REAL News

The Newsletter of REAL Women of BC,
Box 39068, Point Grey RPO, Vancouver, BC, V6R 4P1 Tel: (604) 463-1611 Fax : (604) 463-1601 http://www.getset.com/realwomen

Volume 2, July 1996.

REAL Women of BC In Istanbul

Background:

Last year, when our two delegates came back from the UN World Conference on Women Forum in Beijing, China, having represented REAL Women of BC, it was their vision to work towards having other like-minded organizations become accredited by the UN to participate at the next UN Conference, Habitat II. With this goal in mind, several organizations were contacted: Evangelical Fellowship of Canada, World Vision Canada, Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada, Prayer Canada, and Foursquare Women International, among others. The aforementioned organizations expressed an interest in more information on how to start the accreditation process, and eventually six months later, and at the last minute, two were accredited by the UN: Prayer Canada & Foursquare Gospel Church of Canada!

Eyewitness Report

by Mary Anna Kaiser

On Wednesday, May 29, Laurie Geschke, Provincial Executive of REAL Women, drove Dr. Sandy Shook from Victoria, BC, (my travel companion and roommate) and me to the office of Prayer Canada for a final pre-conference briefing session..

That evening we flew to Istanbul, Turkey, to attend the Habitat II Conference on Human Settlements as Prayer Canada's official representatives, recognized by the United Nations as a non-government organization (NGO) for the City Summit. We joined 25,000 participants, including 4,000 delegates from 184 countries and representatives from 2,000 NGO's.

Like the previous United Nations Conferences in Cairo (1994), Copenhagen and Beijing (1995), the radical feminists continued to push their agenda of gender equality, reproductive health (read: abortion on demand), sex education and "family planning" in Istanbul. Among the official Canadian and American delegates, not one pro-life leader was permitted; because of this lack of diversity, 90% of Canadian women and millions of Americans were not represented in Istanbul.

Among the NGO's, the Women's Caucus dominated the draft agenda for Istanbul, with proposed amendments to all but a few of the document's 163 paragraphs. We joined the Caucus for Stable Communities led by C. Gwendolyn Landolt, LLB of REAL Women of Canada.

Habitat II is supposed to be about housing, but unfortunately, because of the dominance of the radical feminists, the conference was intimately concerned with promoting "sexual education" (read: pre-marital sex and promiscuity), "reproductive health" (read: universal access to abortion on demand), and "family planning" (read planning to have no family by distributing condoms and mandating contraceptive use). (Para. 87,92,96.) Speaking with over 40 delegates from as many nations, I had to apologize for my country's delegation, as Canada's delegates represented the views of only a small minority of the Canadian people, and were imposing this ideology on other nations. All but two delegates agreed with our Caucus' proposals.

Canada, the USA and the EU have much power over developing nations. At a presentation in Beijing witnessed by Tom Minnery of Focus on the Family, Catherine Bertini, Executive Director of the UN World Food Program said "Food is power. We use it to change behaviour. Some may call that bribery. We do not apologize". Money which could have been used to assist developing nations with housing, agriculture and irrigation needs, already has been and will continue to be spent on coercively implementing designated birth control methods (abortion and contraceptives) for Third World citizens, interfering with their culture and religion.

I am grateful to Prayer Canada, my church, the Kelowna Chapter of REAL Women and a private donor for making it possible for me to add our voice to that of the other caucus members, expressing our concerns to the delegates of other nations.

Eyewitness Report

by Sandy Johnson Shook, PhD.

It was a reaction to Dr. Dobson's newsletter about the UNConference in Beijing in 1995 that prompted my willingness to go to a UN conference because of my Christian belief. Dr. Dobson agonized in that letter about the absence of the Christian NGOs there.

My opportunity first came in February of 1996 when Arne Bryan, Director of Prayer Canada invited anyone in our church to be a delegate for Prayer Canada at the upcoming June conference in Istanbul, Turkey entitled Habitat II. I was surprised that it was to be so soon but immediately I thought I should go. So did my husband Ed. Laurie Geschke, a member of Real Women and a veteran of Beijing, arranged plane flights, made countless calls on our behalf, hosted us the night before our flight, took us to and from the airport, and shared her experiences in Beijing. It looked like I was destined to become a "Real Woman".

From the moment we stepped on the first plane to fly to London and were moved from economy to first class, it was a wonderful trip. The Lord provided for our health, safety, and every need.

