February 18, 2005
Volume 7 / Number 7
Dear Colleague:
I just visited Papua New Guinea, and I can report that people there are resisting attempts to impose abortion and population control on their country.
Steven W. Mosher
President
Proclamation of the Conference on Love, Life and Family Held in Vanimo, Papua New Guinea
Population Research Institute President Steve Mosher recently returned from a two-week trip to Australia and Papua New Guinea (PNG). He gave talks and met with Catholic and political leaders, including pro-life members of Australia's parliament. We will be writing a great deal more about the positive developments in Australia soon.
However, one of the less positive developments in that part of the world is an attempt by some in Australia and elsewhere to impose population control on neighboring PNG and her native people. Steve attended the January conference on Love, Life and Family co-sponsored by the diocese of Vanimo and its bishop, Cesare Bonivento; Family Life International; and PRI. We would like to let you know of the stand some people are taking in this small country down under. Here is the proclamation issued by the conference participants, a declaration of resistance to abortion and population control:
Proclamation
1. We believe that human beings are the ultimate resource.
2. We affirm that PNG has abundant undeveloped agricultural and mineral resources, sufficient to support its existing or any projected future population.
3. We believe that population is not a hindrance to economic development, but the indispensable condition of development. Population growth per se is neither an automatic hindrance to development, nor an automatic guarantee of successful growth. Rather, other factors, such as good governance and the creation of an adequate infrastructure, are far more important.
4. We believe that the example of Uganda and the Philippines, not to mention common sense, dictate that abstinence and marital fidelity are the only way that sexual transmission of HIV/AIDS can be stopped.
5. We believe that abortion is the taking of a human life, and should remain illegal. Illegal abortionists should be vigorously prosecuted. The trauma of abortion causes significant physical, psychological, and spiritual harm to women.
For these reasons, we the participants in the first PNG conference on Love, Life and Family respectfully call upon:
6. the government of PNG to reject population control programs imposed from abroad and to urge donor nations to redirect giving to programs that promote economic development.
7. the Ministry of Health of PNG to vigorously promote NFP in lieu of dangerous and sometimes irreversible methods involving chemical or surgical sterilizations.
More to come in future weekly briefings.
