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is TheProLifeCampaign lobby a non-denominational group, itssupport drawing froma widecross-section of lrishsociety. promoies TheCampaign pro-life and education human lifeat all defends fromconception stages to natural death. for ll alsocampaigns resources to support pregnant women andassist andthosein needof healing afterabortion.
*$e* Ss**$*€* s€G*w*ffi*ffi€ S i n 6 a dG l e e s o na n d C o r aS h e r l o c k at the recentPLC AGIV.
Building socialtrendsandthattakestime. a cuiture of lifeinvolves changing is herefor Thepro-iife community Tostaylhe course,we mustpaceourselves. to climbbackup afterthesetbacks the longhaul.We needcourageandstrength alongtheway. the incredible Butwe alsoneedthe unwavering hopethatallowsus perceive positive thewhole Thedenialof theunborn, developments breaking outworldwide. balloon. EvenDavid rationale for legalised likea punctured is deflating abortion, the lawneeds Act,nowacknowledges Steele,architect Abortion of Britain's lobby In theUS,too,theabortion changing, it didn'tturnoutas he expected. partial is on thedefensiveCongress birthabortion. hasbanned "thepro-life movement has As a recentarticlein the Economist acknowledged, wereseen repeatedly A decadeago,pro-lifers out-manoeuvred theotherside... as cranks... lt citesrecentsurveysof college Todaythepictureis verydifferent." in support forlegalised abortion. freshmen in theUSshowing decrease a marked heretomorrow. Thetideis turning theretodayhappens there.Andwhat'shappening Thethreats arenumerous Notthatwe shouldunderestimate ahead. thechallenges protection to theconstitutional of andreal,ranging frompossible legalchallenEes research on livinghumanembryos. theunborn childto thefunding of destruclive to meetthe Yet,thepositive strengthen ourability international developments on theseissuescomesone challenges hereat home.Theyshowthatprogress steoat a time. willworktirelessly andimaginatively, In thecomingmonths theProLifeCampaign Therearemany re-energising root-and-branch. andrestructuring theorganisation people reasons a lotof committed to be upbeataboutthefuturebutit willrequire stepping upto themarkto makeit allhappen.
Abortion is a reflection that we have not met ,the needs of women. -Women deservebetter than abortion. 'l' ':
Fewer women travelling for abortions The latestabortionfigurespublished in the by the BritishDepartment of Health'showa reduction numberof lrishwomentravelling to Britainfor abortion.ln 2003some6,320womentravelled, down yearlrishabortionsdeclinedafter from6,522in thepreviousyear.Thisis the secondconsecutive overa decadeof upwardtrends. Hopefully, the reduction signalsthe tideis turningin the rightdirection. Thefigures,however, remainhigh,allowingno roomfor complacency. for the reductionis the 2002abortion. lrrespective Onepossibleexplanation referendum. of how peopleactuallyvoted,the debateandthe publicityprovidedan opportunity to reflecton the dignity of humanlife andthe humanityof the unbornchild. Thefigureof 181,582abortions for the sameperiodon residents of EnglandandWales represents 29.2o/" roughly3 timeshigherthanthe ratein lreland. of live-births, 'StatisticalBuiletin, SummaryAbottionStatistics,Englandand Wales:2A03
Hopes of patients cruelly exploited in stem cell debate Embryonic stemcellresearch is increasingly issue.Muchof therhetoric becoming a hotpolitical and publicdiscourse to datehasfocussed infindingcuresforchronic onthepotential of suchresearch lt is misleading diseases anddisabilities. to thepointofcruelty to raisefalsehopesbyclaiming that provided stem-cell-based therapies arejustaround funding forresearch is madeavailable. thecorner, Infact,rnostleading scientists inthefieldhavemadeit clearthatit'slikelyto takedecades beforeany suchcuresarefound.Inanyevent,embryonic involves thedestruction of human stemcellresearch lifeat itsfragile making beginnings, it entirely unacceptable fromanethical standpoint. Inthecontext oftheCommission onAssisted hasa constitutional Reproduction's Fleport, theGovernment obligation to delend human embryos fromharmhereandintheEU.Funding should onlybegivento promising adullstem-cell reseatch, whichis scientifically non-controversial. TheGovernmenl andethically shouldcommititselfto makinglreland research a centreof excellence foradultstem-cell andin doing so unapologetically respect thedignityof everyhumanlife.
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GPA produces ideologically motivated survey TheCrisisPregnancy published Agencyrecently lt is bestdescribed as sloppy a surveyon abortion. andmisleading. Thefindings runcontrary in ireland. to mostothersurveys on attitudes to aborlion pubiicised Theuridely telephone yearoldsfavourabortion surveyclaimsmorethantwo{hircis of 1B-45 in somecircumstances. lt alsoalleges andanother 39o,; 51oosupport abortion on demand support aboriion in certain circumstances. Wereit accurate. tt wouldmeanlrishatiitr-;des to aboi"ticn aremuchmorepermisslve thancountries likeBritain andihe USwhereabortion is vEidely Thisis simplynotthecase. avaiiabie. TheunrellabililSr 91ttt'). of ihe sitrvey Siemsin partfromtheframlng of somequestions. Thus.the "wherethe question pregnaney on abortion seriousl,v heaith'does endangered ihe'woman's n+rqLralify whether or notit refersto current practice medical in pregnancy in lreiand involving interventions to save th-oiifeof themcther.wheresi,eryattemptis alsomacieto preserve Thereis a ii-relifeof ti:e unborn. procedures hugedistinction between suchethical abo{irn.rlhichCirecil'y targets anCindiiced ine life of theunborn. AnysLrrvey lvhichignores grvespL:r'ious thisdistinctjon i,viil resuits. TheCrisisPregnancy remitis i* heipr.educe Agene'r-''s !t'shrghtinreihey ine incrCence of abortion. started doingihaiinsieacj oi .rastrng timeanclmoneyon ideologicaily rnotivateci surveys.
EU undermines US embargo by awardimg UNFPA $75m TheEU hasearmarked an additional US$75millionfor the UnitedNationsPopulation Fund (UNFPA) to override Washington's ongoingembargo to the UNagency. on contributions Since2000, the US hasrefused the$34millionnormally givento UNFPAbecause of itssupportfor China's policies one-child/coercive abortion whichviolateUSforeignaid restrictions. TheEU's$75million allocation is in addition to the U5$233millionit hasalreadycontributed to the UNFPAbudget. TheProLifeCampaign continues to lobbythe lrishGovernment demanding a cessation of lrishfundingto the UNFPA.
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Published bytheProLifeCampaign, StreelUpper,Dublin1, 34 Gardiner Tel:01-8748090 Fax:01-8748094 prolile@indigo.ie Email: Website: ww.prolitecampaign.ie
Honorary President DesHanafin Chairper$n DrJ@ Mccaroll DeputyChairperson CoraSherlock LegalAdviser ProfessorWilliam Binchy Medical Adviser Dr BerryKiely LegalConsultanl Caroline Simons Sffretary JohnO'Reilly Education Otficers Geraldine [,lartingRN& Dr RuthCullen
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