What happened in Istanbul at Habitat II? In all honesty, as a rookie, much more than I can know or report. Mary Anna and I were immediately knit into a larger group of pro-family advocates entitled the Caucus for Stable Communities.

One pressing battle at Habitat II was the recognition of family in the document- -would it be defined as traditional or instead as "in its various forms". For our official Canadian Government Representatives, National sovereignty, like the traditional family, seemed to be a disposable concept in the interest of the more efficient global management of resources. The real misnomer was reproductive health which includes abortion and other "contraception".

I was shaken to find out how my sisters in third world countries are used in drug experiments for the development of contraceptives and not taken seriously when they suffer debilitating side effects. I did not know that the only adequate health facilities in many parts of this world were the sterilization clinics. .

The global consequences of the manipulation of the language of the Habitat II document, at once eloquent but opaque, were profound and there were many keen players vying for power. The disadvantage for those for whom English is not their first language seemed immense. The consequences for governments - of all levels - would be insidious and irreversible.

I was surprised to learn of the threat the NGO's posed to the government delegations. Never

before did NGOs have free access to the negotiations of the working committees and opportunity, although limited, to speak. NGOs could not enter into negotiations but could seek to influence by highlighting a relevant alteration to the bracketed text as laid out in the NGO composite document. This they could do in addition to their most important role of lobbying the delegates. I trained for the position of floor manager for the NGOs to coordinate NGO speaking opportunities, only to learn that the input from our caucus, The Caucus for Stable Communities, was mysteriously absent from the NGO composite document.

For me Habitat II was an awakening, a rude awakening for which I will be forever grateful. The spectre of a one world government, named the United Nations, compels me to get informed, stay informed, and seek to find out what I can say, write, and do on behalf of the hope for stable communities which honour the family and life itself. The kinship I felt with individual delegates whom I met at the conference, especially from the G77 countries, and the Turkish people I met in Istanbul still makes me think a community of nations is possible in a way other than the cold machinery of a one world order bent on zero population growth to keep resources intact for the richest countries of this world.

As I listened to members of the Canadian delegation speak I had no idea whom they represented. They aggressively discounted submissions from other delegations demonstrating to me that a spirit of compromise was not possible. For the first time in my life I was ashamed to be a Canadian!

Editor's note: see the Article on Istanbul in the July/August issue coming soon. Both Sandy and Mary Anna were part of a very effective and successful pro-family lobby which had definite, positive results at this conference. Congratulations to them!

Press Release

June 7, 1996

ISTANBUL -- Earlier this week, the Caucus for Stable Communities was unfairly disparaged by Dr. Nafis Sadik, the executive director of the United Nation Population Fund (UNFPA), and by an editorial in the Habitat Watch conference newsletter funded by the UNFPA. According to the June 5th editorial, the Caucus for Stable Communities ignores "the fact that women want a life outside the home and cannot see anything in women but a womb."

For her part, Dr. Sadik objected to the Caucus' efforts to exclude the phrase "reproductive health" from Habitat II's final document. "I don't know who these people are," she complained in an interview with Habitat Watch on June 4. "Even if they have managed to get a few brackets inserted, those brackets will be removed here."

"Dr. Sadik's comments are outrageous," according to Gwen Landolt, chair of the caucus. "A woman's womb is the first human habitat. Unfortunately, Dr. Sadik has a fixation with population control by way of abortion. She is into removing more that just brackets. UNFPA snuffs out human lives. Women deserve better than this limited view."

As an international coalition of accredited NGOs dedicated to the promotion of human freedom and dignity for all individuals from the moment of fertilization to the time of natural death, the Caucus of Stable Communities welcomes the opportunity to correct the misinformation disseminated by the UNFPA. The Caucus is committed to the protection of women in all aspects of their lives, particularly in the creation of new human life and in the maintenance of healthy families. In keeping with this commitment, the caucus resists the efforts of organizations like the UNFPA to impose population control methods -- including abortion -- under the guise of UN funded "reproductive health" programs for women.

The Caucus also believes that it is the prerogative of the official delegations of the UN's member states to determine what language should be incorporated in Habitat II's final document. It is clearly not the proper function of an appointed UN official like Dr. Sadik, who has an obvious vested interest in protecting and expanding her bureaucratic empire to undermine national sovereignty by instructing delegates as to what the final document should contain.

