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Birt,ir rithe newsletter of the Pro Life Campaign

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The Pro Life Campaign isa non-denominational lobbygroup, drawing its supportfrom a wide cross-sectionof lrish society.

The Campaign promoiespro-life education anddefends human l i fe at al lstages from conceptionto natural death.

ll also campaigns forresources to supportand assist pregnant womenand those in need ofheal ing after abort ion.

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Sin6ad Gleeson and Cora Sher lockat the recent PLC AGIV.

Building a cuiture of l i fe involves changing social trends and that takes t ime.

To stay lhe course, we must pace ourselves. The pro-iife community is here for

the long haul. We need courage and strength to climb back up after the setbacks

along the way.

But we also need the unwavering hope that allows us perceive the incredibleposit ive developments breaking out worldwide. The denial of the unborn, the whole

rationale for legalised abort ion, is deflat ing l ike a punctured balloon. Even David

Steele, architect of Britain's Abortion Act, now acknowledges the law needs

changing, i t didn't turn out as he expected. In the US, too, the abort ion lobby

is on the defensive - Congress has banned part ial birth abort ion.

As a recent article in the Economist acknowledged, "the pro-life movement has

repeatedly out-manoeuvred the other side... A decade ago, pro-l i fers were seen

as cranks... Today the picture is very different." lt cites recent surveys of college

freshmen in the US showing a marked decrease in support for legalised abort ion.

The tide is turning there. And what's happening there today happens here tomorrow.

Not that we should underestimate the challenges ahead. The threats are numerous

and real, ranging from possible legal challenEes to the constitut ional protection of

the unborn child to the funding of destrucl ive research on l iving human embryos.Yet, the posit ive international developments strengthen our abil i ty to meet the

challenges here at home. They show that progress on these issues comes one

steo at a t ime.

In the coming months the Pro Life Campaign wil l work t irelessly and imaginatively,

re-energising and restructuring the organisation root-and-branch. There are many

reasons to be upbeat about the future but i t wil l require a lot of committed people

stepping up to the mark to make it al l happen.

Abortion is a reflectionthat we have not met

,the needs of women.

-Women deserve betterthan abortion. 'l'

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Fewer women travelling for abortionsThe latest abortion figures published by the British Department of Health'show a reduction in the

number of lrish women travelling to Britain for abortion. ln 2003 some 6,320 women travelled, down

from 6,522 in the previous year. This is the second consecutive year lrish abortions declined after

over a decade of upward trends.

Hopefully, the reduction signals the tide is turning in the right direction. The figures, however,

remain high, allowing no room for complacency.

One possible explanation for the reduction is the 2002 abortion. referendum. lrrespective of how

people actually voted, the debate and the publicity provided an opportunity to reflect on the dignity

of human life and the humanity of the unborn child.

The figure of 181,582 abortions for the same period on residents of England and Wales

represents 29.2o/" of live-births, roughly 3 times higher than the rate in lreland.

'Statistical Builetin, Summary Abottion Statistics, England and Wales: 2A03

Hopes of patients cruellyexploited in stem cell debateEmbryonic stem cell research is increasingly becoming a hot political issue. Much of the rhetoric andpublic discourse to date has focussed on the potential of such research in finding cures for chronicdiseases and disabilities. lt is misleading to the point of cruelty to raise false hopes by claiming thatstem-cell-based therapies are just around the corner, provided funding for research is made available.In fact, rnost leading scientists in the field have made it clear that it's likely to take decades before anysuch cures are found. In any event, embryonic stem cell research involves the destruction of humanlife at its fragile beginnings, making it entirely unacceptable from an ethical standpoint.

In the context of the Commission on Assisted Reproduction's Fleport, the Government has a constitutionalobligation to delend human embryos from harm here and in the EU. Funding should only be given toadull stem-cell reseatch, which is scientifically promising and ethically non-controversial. The Governmenlshould commit itself to making lreland a centre of excellence for adult stem-cell research and in doingso unapologetically respect the dignity of every human life.

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GPA produces ideologicallymotivated surveyThe Crisis Pregnancy Agency recently published a survey on abort ion. l t is best described as sloppy

and misleading. The f indings run contrary to most other surveys on att i tudes to aborl ion in ireland.

The uridely pubiicised telephone survey claims more than two{hircis of 1B-45 year olds favour abort ion

in some circumstances. l t also al leges 51oo support abort ion on demand and another 39o,; support

abori ion in certain circumstances.

Were it accurate. t t would mean lr ish ati i tr-;des to aboi"t icn are much more permisslve than countries

l ike Britain and ihe US where abort ion is vEidely avaiiabie. This is simply not the case.

The unrel labi l i lSr 91 ttt ' ) . of ihe sitrvey Siems in part from the framlng of some questions. Thus. thequestion on abort ion "wherethe pregnaney seriousl,v endangered ihe'woman's heaith'does n+r qLral i fy

whether or not i t refers to current medical practice in lreiand involving interventions in pregnancy to save

th-o iife of the mcther. where si,ery attempt is also macie to preserve ii-re life of ti:e unborn. There is a

huge dist inction between such ethical procedures anC indiiced abo{irn. r lhich Cireci l 'y targets ine l i fe

of the unborn. Any sLrrvey lvhich ignores this dist inctjon i ,vi i l grve spL:r ' ious resuits.

The Crisis Pregnancy Agene'r- ' 's remit is i* heip r.educe ine incrCence of abort ion. !t 's hrgh t inre ihey

started doing ihai insieacj oi .r astrng t ime ancl money on ideologicai ly rnotivateci surveys.

EU undermines US embargoby awardimg UNFPA $75mThe EU has earmarked an additional US$75 million for the United Nations Population Fund(UNFPA) to override Washington's ongoing embargo on contributions to the UN agency. Since 2000,

the US has refused the $34 million normally given to UNFPA because of its support for China's

one-child/coercive abortion policies which violate US foreign aid restrictions. The EU's $75 million

allocation is in addition to the U5$233 million it has already contributed to the UNFPA budget.

The Pro Life Campaign continues to lobby the lrish Government demanding a cessation

of lrish funding to the UNFPA.

Published by the Pro Life Campaign,34 Gardiner Streel Upper, Dublin 1,Tel: 01-8748090 Fax: 01- 8748094Email: proli le@indigo.ieWebsite: ww.prolitecampaign.ie

Fr* tife. . : . i V F I : G i l

Honorary PresidentDes Hanafin

Chairper$nDr J@ Mccaroll

Deputy ChairpersonCora Sherlock

Legal AdviserProfessorWilliam Binchy

Medical AdviserDr Berry Kiely

Legal ConsultanlCaroline Simons

SffretaryJohn O'Reilly

Education OtficersGeraldine [,lartin gRN & Dr Ruth Cullen

The Pro Life Campaign needs all the support it can get to bring its message to the wider community.

Perhaps you are willing to devote some of your free time to finding new ways of bringing the pro-lifemessage to your community? Perhaps you are willing to make a small financial commitment tosecure the implementation of the Pro Life Campaign programme over the next three years?Perhaps you have your own ideas on how you can best help the campaign?

Regardless of how you wish to help, please take the time to call us todayand we will send you more details.

Please remember the PLG in your WillProviding for your family will be the most important part of your Will. lf you are then in a position to leave something

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