Global Monitor

POPULATION WAR ON AFRICAN CONTINENT:

Population control organizations have targeted Africa as a major focus of their efforts in the Third World. Organizations such as The World Bank, the United Nations Population Fund, The World Health Organization and the United States Agency for International Development have been assisted in their efforts by other international organizations, non-governmental agencies and government. Utilizing Kenya as a model for the investigation of African population control programs, it is obvious that very generous funding of contraception, sterilization and abortion is provided in those areas.

Kenya:

From 1974 through 1989, the World Bank sponsored three population control projects in Kenya. The consecutive costs of the program were $38.3 million, $54.5 million and $28.3 million. Organizations assisting in this project were the Government of Kenya, the Swedish International Development Authority (SIDA), the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), the United States Agency for International Development (AID), the British Overseas Development (ODA), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) (pp. 296-297).1

In this effort, contraceptive programs were integrated with the delivery of maternal and child health care in order to establish a ‘small family norm’ and extend population control efforts to families living in rural areas. Sterilization facilities were established in 13 district hospitals and live birth regulation clinics in urban areas. Non-governmental organizations participating in Kenyan population control efforts were the Family Planning Association of Kenya, the Kenyan women’s organization ‘Maendeleo ya Wanwake’, the National Christian Council of Kenya, the Protestant Churches Medical Association and the Salvation Army (p. 296).

In addition, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) committed $10 million to a series of population projects which were activated during 1987-90. Among the projects completed were the introduction of population and contraceptive education into primary schools, secondary schools and teachers’ training programs; the initiation of contraceptive delivery services in trade unions and work places; the integration of population education and contraceptive services in nutrition and employment programs; and the formulation of government strategies to influence birth regulation decisions within private households (pp. 298-300).

Between 1972-1989, the World Health Organization contributed $5.45 million for research, institutional strengthening and abortifacient (post-ovulatory) fertility reduction methods. The United States Agency for International Development spent a total of $55.8 million for birth regulation and sterilization programs, which were integrated with maternal and child health care. The integrated programs were promoted through religious groups, factories, plantations, health facilities and community organizations (pp. 300-301).

Non-governmental organizations and other assistance involved in the birth regulation project included the ‘Association for Voluntary Surgical Contraception’ which invested Can. $2,910,500 in surgical sterilization of Kenyan citizens between 1986-89. International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) provided a cumulative grant total of $14,256,192 as of 1986, with an estimated amount of $1,086,400 for 1990 and a projected grant of $1,169,300. IPPF’s priority was on the expansion of birth regulation and ‘fertility management’ services for adolescents and youth (pp. 303-304, 307).

International Projects Assistance Services, a distributor of manual vacuum aspirators (MVA), spent a total of $133,827 on the provision of MVA’s for abortion surgeries. John Snow, Inc., a private sector birth regulation program, invested $6,690,000 from 1983-91. Johns Hopkins University furnished $1,085,882 for surgical training in sterilization techniques in 1987-89. The Pathfinder Fund initiated community based projects at a cost of $1,785,183 during 1988-91 (pp. 307, 309-10).

The cumulative total for these population control programs carried out among Kenyans since 1972 by these organizations amounted to $ 219,294,960. This report does not include all population control organizations operating within Kenya.

AMERICA EMBEDDED IN POPULATION STRUGGLE

Argentina:

Argentina’s population policies are being reformulated by government and integrated into socio-economic planning. While UNICEF primary health care networks are being established, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has initiated programs in preparation for new government population programs. The integration of contraceptive distribution with primary health care programs can be expected to occur at a later date.

UNFPA efforts include: training for population census planning and policy making processes, workshops on demographic techniques, the redesign of the socio-demographic statistics system, seminars on constitutional reform and legislative regulation on population issues and the training of health personnel in human reproduction and sex education (p. 17).

The World Health Organization provided $2.9 million for research in behavioral and social determinants of fertility regulation at the Centro de Estudios de Estado y Sociedad, Buenos Aires; the National Research Council, Instituto de Biologia y Medicina; Instituto Biologia y Medicina Experimental; Centro del Estudios de Poblacion; Centro de Biologia de Reproduccion, Rosario; and Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinologicas (p. 17).

IPPF affiliate, Asociacion Argentina dc Proteccion Familiar (AAPF) trains teachers, nurses, doctors, journalists, rural extension workers and social workers. AAPF operates eight clinics, seven of which function through hospitals (p. 18).

The Rockefeller Foundation awarded grants to: the Centro Latinoamericano de Ciencias Sociales to establish a Latin American Regional Program on Population; Universidad National de Cuyo, Institute de Biologia y Medicina Experimental and the National University of Cordoba for biological, medical and clinical research on reproduction and contraception (p. 18).

IPPF in Latin America:

The International Planned Parenthood Federation complains that birth regulation in Latin America and the Caribbean are continuously subject to attack for religious and political reasons. IPPF reports that the Population and Development Project for Elected Leaders in the Western Hemisphere was implemented by the Inter-American Parliamentary Group (IAPG) on Population and Development to address this conflict. The aim of the IAPG is the formulation of public population control policies, backed by legislative requirements and promoted by national legislators within each country.2

The goals of the parliamentarians are the legalization of abortion, contraceptive education in schools and distribution of contraceptives to all age groups. The methods employed by IAPG include the organization of national parliamentary committees on population and development, the inducement of ‘dialogue’ on the issues and the initiation of youth parliaments. The group is incorporated as a non-profit organization under the laws of the State of New York, U.S.A. IAPG provides national legislators with materials and expert assistance on population issues in English and Spanish. The organization promoted the establishment of national parliamentary committees in Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and the United States (p. 736).

