I've got very good news right off the bat this month: pro-lifers at the Rome conference to establish an International Criminal Court (ICC) have been successful in limiting the efforts of pro-abortion groups to use the court for anti-life purposes. They were out-manned and out-gunned, but by their remarkable esprit de corps, they pulled off a semi-miracle.

CLC sent a three-person team to join pro-life lobbyists from around the world who were present at the conference. We just got word from them that they've managed to warn official delegates of the dangers of making "enforced pregnancy" a crime under the court's authority. As a result, the countries negotiating the deal have added a clause ensuring the "enforced pregnancy" term "shall not in any way be interpreted as affecting national laws relating to pregnancy."

Since United Nations and feminist sources reveal "enforced pregnancy" refers to situations where abortion is restricted by law, the term would have been used to undermine pro-life laws around the world, and to persecute pro-life groups and individuals. It would also have given the pro-aborts what they've always wanted: international recognition (if only implicit) of abortion as a "human right."

A bid to advance the gay agenda by making "gender"-based persecution a "crime against humanity" was also thwarted by the pro-life, pro-family presence at the conference, who managed to convince delegates to define the word "gender" in fairly traditional terms. (In UN circles these days, "gender" includes a variety of undefined "sexual orientations.") As in recent United Nations conferences, Islamic countries were especially receptive to information provided by pro-life lobbyists, and played a key role in resisting the international anti-life, anti-family agenda.

I'm very proud of the work of our CLC representatives, and the amazing achievements of all the pro-lifers at the conference. I wish I could say the same for Canada's official delegation, however. Under foreign affairs minister Lloyd Axworthy, Canada has led the way in pushing for a vastly powerful and virtually unaccountable ICC, in spite of the implications for the sovereignty of individual nations. Canada also supported giving the ICC authority over "enforced pregnancy" and "gender" crimes.

The battle over the ICC is far from won. Despite the major successes in Rome, there is still cause for grave concern about the implementation and direction of the court. We would prefer that the agreement not be ratified by the signing countries; but failing that, the international community must prevent the court from being used as an anti-life, anti-family weapon of forced social change. For more information on these concerns, please see our July 19 Special Report on our website, at www.lifesite.net.

Contact Prime Minister Chrétien and your own MP, and express your shame at how Canada's delegation led the anti-life, anti-family forces at the ICC conference. Write House of Commons Ottawa ON K1A 0A6 (no postage necessary). Call us, at (416) 368-8479 or 1-800-730-5358, for phone and fax numbers.

Another victory: this year's Show the Truth Tour was a tremendous success—even more than last year! A larger core group of about 50 pro-lifers travelled to 18 cities around Lake Ontario, where they were joined by an average of 50 local activists at each stop.

Police were consistently cooperative and even helpful. It seems recent court cases vindicating the peacefulness and lawfulness of the demonstrations have finally done away with isolated cases of police harassment. The Toronto leftist fringe media were still determined to smear the tour as "extremist"; but their desperate, silly accusations served only to show how effective Show the Truth has been in getting the pro-life message across. "Mainstream" media coverage in many smaller centres, on the other hand, was remarkably fair.

In the demonstration I took part in, ordinary passers-by seemed positively affected by the graphic pictures of children killed by abortion which we were displaying. Unfortunately, there is a small minority who seem impossible to reach by any means—except prayer, of course. I'm thinking of the angry mob which confronted the Show the Truth demonstration at Queen's Park in Toronto. The counter-protestors included representatives of the Canadian Abortion Rights Action League, the Ontario Coalition of Abortion Clinics, the International Socialists, and the Anti-Racist Alliance. The group chanted hateful, obscene slogans, blocked traffic, and scuffled with police. Several carried signs held up with baseball bats. Eventually 11 of the pro-aborts were arrested.

While the incident at Queen's Park was not typical of what the tour encountered, it was nonetheless revealing. It showed in a striking way which side of the abortion debate really is "violent" and "extremist." We've tried to get the word out for years, that pro-lifers are peaceful, and that people who kill babies or support the killing of babies are the violent ones. We'd like to thank CARAL, OCAC, and their socialist friends for "showing the truth" so graphically.

