It was 3:00 a.m. A small group of pro-family activists, including several from United Families International, were sitting in the basement of the United Nations. Behind the closed doors of the adjacent conference room were dozens of delegates who were trying to finalize the language for the final document of the Commission of the Status of Women. The debates had been going on since 6:00 p.m. Delegates would leave the room for quick trips to the food machines or restrooms. Each time they would look quizzically at the small group sitting outside their room. “Why are you still here?” some would ask.
Inside the conference room, the delegates who were supporting the pro-family cause were being attacked by those who wished to insert language that would mandate that abortion be legalized in all countries. “Why won’t you just give up?” they yelled at the group! “It is no use to continue fighting this! Just give up!” But the small group of pro-family delegates stayed firm and in the end they prevailed because they would not give up.
When the delegates began leaving the room at 5:00 a.m., many gave looks of contempt and disgust at the small group still sitting outside the room. When the majority were gone, the leader of the pro-family delegates walked over to the group and said, “Thank you for staying. If you had not stayed, I am not sure we would have prevailed. The fact that you were here, is what gave our group the ability to stand strong. We told them that we could not face you if we were to give up.” That was the 2008 Commission on the Status of Women.
The 2009 Commission on the Status of Women begins on March 2. Delegates from countries around the world will come to the United Nations to produce another document that will attempt to guarantee new rights to women. Attempts will be made to have abortion made a human right. Treaties with innocuous names like the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child will be pressed for acceptance. Despite their titles, these treaties present very real threats to families, parental rights, marriage and religious liberty.
United Families will be there once again. We will be staying up all night when necessary to provide support to those member states who have the willpower to stand up against the opposition who seeks to undermine the value of the family. We will be providing pro-family language that can be introduced to replace the destructive language inserted by the other side. We will be educating delegates against the dangerous elements that will come to the country if they choose to side with the anti-family forces.
We will represent all families across the globe. Wherever you live, you may think that the United Nations is far away and has little impact on you, your life or your family. That is not true. While it may be far away, the impact it has on your family is huge. You need an advocate there. You have one – United Families International. We will be working long hours over those two weeks to ensure that your right to raise your children, practice your faith, and protect your family will still be intact when CSW is completed. We will provide you with reports of our efforts. Please help us in this endeavor. Please donate $20 to show your support for the work we will be doing. We cannot do it without you. We do this work for your families and for ours. Please show your support for this great work by donating $20 now.
Beverly Rice, UFI President
UFI has established a blog specifically for CSW 2009. This blog will keep UFI supporters updated on the happenings inside the UN during the 2 weeks of CSW. Click here to go to the CSW blog.