REAL Women of B.C. highly recommends that all our members acquire a subscription to B.C. Report, for two reasons: their coverage of the issues is from a conservative perspective and they write about issues which concern British Columbians. Call Ron today at 682-4868 or 1 (800) 665-9849 and mention you're a member of REAL Women of B.C. to get a discount on your subscription! If you've never seen B.C. Report, call Ron for two complimentary copies.

President's Message

by Doris Darvasi

Thank you to of our members who have renewed their membership and a very special welcome to our new members. We are delighted to have you join us and we are sure you will enjoy our national and provincial newsletters. Should you ever have any questions or comments, we would love to hear from you. Our address is on the front page. If you have access to the Internet, check out our Web page as well.

In case you aren't aware, we would be happy to help you compose a letter on any one of our issues which happens to come up in your local papers. You would sign it, to ensure our views get published because many local papers are very strict about publishing letters from outsiders. If there is an issue you would like to respond to but aren't confident enough to do it on your own, we would love to help you. We can correspond by fax to (604) 463-1601, or via the Web Page. We will need to see the article(s) which you are responding to.

On another note, your provincial board volunteers are working very hard to provide you with service, and improve our outreach, efficiency, and professional appearance. Right now, we need one copy of a new computer program called Corel/Wordperfect Office Suite 6.0. This program will better enable us to do the newsletter (we think that it looks better with every issue), and to keep an accurate membership list. Everything is included with the package for approximately $150. If you would be willing to designate funds for this use, please send your donation earmarked "office".

We are looking forward to an excellent conference next year in Kelowna. More details on that as we have them.

Recently, I had the opportunity to be interviewed for a documentary about "housewives". My interview was only supposed to last for half an hour, but we got along so well that we talked for an hour and a half! The documentary is now in the process of being edited and should air in October. As CBC has shown an interest in it, there is a possibility for the program to be aired nation-wide. This could be terrific exposure for us, so, keep your eyes open and see if you can catch it in October.

Last month, one of our board members was scheduled to be interviewed regarding Euthanasia and the AIDS Conference, which ended July 11th in Vancouver, by the Société Radio Canada (french CBC.) The reporter never showed up for the appointment which he made, and never called back to cancel or explain. We try very hard to get our organization and our beliefs out into the marketplace, but it sure isn't easy. Unfortunately for all Canadians, this is an excellent example of biased reporting and coverage of issues by the CBC at taxpayer's expense.

If you would like to voice your concerns on this unprofessional behaviour by Jean-Luc Carron and the SRC, please send your comments to SRC, 700 Hamilton Street, Vancouver, BC, ATTENTION: Pauline Sinsons, Regional Director, with a copy to CRTC Program Monitoring, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2, ATTENTION: Diane Rhéaume, Broadcast Analysis.

Remember, if all of you, our members, would sign up just one friend, neighbour, or family members, we could double our membership in no time at all. Can you think of someone who supports our beliefs and would like to show that support by joining us?

I hope you enjoy the articles in this issue of the REAL News. . . .

National Board Report

by Lisa Petruic

Greetings from Abbotsford. As of this past May I have been acting as your provincial representative to the National Board. I attended my first National Board meeting, held the evening after the National Conference, and I'd like to refer you all to the Conference Edition of the REALITY to see the list of who is on the National Board with me. The board established a separate bank account for National Board involvement in important UN Conferences (though this does not affect our provincial members who attend these functions, as they raise their own funds for all expenses). The site of the next annual National Conference will be North Bay, Ontario. The date has been tentatively set for April, 1997.

Regina vs Lewis

by Hilda Krieg

On September 22, 1995, Maurice Lewis was arrested and jailed for displaying a placard asking "Our Lady" to help stop abortion in front of Everywoman's Abortion Clinic. Mr. Lewis was charged with sidewalk interference and protest pursuant to Section 2 (1)a and b of the Access to Abortion Services Act, which was brought into force September 18, 1995.

The Act defines protest and sidewalk interference as follows: "protest" includes any act of disapproval or attempted disapproval, with respect to issues related to abortion services by any means without limitation including graphic, verbal or written means. "Sidewalk interference" means (a) advising and persuading, or attempting to advise or persuade, a person to refrain from making use of abortion services, or (b) informing or attempting to inform a person concerning issues related to abortion services by any means including, without limitation, graphic, verbal or written means.

The Act is penal; a fine up to $5000 or imprisonment up to 6 months for first offences of section 2 and a fine from $1000 to $10,000 or a term of up to one year imprisonment for subsequent offences.

