Advocates for Youth
www.advocatesforyouth.org
Under the guise of “Rights, Respect and Responsibility,” this sexual and reproductive health and rights group takes the fight for universal abortion and contraception to the next level.
Their notable programs include the Adolescent Contraception Initiative, which spearheaded the South Carolina emergency “contraception” program; the Young Activist Network, which promotes contraception and abortion access and is active on college campuses in every state; and Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative, which lobbies.
They are known to work with IPPF and the UNFPA on many of their advocacy projects and turn to them for resources for advocate training. They are also funded by the Ford Foundation, who granted them $200,000 in 2010.
Ford Foundation
www.fordfoundation.org
The Ford Foundation has long been a proponent of population control. It should come, then, as no surprised at the Foundation’s attempts to promote contraception and abortion to the world’s youth in the name of “sexual and reproductive health.”
Among the 120 beneficiaries of the Ford Foundation for causes advancing “Sexuality and Reproductive Health and Rights” for adolescents in 2010 (unless otherwise noted) are:
Advocates for Youth – $320,000
Catholic University of Mozambique – $300,000
Center for Reproductive Rights – $400,000
Center for Health and Gender Equity (CHANGE) – $200,000
Sex Worker Education and Advocacy Taskforce (SWEAT) – $500,000 (2009-10)
World Hea lth Organization – $100,000
In addition, the Ford Foundation funds the following Mexican youth organizations, who will be present at the 2010 Mexico Youth Conference:
AFLUENTES - $150,000 – An advocacy group that works primarily to promote the “sexual education” of youth on contraception and abortion. Also works with the Mexican secretary of health and International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF).
Catholics for the Right to Decide (Mexico) - ($200,000) – Works with IPPF and AFLUENTES, among others, promoting abortion and contraception access.
To learn more about the Ford Foundation, read C-FAM's white paper "The Ford Foundation: Founder of Modern Population Control."
Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA)
www.youthaidscoalition.org
The Global Youth Coalition is an organization comprised totally of youth that works to promote condoms above abstinence and works to advance other “rights” for youth in the fight against HIV and AIDS. They are most active in their electronic resources, and training for other youth advocacy groups. As part of this advocacy, GYCA funds and supports several sexual and reproductive health and rights conferences, and is a vocal participant in conferences and forums as well, including the most recent HIV/AIDS World Conference in Vienna in July, 2010.
GYCA also has an extensive list of groups they partner with, such as the IPPF, UNFPA, and WHO. They also give grants to other groups that promote sexual and reproductive heath and rights via their partner American Jewish World Service.
International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Youth and Student Organisation (IGLYO)
www.iglyo.com
Created in 1984, this peer-led organization has served as a forum and facilitator of the redefinition of marriage and promotion of liberal gender theory in Europe. With over 70 member organizations in Europe and elsewhere, IGLYO states that “LGBTQ [lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender queer] youth activism has a significant potential to shape political agendas” in Europe.
International Planned Parenthood Federation
www.ippf.org
International Planned Parenthood Federation is an international organization providing contraceptives and abortion services in 189 countries worldwide. It receives over $300 million from various organizations such as the UN, UNFPA, UNICEF, UNAIDS, WHO, Levi Strauss, the Ford Foundation, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the governments of some of the 149 member states, including the United States. IPPF is also the only NGO to sit in on the Parliamentary Assembly of the European Union.
As part of their advocacy for “reproductive health and rights” -- which are interpreted to include abortion and contraception -- IPPF pushes for “comprehensive sexual education” for youth. IPPF illustrates what it means by this in its brochure “Happy, Healthy and Hot,” which includes instruction on masturbation, “lots of different ways to have sex,” advice on having sex while drunk or on drugs, and much more.
Youth Coalition
www.youthcoalition.org
Active since 1999, the Youth Coalition, a group of 15-29 year-olds state that “sexual and reproductive rights are human rights, and therefore apply equally to young people.” As such, the Youth Coalition advocates that “young people’s access to comprehensive, affordable and youth-friendly sexual and reproductive health services, including emergency contraception, is vital for safeguarding and promoting the life, health, and well-being of all young people.” Their support, however, for “reproductive health” does not end at “emergency contraception” access for minors, but supports the right to abortions for women of all ages, religion, culture and tradition.
As a result, the Youth Coalition has been very involved in promoting the government funding of contraceptives and abortion for youth around the world. They have been involved in every HIV/AIDS conference since 2004, and have attended Human Rights Council sessions through 2008* and have been present at every Women Deliver conference. The Youth Coalition also offers their own training for youth in advocacy for contraception and abortions, and sponsors their own conferences for the promotion of youth contraception and abortion around the world.
The Youth Coalition is funded by: The Summit Charitable Foundation; The Ford Foundation; The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs (via CHOICE); The Population Action International (PAI) and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
And partners with: Advocates for Youth; Family Care International (FCI); Global Youth Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GYCA); International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer Youth and Student Organization (IGLYO); International Women’s Health Coalition (IWHC); International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF); Mexico Youth Force; and the Women’s Global Network for Reproductive Rights.
* Year-end reports have not been published since 2008.
Y-PEER
www.youthpeer.org
Y-Peer is a UNFPA-funded website geared towards the youth. By using a strong focus on art and technology, including iPhone applications, videos, and other electronic media projects, Y-PEER seeks to provide information about sexual and reproductive health in relation to HIV/AIDS. However, some of these resources are misleading.
On their site’s HIV/AIDS FAQ section, in response to the question: “Will a condom prevent me from contracting HIV?”, Y-PEER responds “A condom is the only barrier that is now available to prevent the transmission of HIV and other sexually transmitted infections, during sexual intercourse.” This response illustrates UNFPA and Y-PEER’s turning a blind eye to imperfect use and failure rates of condoms and ignoring the suggestions of Harvard AIDS researcher Edward Green that “officials in Sub-Saharan Africa to demote condom use in HIV/AIDS prevention to third place after he conducted extensive research on the topic.”