World Family Policy Center News
7/29/02

Volume 1, Issue 13

The following excerpts are highlights of current events and do not necessarily represent the views of the World Family Policy Center or Brigham Young University.

 

 

FROM THE WFPC

 

SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF THE FOURTH ANNUAL WORLD FAMILY POLICY FORUM 

"Human Rights, Social Ecology, and the Family"

 

Dear reader,


On July 17, 2002, the Center completed its fourth annual World Family Policy Forum.  We had the privilege of hosting approximately 60 UN representatives and other governmental officials from around the world.  The conference was three days of productive and engaging discussion about the Family.  While we cannot open the proceedings themselves to the public, we will be making many of the presented papers available to you on our website and highlighting individual papers here in our newsletter.  In this manner we hope to help you share in some of the thoughts shared during the conference.

 

A. Scott Loveless

Executive Director

World Family Policy Center

 

 

FEATURED WFPF ARTICLE

 

The Macro Effects of Micro-Morality: Moral Law, Legal Law, and the "Rights-Based Approach"

(click to read the full article)

by Dr. A. Scott Loveless

Executive Director, World Family Policy Center

 

There is no legal safety net that can replace what a child loses when he or she lacks altruistic parents, that is, parents who care about each other and about that child.  No government program can provide what altruistic parents do spontaneously, and no government program should be looked to as an equivalent replacement or even an adequate substitute – only a necessary "second-best," to be eliminated whenever possible.

 

 

IN THE NEWS

 

U.S. TO WITHHOLD UN BIRTH-CONTROL MONEY (click to read the full article)
By Colum Lynch and Juliet Eilperin

The Washington Post/The International Herald Tribune
Monday, July 22, 2002

 

The Bush administration has decided to withhold $34 million for international family planning programs administered by the United Nations, a move that delights conservatives but intensifies a battle with women's rights advocates and some lawmakers over global assistance and reproductive health policy.

 

Related Article:

Bush Slated to Pull Backing from U.N. Population Fund (click to read the full article)

The Washington Times

Monday, July 22, 2002

 

 

REPORTED NUMBER OF TEEN VIRGIN RISES (click to read the full article)
By Cheryl Wetzstein
The Washington Times

Monday, July 22, 2002

 

William Smith, director of public policy for the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States, sees a broader explanation for declining teen sexual activity rates.

"I think that it coincides with the overwhelming number of young people who are reporting that they are getting HIV/AIDS education," he said, noting that virtually 90 percent of high school students say they are learning about AIDS, according to the 1999 and 2001 YRBSS reports.

"Sex is natural, healthy and great, but it's also serious business, and I think some of the HIV/AIDS education out there are underscoring that [teens] don't have to have sex, that it's important for young people to delay sexual activity until they're ready for it, emotionally or otherwise," said Mr. Smith.

 

 

CONN. COURT SAYS IT CAN'T DISSOLVE GAY COUPLE'S UNION (click to read the full article)

Associated Press

Friday July 26, 2002

The state Appellate Court ruled Wednesday that a judge cannot dissolve the civil union of a gay couple because Connecticut does not legally recognize the legal relationships of same-sex partners.

The ruling leaves Glen Rosengarten and Peter Downes in a legal quandary. Vermont, where they were joined, also will not dissolve their relationship. Though anyone can get a civil union license in Vermont, state law requires at least one party be a legal resident before the family courts will rule on a dissolution.

 

UPCOMING UN CONFERENCES

 

World Summit on Sustainable Development

Johannesburg

26 August-4 September

http://www.johannesburgsummit.org/flat/

 

 

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