Columbia Education Alert:

Governments, interested in the integration of population control and health programs, will note the aggressive Colombian Health Education Initiative. Although Colombian government lacks an explicit population policy, UNFPA reports that Colombian social policy focuses on the integration of employment, health and education policies. In this interest, which includes a population education component in formal and non-formal education programs, UNFPA provided financial assistance in the amount of $4.8 million dollars in 1988-89 (p. 123).

Colombian youth have been mobilized to carry out the national policy, Equity in Health through an innovative educational program titled Escuela Nueva, ‘the New School’. Escuela Nueva is described as dealing with the ‘real life’ of pupils and their families, particularly in rural areas, by promoting integrated health/population education policies through community schools.3

Eight thousand ‘New Schools’ with an enrollment of 320,000 children and 10,000 teachers now feature health learning centers where students receive ‘health messages’. Long range plans are intended to expand the Escuela Nueva program to an additional 15,000 schools and 600,000 children per year. The entire teaching force of the nation’s elementary schools have been required to attend four one-week in-service training sessions in order to carry out the Escuela Nueva program. Eighty-five percent of all science teachers at the secondary level have already completed training.4

Mexican President and MEXFAM:

Mexican President Carlos Salinas de Gortari granted a special audience to members of the Administrative Council of the Family Planning Association of Mexico (MEXFAM) in July, 1989.5

The MEXFAM associates, led by Mariano Soni and Andriart Lajous, described “the enormous need” for birth regulation in the country. President Salinas mirrored their concern, “Our goal is to achieve a population growth rate of 1 percent by the year 2000. Authorities in both the health and education fields will respond to this priority, and I will personally supervise …”6

“I recognize MEXFAM’s ground-breaking efforts,” said President Salinas to the MEXFAM associates, and added: “MEXFAM, as an organization, has made it easier for all parties to address family planning issues and will remain a pioneer in this field. I am offering to share responsibility and to continue to dialogue.…”7

Philippines:

Johns Hopkins University Population Communication Services (JHUIPCS) conducted a multi-media campaign directed toward young people in the Philippines. The Population Center Foundation of the Philippines carried out the project with the assistance of JHU/PCS (pp. 171-4).8

The first phase was based on the popularizing of two music videos promoting “sexual responsibility”: the first song “That Situation” sung by Lea Salonga and a Puerto Rican group ‘Menudo’; the second, a song titled “I Still Believe,” sung by Lea and Charlie Masso. The commercial success of the music videos was assisted through live concerts and the cooperation of radio stations in Metro Manila and Cebu City. Television and radio broadcasts with hard-hitting “crisis spots” were featured to dramatize “peer pressure to have sex, unwanted pregnancy and sexual identity.” Posters, buttons, tours of schools, essay writing and art contests were used to further emphasize the “sexual responsibility” message (pp.171-2).

The songs were then linked to a youth telephone counseling hotline called “Dial-A-Friend” and indirectly to youth information and counseling centers. A direct appeal to use the Dial-A-Friend Service was broadcast by Lea Salonga (p.172).

A subsequent JHU/PCS summary of the project impact, based on before and after sample surveys, indicated that: 90% of the respondents liked the song; 70% interpreted the message “appropriately”; 51% replied that the songs influenced them; 44% discussed the messages with others; and 25% sought information about contraceptives as a result of the songs (p. 172).

An estimated total of $1.38 million worth of corporate sponsorship was donated for the project by Pepsi Cola, Close Up, Nestle, City Club Shirt, Adamson and Adamson, Johnson and Johnson, Caronia, Crown Notebooks, Agca, Nike, Pizza Hut, Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company and others (p. 173).

EUROPEAN POPULATION WAR SPREADS TO EASTERN SECTOR:

International Planned Parenthood Federation has strongly focused its attention on the issue of abortion. IPPF reports that it is working with the World Health Organization and the United Nations Population Fund on an abortion project enunciated at an International conference in Tblisi in October 1990. A regional workshop held in January 1990, focused on the establishment of uniform abortion laws throughout Europe. The propaganda campaign accompanying this effort will describe the health effects of second trimester abortions as resulting from inequitable access to early abortions.9

• Soviet Union: The International Planned Parenthood Federation recently announced the formation of an IPPF associate in the Soviet Union. IPPF provided the Soviet Family and Health Association with contraceptives as well as medical equipment and office supplies.10

Population Communications International revealed that Mayer Laboratories, a United States manufacturer located in Oakland, California, plans to undertake the construction of a manufacturing plant which will produce 225 million condoms in the Soviet Union. The new facility, to be built in partnership with the Ukrainian Ministry of Health will be located in the Kiev area. It is interesting to note that the Ukraine has been the site of continued resistance to Soviet political pressures. There is a possibility that the introduction of the contraceptive methods and mentality will have an effect on the moral fibre of the population, ultimately reducing political resistance.11