REALity Volume XXXVI Issue No. 4 April 2017
A hastily organized meeting was held in Brussels on March 2, 2017 to establish an international global abortion fund to fill the gap left due to the decision by US President Trump to cease to pay for international abortions.
Although approximately 20 countries sent delegates to this meeting, only a dozen countries announced donations to this fund. Among the latter was Canada, which doubled its contribution to $20 million, in comparison to most other nations which contributed $10 million. The only other countries that matched Canada’s generosity were Finland and Sweden.
Although the UK and Australia sent representatives to this abortion meeting, they made no donations to the fund. In total, the meeting resulted in collecting approximately $190 million. In comparison, the cost of President Trump’s decision to withdraw international abortion funding was approximately $600 million per year, and over his four-year term, the Trump global health cut will affect $9.5 billion in foreign aid. The abortion fund did not reach expectations.
African countries were outraged by this proposed abortion fund. They believe that abortions are morally unacceptable, and are being foisted on them as part of “a new colonialism and dictatorship by wealthy western countries.” According to the 2014 PEW Research, over 80% of African countries are against abortions. Africans asked: “Why didn’t these western countries ask Africans what they wanted”? Why are they targeting countries that are the poorest and most vulnerable? Africa regards this fund as modern-day eugenics to ensure that only the planned, the privileged, and the perfect are born into the world. What Africans actually want is funding for clean water, food, education, and essential obstetrical care both during and after pregnancy. As well, they need funding to contain the spread of diseases, such as malaria, typhoid, polio, high blood pressure and hypertension. Instead, the wealthiest countries in the west, with their own ideology and agendas, are attacking Africa and interfering with its cultural systems and values.
Justin Trudeau’s Naivety
Justin Trudeau’s generous gift to the International abortion fund is a reflection of his need to appear generous, and make a good appearance. This is the same government that admits it will not be balancing the budget until the year 2050, and whose national debt has been forecasted to double to $1.5 trillion. Future generations will be paying off Trudeau’s largess forever.
Notwithstanding the economic disarray in which Canada currently finds itself, Trudeau continues to hand out money as though it were a trinket. For example, Trudeau recently gave $250,000 to Ottawa’s Planned Parenthood in order that abortion and contraception be more readily available (as if they are not already widely available). In 2016, Trudeau gave $339,500.00 of the taxpayers’ money to the Gay Pride Parades in Toronto, Halifax, Vancouver and Montreal.
In March 2017, Trudeau gave a grant of $750,000 to fund a heritage circuit and statue of former separatist Quebec Premier René Levesque. This grant will not help national unity, but it may give Trudeau some votes in Quebec. Then, to top off the $20 million for the international abortion fund, on March 8, 2017, Trudeau announced a $650 million grant to encourage abortions, etc. in developing countries see: Trudeau’s Bizarre Grant for International Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights.
Canadian Minister of International Development, Marie-Claude Bibeau, who attended the abortion fund conference, nattered on about Canada’s foreign aid strategy, which is to focus on women’s empowerment and sexual and reproductive health (abortions), claiming that they are a matter of “human rights”. Yet no UN human rights treaty even mentions the word “abortion”.
Under Trudeau, Canada, as usual, is out of touch with the real world.