R A T I O N A L I S T I N T E R N A T I O N A L
P O Box 9110,
New Delhi 110 091, India.
____________________________________________________________
RATIONALIST INTERNATIONAL BULLETIN # 23
27 October 1999
____________________________________________________________
Editor: Sanal Edamaruku
Phone: +91-11-2253255, +91-11-8539526
Fax: +91-11-2256042
E-mail: <edamaruku@yahoo.com>
____________________________________________________________
Recipients may reproduce, forward, publish or quote from
Rationalist International Bulletin. Please acknowledge the
source: "Rationalist International Bulletin."
____________________________________________________________
INTERNATIONAL RATIONALIST CONFERENCE: January 2000
--------------------------------------------------
HARRY STOPES-ROE TO CHAIR THE
INAUGURAL PLENARY
-----------------------------
Harry Stopes-Roe, leader of the British Humanist Association
and former professor at the Birmingham university, UK will
preside over the inaugural plenary of the Second International
Rationalist Conference. The conference is scheduled to be held
at Trivandrum, capital of Kerala, southern coastal state in
India from 17 to 22 January 2000.
Harry Stopes-Roe is the son of the legendary birth control
campaigner Marie Stopes, and leads the international chain of
Marie Stopes birth control and family planning clinics.
Harry is a respected thinker and powerful speaker. He is a
long time friend of the Indian Rationalist Association
and is considered widely as the ambassador of India in
humanist circles.
The 2nd International Rationalist Conference marks the Golden
Jubilee (50th anniversary) of the Indian Rationalist Association.
Atheist, freethought, humanist, rationalist and secular humanist
leaders from around the globe are expected to participate in
the conference.
You are cordially invited to join us during the 2nd International
Rationalist Conference. For more details about registration,
travel and housing, please contact <sakthy@giasdla.vsnl.net.in>
____________________________________________________________
INDIAN RATIONALISTS CRITICISE POPE
ON POPULATION POLICY
----------------------------------
The Indian Rationalist Association Secretary General
Sanal Edamaruku today accused the Pope and the Vatican of
using their might and influence to obstruct all efforts
to control the dramatic growth of the world population.
"The policy of the Vatican opposing scientific methods of
population control is against the vital interest of the
Developing World and deserve strong condemnation", said
Edamaruku in a press statement. The Pope is scheduled to
visit India in the first week of November.
"Pope John Paul is a dangerous man", Edamaruku said. "His
determined fight against modern contraceptive methods adds
misery not only to Roman Catholics but to the whole world.
The present Pope has personally taken initiative to manipulate
and influence the political process in several countries by
vociferously attacking successful population control
programmes. He has condemned Brazil's birth control programme
as 'gravely illicit'. In February 1997, he instructed
Philipine bishops to launch an aggressive public campaign
against contraception", Edamaruku said.
"The efforts to implement the Vatican's archaic population
policy are not limited to directly influencing the bahaviour
of believing Catholics with dogmas and threats, they aim at
controling the policies of nations and world bodies like WHO
and UN. The Vatican has dominated the WHO since its inception
in 1946 and with strong arm political pressure it has kept
family planning off the agenda till today", Sanal Edamaruku
continued. "Using its recognition as an official state, the
governing body of the Catholic church that the Vatican is,
participates in policy-setting conferences of the UN, enjoys
voting right and knows moreover how to use its special
religious authority to influence the votes of several other
states. It successfully blocked several major initiatives on
birth control issues for decades."
"According to UNICEF reports there are 75 million children
under five years in the world, who are suffering from
malnutrition. Eight million children under the age of five
die every year of malnutrition and vaccine preventable
diseases. To promote further increase of the world population
in the given situation, is not only irresponsible, it is
nothing less than a crime against humanity", said Sanal
Edamaruku.
____________________________________________________________
Rationalist International Bulletin reaches a world-wide
community of concerned individuals, organisations and
journals. If your like-minded friends wish to be free
subscribers, or if you missed and wish to get any earlier
bulletin, please ask.
INDEX: An index of contents of all earlier bulletins are
availalable free. Please ask <sakthy@giasdla.vsnl.net.in>
____________________________________________________________
|
