'This is Now the World's Pro-Life March!' International Pro-Life Leaders Come to US Capitol to Protest Aggressive US Anti-Life Policies
FRONT ROYAL, Va., Jan. 18 /Christian Newswire/ -- International Pro-Life leaders from Africa, Europe, South America, Asia and Oceania have come to the nation's capitol to stand in solidarity with their American brothers and sisters and protest the radical expansion of anti-life policies under the Obama administration. They will speak at a conference on January 22 at the Washington Court Hotel in Washington, D.C. before joining the hundreds of thousands of other pro-lifers in the March for Life.
"America's March for Life is now the world's March for Life," said Joseph Meaney, Director of International Coordination for Human Life International (HLI). "It has become the world's pro-life protest because of the aggressive promotion of abortion and population control that is now official policy of the United States, thanks to the administration of President Barack Obama."
"This is not only the anniversary of Roe v. Wade, which has led to the destruction of almost 50 million American children," said Dr. Ligaya Acosta, HLI Regional Coordinator for Asia and Oceania. "This is now the anniversary of President Obama's allowing Americans' taxpayer funds to be used to promote abortion and other assaults on life in my own country of the Philippines, in Africa, in China... all over the world where 40 million babies are killed every year. It is wrong and we are here to tell him and Congress to stop paying to kill our children!"
Dr. Acosta was referring to President Obama's January 23rd, 2009 reversal of the Mexico City Policy, which had, under the Reagan and both Bush administrations, restricted the use of federal funds to support any organization that promoted or performed abortion abroad. In December, this reversal allowed Congress to pass an omnibus spending bill, signed by President Obama, which included almost $ 700 million for abortion-promoting organizations internationally.
"We are tired of the arrogant American government trying to tell us how many children we should have," said Emil Hagamu, HLI's regional coordinator for English-speaking Africa. "President Obama is of Kenyan descent. How can he do this to his own people?"
"These aggressive policies are undeniably hurting America's stature with the people of the world, even if they help America appeal to the cruel international elites who want to run everything," said Raymond DeSouza, HLI's coordinator for Portuguese-speaking nations. "When international aid is tied to abortion, it's like holding a nation hostage, telling them that children are bad, which translates into hopelessness for the future. This is a terrible violence against the families and children of the developing world."
Information on HLI's "The Fight for Life Around the World" mini-conference can be found at www.hli.org/index.php/component/content/749? task=view.
HLI's International Regional Coordinators will be available for interviews around the time of the March for Life on January 22.
MEDIA ONLY Contact Stephen Phelan, Communications Manager for Human Life International, to arrange an interview.
Human Life International: Creating effective opposition to the culture of death around the world. Founded in 1981, HLI is the world's largest pro-life organization and has affiliates in over 100 countries on six continents.
UPDATED - DETAILS CONFIRMED FOR HLI's "THE FIGHT FOR LIFE AROUND THE WORLD" MINI-CONFERENCE ON JANUARY 22, 2010
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Fr. Thomas Euteneuer HLI President |
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George Wirnkar HLI Regional Coordinator, Francophone Africa |
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Dr. Ligaya Acosta HLI Regional Coordinator, Asia and Oceania |
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Joseph Meaney Director of International Coordination |
Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer and HLI's international regional coordinators (including Dr. Ligaya Acosta, Raymond deSouza, and George Wirnkar) will be speaking at "THE FIGHT FOR LIFE AROUND THE WORLD" HLI mini-conference at the 2010 March for Life in Washington, DC on the morning of Friday, January 22nd (before the Rally and March).
Also speaking will be editor of LifeSite News, John-Henry Westen.
Come and be inspired by these valiant pro-life missionaries, hear their stories first-hand, and hear Fr. Euteneuer discuss the spiritual nature of the fight for life around the world!
Where: The Washington Court Hotel in Washington, D.C. The event will be held in the Grand Ballroom on the Lower Level
Click Here to View Map of Washington Court Hotel (Across from the March for Life conference at the Hyatt, only four blocks from the rally on Capitol Mall)
When: Friday, January 22, 2010 - 8:45 a.m. until noon. (Just before the Rally on the Mall)
Who: All HLI Supporters and Pro-Life friends are invited to a rare opportunity to hear the voices of pro-life leaders from Africa, America, Asia, Latin America and Europe - all in one presentation!
What's happening? There will be two presentations. At 9:00 a.m. hear about the fight for life around the world and how we as Americans affect other countries from five of Human Life International's regional coordinators. At 11:00 hear HLI President Fr. Thomas J. Euteneuer discuss the spiritual nature of the battle for life, sounding a clarion call to all who value life to put on the armor of Christ and defend life from conception until natural death.
There is no charge to attend. No registration necessary. Coffee and light refreshments will be served.