CLC Nova Scotia executive director Cynthia Clarke gave me some wonderful news recently: a Halifax woman determined to have an abortion has decided to place her child for adoption instead, thanks to CLC Nova Scotia president Theresa Mannett.

Theresa had offered counselling, moral support, and practical help to the desperate young woman; and after praying about it, Theresa decided that in this case, she would show her one of the Show the Truth pictures. Still, the young mother was determined to have an abortion.

Time passed, and Theresa feared the woman had gone through with it; but then the woman approached Theresa again, this time to ask her help in finding a family to adopt her baby! Immediately Theresa put her in touch with a couple eager to adopt, and when the couple asked the young mother why she had decided to choose life, she said it was "because Theresa showed me a picture of an aborted baby."

On reflection, Theresa says, "It wasn't the hugs or food or conversations that she remembered, although they were no doubt the reason she let me into her life. It was the graphic and bloody image of a sacrificed child, the same image that Show the Truth participants hold up for motorists to see."

God bless you, Theresa! And thank You, Lord, for letting us do Your wonderful work.

As effective and as necessary as it is in certain circumstances, I realize Show the Truth isn't for everyone. The pro-life movement needs a variety of people doing a variety of things, all for the same end. We won't win by a single strategy, but by building a culture of life on a number of levels at the same time.

For those who see the great importance of pro-life demonstrations, but who favour less intense strategies, there is Life Chain, the annual international pro-life witness, which will take place on Sunday, October 4 in most places this year. This silent demonstration presents hundreds of thousands of our fellow citizens with a simple pro-life message. Please call your church or local pro-life group for details on this year's Life Chain in your area.

While I'm on the topic of demonstrations, I'd like to encourage you to make plans now to take part in next year's March for Life in Ottawa, to mark the 30th anniversary of "Canada's Day of Infamy"—May 14, 1969, when Pierre Trudeau's Liberals approved the legalization of abortion in Canada.

This year's demonstration—the first of its kind—was a great success, under the direction of CLC Toronto public affairs officer Bill Mullally. Next year, events will take place over two days, with a luncheon at the Ottawa Congress Centre on Thursday, May 13, and the March for Life and rally on Parliament Hill on Friday May 14. On Thursday we'll hear from pro-life MPs, activists, and spiritual leaders; and throughout the two-day period we'll have opportunities to visit our own MPs.

The middle of May is the best time of year to be in our nation's capital, by the way, because the city's world famous Tulip Festival is at its height right around that time. Why not make your participation in next year's March for Life into a family holiday? CLC has booked a block of rooms at Capital Hill Hotels and Suites, at 88 Albert Street in Ottawa. You can reserve a room at $78/night double occupancy by calling 1-800-463-7705. We're also working on booking blocks of rooms in other hotels. Call us, at (416) 368-8479 or 1-800-730-5358, for more information. Also, the Capital Info Centre, at 1-800-465-1867, can provide you with tourist information.

Whatever you decide about accommodations or plans outside the March for Life events, make your arrangements now! Ottawa can be quite busy in May, and we want to make sure as many people as possible take part! Don't miss this historic opportunity to help rebuild a culture of life in this great country of ours!

The Canadian pro-life movement is pretty well defined, with Campaign Life Coalition representing the political arm of the movement, Alliance for Life representing the educational arm, and a host of service agencies like Aid to Women and Birthright meeting the day-to-day needs of mothers and babies in crisis. Still, all of us—grassroots and leaders alike—have sensed the crucial importance of constantly working for greater unity and cooperation in the movement.

On that note, I'm very happy to announce an unprecedented, even historic event: CLC and Alliance will have a joint national board meeting in September. It'll be the first time Canadian pro-life educational and political leaders have met in such a formal way to plan strategies and coordinate efforts, and we're all very excited about it. Please pray it'll be a success.

