to think
about homosexuality and religion, Van Dalen added.
Some Christian groups protested. The organization
Christians for Truth said the idea "mocks the core concepts of
Evangelism."
"By putting Joseph and Mary down as
homosexuals, a cracked human fantasy is being tacked on to history from the
Bible," the organization said in a statement urging the city and
organizers to cancel the event.
The manger, with actors playing the parts of
Joseph and Mary, goes on display Dec. 21.
Van Dalen said it was not intended to be
offensive, but was meant as a "wink" at heterosexual assumptions.
To view the entire article, visit http://www.startribune.com/world/35705854.html
................
3. Puberty Delaying
Drugs Could Help Gender-Confused Teens
Yahoo News
December 6, 2008
London, Dec 6 (ANI): Young
teenagers who have extreme gender identity disorder should be given
puberty-blocking drugs to save them from experiencing distressing changes to
their bodies which they perceive to be out of line with their true gender.
This is for the first time
that the Endocrine Society has drafted international guidelines on the
controversial issue, with the hope that delaying puberty would provide young
teens with valuable thinking time, where they can decide if they want to begin
gender reassignment using cross-sex hormones at the age of 16.
And thus, the strategy would
make it easier for them to live in their chosen gender. For example, potential
male-to-female transsexuals will not have developed the deep voice, facial
changes and body hair associated with adult masculinity.
The guidelines also noted that
gender-reassignment surgery should be avoided until the age of 18.
"We recommend that
adolescents who fulfill eligibility and readiness criteria for gender
reassignment initially undergo treatment to suppress pubertal
development," New Scientist quoted the guidelines as saying.
To view the entire article, visit http://in.news.yahoo.com/139/20081206/981/tsc-puberty-delaying-drugs-could-help-ge.html
................
4. Dim Economy Drives Women to Donate Eggs for Profit
CNN News
NEW YORK (CNN) --
With a full load of classes, two young children and her bills piling up,
Michelle decided to face her economic straits in a pretty unorthodox way.
As the nation's
economy is slumping, some fertility clinics say interest in donating has
surged.
She is donating her
eggs to an infertile couple.
"The cost of
living is crazy right now, with two kids, gas prices and rent. ... I'm living
paycheck to paycheck," said the 24-year-old, who did not give her last
name to protect her identity. "I just really need the money to finish
school."
Michelle is not
alone. As the nation's economy is slumping, some fertility clinics say interest
in donating has surged.
"We are seeing
an increase in inquiries, but we're not sure if it's due to the economy or
increased awareness," said Dr. Susan Willman, a reproductive
endocrinologist at the Reproductive Science Center of the Bay Area. In July
2007, the Reproductive Science Center received 120 calls inquiring about egg
donation. This year, that number jumped to 158 calls.
"We are so
inundated right now," said Robin von Halle, president of Alternative
Reproductive Resources.
Von Halle said that
30 to 50 inquiries a day from potential donors come in to her Chicago,
Illinois, agency, which connects would-be parents with donors and surrogates. A
year ago, it would have been 10 to 30, she said.
Talking to other
people in the field has convinced von Halle that applications from potential
donors are up "across the board."
The increase in
inquiries correlates with tough economic times, von Halle said. "I know
that's why they call us, for that financial remuneration," she said.
"They don't like to openly admit that, but some people are saying
that."
To view the entire
article, visit http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/08/05/selling.eggs/
................
5. Florida
University Employees Angry About Campus Ban on Christmas Decorations
FOX News
November 25, 2008
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Employees at Florida Gulf Coast University
are protesting a campus ban on Christmas decorations in common spaces.
The Staff Advisory
Council voted on Monday to send university leaders a letter explaining
employees' concerns.
The university
administration said employees can decorate their desks but not common areas.
It also canceled a
greeting card design contest and renamed a giving tree for needy preschoolers a
"giving garden."
In a memo to faculty
and staff last week, President Wilson Bradshaw said public institutions
"often struggle with how best to observe the season in ways that honor and
respect all traditions."
To view the entire
article, visit http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,457215,00.html