Another item for my Christmas wish list

I just found out about a fund based in New York City that is designed to replace the $34 million that the US has withdrawn from the UN's plans on population control - and not because of budgetry reasons either. This includes birth control, education, and AIDS-prevention. According to a December 20th Ellen Goodman column, the $34 million would have "helped prevent 2 million unwanted pregnancies, 800,000 abortions, 4,700 maternal deaths," not to mention 77,000 infant and child deaths. How is this not a good thing? For more information on what the fund actually provides for, check the UNFPA website. You can find about more about the 34 Million Friends campaign specifically here. Note, this fund does not support abortion or fund abortion in any way; its goal is to prevent the spread of AIDs and decrease unwanted pregnancies through the use of education and contraceptives.

If you're interested in contributing to the fund to make up for the United States' withdrawal, you can send your tax-deductible donation here:

U.S. Committee for UNFPA
220 East 42nd Street, 28th floor
New York, NY 10017