During the 16 day trial in the Provincial Court, Mr. Lewis pleaded not guilty but admitted that he did act for the purpose of disapproving of abortion and for the purpose of encouraging women to carry their babies to term. He told the court that because of his own personal experience, he is aware of the harm that abortion causes women and that he was a party to an abortion at one time. He explained he was aware of the psychological harm to women long before he became religious.

The Defence called 21 witnesses, including Dr. Philip Ney, Physician and Psychiatrist; Dr. Marie Peters, a geneticist from Belgium; Pat Hansard of Abortion Recovery Canada; and Joy Davis, a former abortionist and director of several abortion clinics in the US Ms. Davis gave evidence as to the callousness and carelessness shown to abortion patients. She told the court that it is /was a common tactic to lay false complaints against pro-lifers picketing their facilities.

Cecilia Moore and several other sidewalk counsellors also testified to the services which they provide, saving pre-born babies and helping their mothers. Yet, in the Supreme Court of BC the Crown bluntly said that not one woman changed her mind as a result of the counsellors or picketers.

Evidence was also given as to counselling, treatment and the aftermath of abortion by "Ms.T" and her mother, "Ms.Y". Seventeen year-old "Ms.T" was an abortion client at Everywoman's, accompanied by her mother. There were no protesters or sidewalk counsellors present when they entered the clinic. "Ms.T" testified how she was made to wait for several hours before the abortion, and that the doctor who performed the abortion was rude and impatient, in fact, commencing the abortion procedure before the anaesthesia took effect, causing her great pain and anguish. Her mother told the court that at one point the doctor said "This is a tough little bugger." "Ms.T" subsequently required a hysterotomy.

On January 23, 1996, Justice E.J. Cronin dismissed the charges against Maurice Lewis. In his judgement, Justice Cronin said that the Act "eliminates all peaceful protest and any form of communications or attempted communications regarding abortion within the access zone." He declared unconstitutional Section 2(1)a and b saying there was no evidence justifying those sections. Justice Cronin also made a finding that the unborn child was a human being.

Immediately after the judgement, then Health Minister Paul Ramsey responded that the provincial cabinet would hold an emergency meeting to decide whether to appeal or to amend the law. The next day, January 24th, he announced that the Government would appeal the ruling. Ramsey said "I am very disappointed, obviously, but I continue to believe that we must find means of ensuring that women do have access to abortion, a legal medical service, without harassment and intimidation." (Vanc.Sun, January 24, 1996)

True to his word, on June 25, 26 and 27, and July 9 and 10, a battery of Crown lawyers and clinic lawyers have started to argue at great length in the Supreme Court of B.,C. How picketers with or without signs, praying or singing hymns, or sidewalk counselling are causing women emotional stress and harm entering the clinic for a legal procedure; that all forms of protest constitute disrespect for women.

Intervenors for the Crown are the Everywoman's Health Centre, Elizabeth Bagshaw, the BC Coalition of Abortion Clinics, BC Women's C.A.R.E. Program and the Women's Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF). Lindsay M. Lyster and Nitya Camsels for the Clinic argued that women should not be held hostage by protesters since they are already captured by their pregnancy. They say the Act is necessary so women do not become pawns. They say the Government has the duty to grant access to this entirely lawful procedure . . .

Intervenors for Maurice Lewis are the Archdiocese of Vancouver Respect Life Office, the Pro-Life Society of BC, Campaign Life Coalition of BC, Feminists for Life and Canadian Physicians for Life. Mr. Lewis is again ably represented by Paul Formby, LLB, assisted by Jeff Borkowski. Mr. Formby has spent untold hours preparing to defend Mr. Lewis, to defend freedom of religion, to defend the rights of the pre-born to live; his factum to the higher court is admirable. To uphold the lower Court's decision is now in the hands of Justice Saunders.

Court Challenges like this are very costly, but also very necessary. The NDP's "Bubble Zone" legislation goes beyond suppressing freedom of expression and peaceful assembly -- it clears the way to expand and open up abortion clinics throughout the entire province, granting unimpeded access to abortion services by women who are not fully informed.

Your generous donations for the Lewis Defence which ultimately is the Defence for the Unborn would be greatly appreciated. If you would care to donate, please make your cheque payable to Maurice Lewis Defence Fund, and mail it to REAL Women of BC, Box 39068, Point Grey RPO, Vancouver, BC, V6R 4P1.

Upcoming Events

Kelowna: Mary Anna Kaiser will speak at the Kelowna Chapter AGM tentatively scheduled for September. There will be elections to the local board. Janice Henry is retiring from the position of president.

