No other religion has that privilege and I want to have it stopped. You can help. Print the following petition, read it carefully and think of how the intimidation and influence of a religion continues to ruin peoples' lives. Then make copies, fill with signatures and mail as indicated. You need not be a registered voter, be 18 or older and a member of the human race. The population is already over five billion. At the present rate, that will double by 2050.

"Only after the last tree has been cut down. Only after the last river has been poisoned. Only after the last fish has been caught. Only then will you find that money cannot be eaten. - Cree Indian Prophecy

We, the undersigned, have chosen to become part of a broad coalition dedicated to strengthening United Nations efforts to provide much-needed family planning methods for couples throughout the world who seek to limit family size by effective, safe, and humane means. We believe that reproductive rights are basic human rights necessary for the health and well-being of individual female members of the human family and must not be subject to subversion by other power structures.

In 1964 the first "Holy See permanent observer" mission was established at the United Nations. Designated as a "non-member state" permanent observer, it is the only religious entity granted such status.

Recent involvement in the 1992 United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, the 1993 Vienna Conference on Human Rights, and the preparatory process of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) sparked worldwide attention and raised questions regarding the status and role of the Roman Catholic Church at the United Nations. Its efforts to skew discussions leading up to the ICPD were considered particularly inappropriate.

The Catholic Church has a history of using papal power to harass and intimidate governments at all levels in their efforts to provide safe and effective family planning services. Throughout the preparatory process for the ICPD the Holy See publicly challenged portions of the Draft Programs of Action, particularly targeting sections intended to advance reproductive rights of women.

Disruptive attempts were made to transform the ICPD into a single issue conference - one that focused exclusively on abortion. The high profile positions of the Holy See led participants to question the process by which a religious entity has succeeded in gaining some of the benefits of a state, without truly representing a modern nation of people at the United Nations.

Therefore, we believe the "non-member state permanent observer status" of the holy See in the United Nations, as well as its similar relationships with specialized agencies in the UN system is inappropriate and should be terminated as soon as possible.

     Return signed petitions to: 
     Center for Research on Population and Security
     P.O. Box 13067
     Research Triangle Park
     North Carolina 27709

        (919) 933-7491 

PLEASE WRITE LEGIBLY

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