Before I move on, I should mention that Alliance for Life has a new president—Bob Waldegger, of Regina, who has played a key role in recent efforts to unify the pro-life movement in his home province. Congratulations, Bob!

This year's National Pro-Life Conference in Ancaster, Ontario, was a great success. Pro-lifers from across the country got up to date on the latest issues and strategies, made new friends and contacts, and left feeling refreshed and ready for battle. Jacqueline de Jong, Eileen Fallon, Lisa Ellens and the entire host committee of Hamilton Right to Life deserve praise for a job well done. They were well-organized and business-like, but they also kept us on track by maintaining a prayerful atmosphere throughout. Thank you, one and all!

Highlights of the conference included talks by Senator Anne Cools and Campagne Québec-Vie president Gilles Grondin on current challenges to Canadian parliamentary democracy; by renowned Canadian evangelist David Mainse of 100 Huntley Street on the spiritual challenges we face in our culture today; and by Patricia Bainbridge of Life Decisions International on the many implications of being truly pro-life. Tapes of the conference sessions and order forms are available from Family Media, at (416) 757-4635, for $6/tape, or $135 for the entire conference.

I also highly recommend listening to the tape of the plenary session with MPs Tom Wappel (Liberal), Elsie Wayne (Conservative), and Jason Kenney (Reform). All three are outstanding pro-life leaders, and all three gave powerful speeches.

One of the most moving and gratifying moments in the conference was the presentation of this year's Joseph P. Borowski Pro-Life Award to MP Tom Wappel (Liberal, Scarborough Southwest). CLC established the award in 1996 in memory of Canadian pro-life hero Joe Borowski, to honour those political leaders who've shown Joe's integrity and courage in defending life and family in Canadian public life. Tom Wappel certainly fits that description, although his voice broke and he said he thought he "didn't deserve it" during his brief, sincere acceptance speech.

Canadians have looked to Tom for 10 years now as someone who has the guts to speak up for them in Parliament when no one else will, and we've all admired him as someone who's stuck to his principles and still been remarkably successful. He's constantly proposing pro-life and pro-family legislation, and trying to build consensus around the truth among his colleagues and constituents, and he's made great personal sacrifices to do so. Please keep Tom and his wonderful family in your prayers.

Two very exciting developments over the last several months: First, our CLC Ottawa lobby office has had several new people come on board, and the future looks bright indeed. CLC public affairs director Karen Murawsky, who has vast experience in the pro-life movement over the last 25 years, is now joined by public affairs officer Tim Bloedow, a graduate of Ontario Bible College and co-publisher of The Ottawa Times who worked for outstanding pro-life MP Sharon Hayes; office administrator Chris Murawsky, a long-time activist and father of three, who directs and manages records and finance; administrative office assistant Wanda Hartlin, a mother of four with a public relations diploma from Algonquin College; volunteer coordinator Paul Lauzon, a francophone who worked for the pro-life "rock" of Parliament Hill, Senator Stanley Haidasz; and CLC Ottawa-Carleton board member Ambrose Atkins, a family man who has retired from the navy and the civil service and is now handling lobby office research and correspondence on a volunteer basis.

The second very exciting development, which is partly due to the renewal of our CLC Ottawa lobby office, is the re-emergence of a parliamentary pro-life caucus—that is, a group of pro-life MPs from various parties who meet regularly to coordinate pro-life strategies and efforts in parliament. The caucus hadn't met for years, because some members had found it difficult to stay focused and not to get caught up in partisan politics; but CLC has stuck with it, and it's paid off. With our encouragement, the renewed parliamentary pro-life caucus is now ready to take off again. As a result, I think we may finally be able to break the logjam of the last several years, caused by the Chrétien government's refusal to consider even the most modest restrictions on abortion, and their refusal to let anyone in parliament even raise the issue.

Still more good news! The Ontario PC government has instituted mandatory abstinence education in its new sex ed curriculum. Education minister Dave Johnson recently announced that although schools can continue to teach so-called "safe sex" and other standard "sex ed" fare, the only thing they're required to teach is abstinence. Ministry spokesperson Rita Smith says the schools should also consult with parents and the community in deciding what to teach in these sensitive areas.