Abbotsford: Local members will be having their first membership meeting, tentatively set for the middle of October. Be expecting a phone call early this fall with all the details. The meeting will be an informative one, and an excellent opportunity to begin to get acquainted with one another. Let's all join forces to become an actively positive voice standing for truth in our community.

Sunday, October 6th: Life Chain. This annual event is a wonderful way to show our communities that we care -- that we uphold the Sanctity of Human Life. We are together in Christian Solidarity. Please check with your local church or Pro-Life group regarding time, place, and how you can volunteer to make this another successful Life Chain.

REEL to REAL Ministries Massacre of Innocence, BC Pro-Life Tour '96, September 20 to October 20 (tentative). Massacre of Innocence examines the spiritual, historical, and medical truth of life before birth. This all-new presentation will specifically address provincial concerns, and welcomes your involvement as together we defend the unborn. Please check with your local Pro-Life group regarding location and times. Encourage your friends and family members to come and see this powerful, never-to-be-forgotten presentation.

Education Minister Seeks Information

The new Minister of Education, Moe Sihota, is consulting within his ministry before he makes any policy statements concerning his new portfolio.

This is the perfect opportunity for parents and students with documented concerns over the CAPP Curriculum to contact the Minister.

Please write to Honorable Moe Sihota, Minister of Education, Legislature Buildings, Victoria, BC documenting your individual problems with CAPP, and express your desire that this whole Curriculum should be an elective, rather than mandatory. Below your signature, write cc: April Sanders, MLA, Liberal Education Critic. Then send Ms. Sanders a copy of your letter to Mr. Sihota.

Resolutions from our AGM

The following resolutions were passed by the members at our AGM on May 3, 1996:

***

Whereas the cost of educating a student in the public system is over five thousand dollars per student, per year, plus all capital costs of property acquisition, building construction, maintenance and repairs;

Whereas independent schools receive no more that fifty percent of the amount of public school funding, (many receiving only 35% or less), and no capital costs, yet are expected to educate their students to at least the same caliber as the public schools; and

Whereas the parents of students being educated in private schools, whether partially funded or not, continue to fully support the public system with their taxes;

Therefore, be it resolved that REAL Women of BC publicly call for the provincial government to continue the present love of funding for independent schools as a cost effective method of providing a quality education to many students in British Columbia.

***

Whereas a recent Canadian poll found that 67% of respondents believe that the best place to raise healthy, well-adjusted children is in a traditional, two-parent heterosexual family;

Whereas, for many women and their families, the first choice of alternate child care is not their true choice because some choices are made more financially attractive while others cause definite financial penalties for the family; and

Whereas the single income, two-parent family is penalized with higher income taxes than a double income family whose total family income is a comparable amount;

Therefore be it resolved that REAL Women of B.C. publicly call for the provincial government to implement legislation that will ensure the parental right to choose alternate child care, without financially penalizing one choice of care over another.

***

Whereas parental input into curriculum and course contents, as required by the Education Act, is almost totally absent in the new Career and Personal Planning Curriculum {CAPP} (8-12);

Whereas many parents are concerned about breach of student and family privacy with regards to the use of the student's Personal Education Number in the CAPP Program;

Whereas many parents are concerned about the contents, objectives and possible resources which are being used with the CAPP Program; and

Whereas the Ministry of Education is not responding to these concerns of many British Columbian Taxpayers in a manner which instills confidence that their concerns are being heard and addressed;

Therefore be it resolved that REAL Women of B.C. publicly call on the government of B.C. to undertake a thorough parent-led review of the Career and Personal Planning Curriculum, (8-12), and separate the Career module (which may remain mandatory) from the Personal Planning module which should become an elective.

CAPP Update

District 62 (Sooke) is allowing Grades 8, 9, and 10 students to opt out of CAPP by parents' individual request in those schools where CAPP is taught as a subject, as long as they take another elective in its place,. Parents are required to accept the responsibility of teaching the CAPP contents to their adolescent(s), but no proof of this happening is needed from the parents.

If you would like more information on the wording of the Sooke CAPP Policy, please contact Assistant Superintendent Fred Pye at (604) 474-9800.

PARENT ALERT

from Parents for Healthy Children

Career and Personal Planning (CAPP){8-12} is an outcomes based educational program mandated by the Ministry of Education. It is a curriculum which deals with many controversial and non-academic areas, especially in the area of Personal Development. Each school or School District can interpret the goals of the curriculum as it sees fit. The determining factor is whether or not the "learning outcomes" are met. Copies of the Suggested Learning Activities and the CAPP Curriculum are available to parents at every school in B.C.

