Dear Editor,
The month of November is celebrated globally as the commemoration of the signing of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. As Caribbean nations also prepare to join in celebrating our youth, there remains a grave threat to the lives and well-being of the youngest among us in our region on the horizon. The impacts of this threat are far worse than poverty and unemployment – it snuffs out the very conception of our future potential. That grave threat is abortion.
While public debates ramble onwards regarding this issue, the Love March Movement in Jamaica would like to draw to the public’s attention to some encouraging moves on the international scene, which have the potential to positively affirm and protect the youngest among us, who are the most vulnerable. A pivotal document, entitled the Geneva Consensus Declaration was recently co-signed in late October 2020 by 32 leaders, including our neighbours, Haiti and Brazil. This document is a bold stance which challenges the abortion agenda and reaffirms two major things:
1) That abortion is NOT a human right, as it destroys human life.
2) Each nation should be free to exercise its sovereignty on these issues with consideration of the stance of its own populace, without fear of any negative repercussions.
In addition to this move, several governments worldwide, including Hungary and Poland, have also implemented abortion restrictions due to the negative impact that free abortion access has placed on population growth and health outcomes for women and girls. As girls and persons with disabilities were among the most common victims of abortion in these countries, this move further guarantees the preservation and worth of life for everyone, with consideration of both the mother and child, regardless of gender or prognosed disabilities.
The Love March Movement along with other Christian NGO’s are therefore publicly calling for governments across the Latin America and Caribbean region to join in solidarity with our neighbours Haiti and Brazil to tangibly guarantee to our youth that their worth is affirmed and will be protected by our government. Like these 32 other nations, we challenge the government to recognize that pro-abortion legislative practices are in no way truly progressive, but in reality, are regressive to a society’s well-being and future. We challenge your present administration and the opposition ministers to pledge to fight for the true, God-given rights of their citizens without fear or favour. Pledge to protect those who are truly vulnerable among us. We need to affirm the dignity of all lives, regardless of their stage of development.
A copy of the full Geneva Consensus Declaration can be found at the following link:
All of us have a part to play – both government and citizens. If you believe in the right to life, we urge you to pray and encourage your local government leaders to sign. The life of the next generation may depend on it.
Yours faithfully,
Sarah Buckland
Youth Ambassador,
Love March Movement, Jamaica