Certainly the curriculum isn't perfect. It won't stop the "safe-sex" misinformation being fed to our kids, and it seems chastity won't be presented as the only way to go. We also want to make sure that "abstinence" won't be interpreted as "outercourse" and other crazy stuff that's promoted in some quarters. Nonetheless, it's a big step forward, and we should congratulate the Tories for showing some initiative in an area of great interest to social conservatives, and indeed all ordinary Ontarians. Sometimes it's just as important to encourage our politicians as it is to correct them.

There's an ever-increasing awareness among pro-lifers of the crucial connection between abortion and the "contraceptive mentality"—the widespread assumption that sex is for pleasure, and that it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with the transmission of new human life. We're all appreciating more and more how that attitude has played a crucial role in the abortion explosion of the last few decades. In fact, CLC is preparing an information pamphlet for people to consider the problems associated with contraception, and the connection between contraception and abortion.

Traditional Catholics in Canada have long felt that their bishops have failed to speak out on these issues as they should, and many laypeople think the source of the problem is the bishops' controversial 1968 "Winnipeg Statement," which has been widely interpreted as allowing contraception in certain circumstances. Now, finally, Bishop Roman Danylak of the Ukrainian eparchy of Toronto (which covers all of Canada east of Manitoba), has called on his brother bishops to withdraw the "Winnipeg Statement," and to issue a ringing endorsement of Pope Paul VI's "birth-control encyclical," Humanae vitae. (See the July-August issue of Catholic Insight magazine for the whole story.) Bishop Danylak has been an outstanding champion of the pro-life cause, and a great friend to CLC, by the way.

I should add that this issue isn't just a "Catholic issue." Many of our Protestant leaders and supporters are increasingly concerned about what contraception does to married life as presented in the Bible, and also about the various links between contraception and abortion. A well-known Protestant minister in the U.S., Randy Alcorn, has written a booklet on the subject, which will be reviewed by Rory Leishman (an outstanding pro-life journalist in London, Ontario, who is a Presbyterian) in the August issue of The Interim.

As I reported last time, the Ontario private member's bill protecting the conscience rights of health-care workers was not introduced when we hoped it would be, because of last-minute drafting problems at the legislature. The delay, however, gives us time to keep building support for the measure. Also, we now have a specific sponsor for the bill, MPP Dave Boushy (PC, Sarnia).

Ontario supporters, please keep writing your MPP on the need for such legislation, and circulating petitions on the matter. (Call the Coalition for Conscience, at (905) 732-3139 or 1-800-730-5358, for petition forms.) Your input so far has been very important! Also, please check out the August issue of The Interim for a feature on several health-care workers in Ontario who've experienced discrimination and coercion to take part in abortions and other objectionable practices.

One more piece of good news (what a great month it's been!): leading pro-life evangelist Ken Campbell was acquitted July 15 of obstructing police, a charge stemming from his presence inside the "bubble zone" around Toronto's Scott abortuary last September 2. Ken was actually charged originally with breaking the "bubble zone" injunction, a more serious charge which would have given him a trial by jury and an opportunity to advance constitutional arguments against the injunction itself; but the charge was later changed to obstructing police.

Pro-life legal experts say the reason Linda Gibbons and others are never actually tried for breaking the injunction, but on the lesser matter of obstruction instead, is that the powers-that-be know the injunction wouldn't stand up to a direct court challenge, and that it's an outrageous violation of our freedoms of speech, assembly, and religion. Ken's recent victory may be very significant, because it may be a sign that the tactic of using obstruction charges is breaking down, and that officials may now have no choice but to charge protestors with breaking the injunction. Presiding Judge M. Cadsby clearly indicated that after four years, the "temporary" injunction which has created all these problems is due for a review. So we may yet have our day in court, as it were.

Congratulations Ken!

On that happy note, please be assured of my prayers for you and yours.

Yours for Life,
Jim Hughes