Parents need to note that in Grades 11 and 12, successful completion of the CAPP curriculum is mandatory for graduation.

Areas of Concern:

1. Infringement of Privacy and Confidentiality: All students and families have the right to protect their privacy in regard to their values, their morals, and their expressed way of living. CAPP does not respect this basic tenant in many of the lessons. The exercises attempt to elicit very personal information from the students about themselves and their families.

2. Undermining Family Authority and Protection: It appears that educators operating under the theory that they are to "educate the whole child" are now assuming the roles and functions of the family. Most of the content of the CAPP Program was, at one time, the sole responsibility of parents. Through the Curriculum, it appears that the importance of the family to the student is minimized. Over and over again, students are taught how to detach themselves from dependency on their families and how to use the school and community as their primary resource. Parents are cited sometimes as a possible resource, but not given a prominent place in the hierarchy of possible resources.

3. Unhealthy Lifestyle Choices: As parents we have the right and a moral obligation to give guidance as to what is acceptable behaviour. This Curriculum implies that abstinence is an option, but the teaching of how to remain chaste/abstinent and why it is so important is missing. It is critical that abstinence be presented as the healthiest and only sensible choice. Recently, a new definition of abstinence has come to light, which includes "outercourse" (all forms of sexual activity excluding intercourse.) The CAPP Curriculum teaches students to say no to drugs and alcohol, but emphasis in the subject area of sexual decision-making implies that most students are, or will be, sexually active -- and that it is their right to be so.

What you can do:

1. Ask for a copy of the CAPP Overview from your School District.

2. Talk to your teenager's CAPP facilitator (teacher).

3. Contact your school Parent Advisory Committee (P.A.C.) Chairperson.

4. Contact your District P.A.C. Representative.

5. Put your concerns in writing to your Superintendent of Schools, and your Chairperson of the School board.

6. For further investigation, ask for a copy of the Integrated Resource Package (IRP) LRB 038 from your School District Office.

7. Contact your MLA, Honorable Moe Sihota, Minister of Education and Honorable April Sanders, Liberal Education Critic with documented concerns. (See "Education Minister Seeks Information" in this issue)

8. Make this an election issue in your school district this November for the Municipal and School Board elections.

Questions to Ask:

*How will parents be involved in the CAPP program?

*What lessons from the CAPP Curriculum are being taught to my child? Are these lessons from the Suggested Learning Activities or from another source?

*How are the children grouped for the teaching of CAPP: same grade, multiple grades? Will there be any cross grading? (Ie: a grade 8 student using or encountering grade 10 material.)

*What is the School Board Policy for parents who "choose to take the responsibility for teaching ... aspects of this curriculum" and wish "to assume some or all of the responsibility for teaching their children about human sexuality or other sensitive issues or topics". (Quote from an article entitled Personal Planning in the Ministry of Education's Report to Parents, 1995).

*How will the student's activities be marked? (Some assessment strategies tell the teacher to look for attitudinal changes.) What does the Student Learning Plan look like? Where will it be kept and who will have access to it?

*What are the students forfeiting (academic subjects, fine arts, etc.) In order to fit CAPP into their schedule? Especially Grade 11 and 12, where CAPP is 120 hours, and a requirement for graduation!

To order Parents for Healthy Children Critiques on the Career and Personal Planning Curriculum, write to: " Box 54, Bowser, B.C., V041G0, Fax (604) 478-6492."

A Tribute to REAL Women

Daniella Allingham was this year's REAL Women of Canada Award Winner. Here is what she said as she accepted the award from Cecilia Forsyth, National President at the National Conference:

"Thank you very much. I would like to accept this award on behalf of all the Canadian women who do not seek recognition, power or fame, but day after day labour for their families, their country and their God.

"My life is not marked by some heroic deeds, but rather by daily struggles to preserve my family in today's anti-family environment, to maintain my Christian testimony in a society hostile to Christian morals and values, and to live a life of love, as our Lord has commanded us, by being a loving wife, mother and neighbour.

"By honouring me, you have honoured all those who are like me; and I believe there are many dedicated women deserving honour and recognition in all corners of this beautiful land."

Victoria Chapter

A core group of Victoria members are currently meeting together to discuss issues, write letters, and become better informed. More info' next newsletter!

Euthanasia Coalition of B.C.