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The Importance of Covering International Developments on Life and Family Issues

By Steve Jalsevac

June 5, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Whenever Editor John-Henry Westen and I visit Washington we invariably encounter the pro-life whirlwind U.S. Congressman Chris Smith.

Every time Chris spots us he beams a great big smile, quickly comes over and shakes our arms off our shoulders (he is well-built) while expressing profuse appreciation for LifeSiteNews.com. We in turn have great admiration for this man and his wife, who are incredibly dedicated to the cause of life, especially at the international level. If only you knew how much he and Marie do and endure for the cause of life. Chris's work has caused him to be invited to Christendom College's summer institute as a special presenter. http://www.christendom.edu/news/releases.shtml#si

Our work at the international level is especially appreciated by Chris who works to influence developments on the life issues in Latin America, the Philippines, the United Nations and other international locations.  LifeSiteNews is recognized for its strength in international reporting.

Jim Hughes, President of Canada's Campaign Life Coalition and Vice-President of International Right to Life, has played a major role in the founding of LifeSiteNews. More than that, he has proven to be an invaluable source of information for our international reports. We are dependent on Jim's depth of experience and numerous international contacts being always available to us.

Dan Zeidler is another key American player for Latin America. He is the Representative in the US for the umbrella group, Alianza Latinoamericana para la Familia (Caracas, Venezuela) and we often communicate with Dan about important developments.

Dan recently wrote:

"If I miss just one day's reading of your daily news, I feel 'out of the loop!' You are on top of so many key issues! Your staff is also incredibly helpful to me when I need some specific information and quickly!  You guys are amazing! "

Other Latin American leaders who Dan works with have also expressed their appreciation for LifeSiteNews.

From Nicaragua:

"Thank you for caring about Nicaragua. We are in a battle to defend our sovereignty against incredible external pressure. Our people are pro-life! We appreciate LifeSiteNews telling the truth about what is happening in our dear land!"

Dr. Rafael Cabrera
Professor of OB-GYN
President,
Universidad de Ciencias Medicas
Managua, Nicaragua

And from El Salvador:

"LifeSiteNews has been extremely valuable to us in our efforts to protect life and family in Latin America. LifeSite's interest in reporting on key happenings throughout Latin America has been crucial in creating awareness, and very importantly, causing others to act! For example, your work to expose the truth behind the hatchet job in The New York Times on the pro-life laws of El Salvador led to important revelations and changes. God bless you!"

Julia Regina Sol de Cardenal
President, Si a la Vida
El Salvador 

Matthew Culinan Hoffman, our Latin American reporter living in Mexico, is a seasoned journalist. Since he joined us in the past year we have been privileged to provide you with many more high quality, investigative reports on life and family developments in Latin America and Spain.

During his recent trip to Rome John-Henry encountered Guatemalan Mercedes Wilson, a former UN delegate and a key pro-life leader in Latin America. John-Henry has worked with Mercedes a number of times by telephone and this was the first time he met her in person. He reports that their meeting was instantly one of "pro-life kindred spirits" and they got on "famously", while sharing information and stories and expressing mutual admiration for what each was doing.

Mercedes sent us the following message about LifeSiteNews:

"The most up to date news for those who are interested in the protection of the unborn and also of the vulnerable, the end of life and the elderly.  I have always been very impressed with LifeSiteNews.  I recommend it to everybody and I forward the news to as many friends as I can."

Mercedes Arzú Wilson
President, Family of the Americas Foundation

Alejandro Bermudez is a highly influential figure in the Spanish-speaking Catholic news world. He is also another person with whom we have a natural affinity. His news service  is billed as the largest Catholic news service in the world. Although LifeSiteNews is a secular news service it is uncanny how closely we and Alejandro think alike on the life and family and related issues. Once again, we are "kindred spirits".

Alejandro wrote to us several months ago,

"I have indeed, great appreciation for your work. In the pro-life world, yours is the best by far!"

Alejandro Bermudez
Editor-in-chief of Catholic News Agency and ACI Prensa

What the above people appreciate is that they can trust LifeSiteNews to tell it like it is and to never be afraid to do so. They also realize that we do not limit ourselves to a small list of "safe" issues, but report all that we understand is in some way important to life and family - even when most are not yet aware of them or do not believe such connections exist.

Of course, to do any of this requires financial resources - an absolute necessity!

Right now we are severely low in operating funds. Some of our staff recently had their checks delayed for a few weeks because the funds were just not there to pay them. We are holding on right now, but a significant cash infusion is necessary.

LifeSiteNews currently costs well over $350,000 per year and that is rising as we increase the breadth of our coverage and improve our Internet website and email systems.

We continue to do what we must and trust in Providence to supply our needs. That is how we have always functioned.

We see the work, considering the state of the world today, to be something that absolutely must be done.

Raising funds via the Internet is a difficult task - to say the least. We do not have a mailing list of our readers' home addresses. Nor do we have your telephone numbers for personal telephone appeals.

Both mail and telephone fundraising are traditionally very effective. But, email and website appeals - well, let's say it is still a very new field and most people just don't respond or even think to respond.

To date, we have had only a handful of responses to our first two appeal articles. But, we have learned that is how it works on the 'net'. It takes time and many repeated reminders, unlike the often dramatic impact of just one well drafted fundraising letter sent in the mail.

We have had several $100 donations, a $500 donation yesterday and a number of smaller donations.

WE APPEAL TO THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE ABLE - PLEASE SEND A GENEROUS DONATION TODAY.

From what you read above, we hope you will agree that LifeSiteNews is something well worth a generous financial gift.

As well, for our American readers, there is the bonus of tax deductibility for your contribution.

For all the details on how to securely donate on line, or by pre-authorized bank withdrawal, or by mail, see our donate page at
http://www.lifesitenews.com/donate/index.html

For life, family, faith, truth and freedom,

Steve Jalsevac
LifeSiteNews.com

P.S. To those who pray, please also pray for us. We sincerely do value your prayers and often ask for prayers. Pray that we may persevere and pray for the success of this fundraising campaign.  

Read LifeSiteNews.com's two previous appeals, which include dozens of enthusiastic endorsements from prominent pro-life and pro-family leaders:

Bella Producers Ecstatic
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/may/08052902.html

What do Joe Scheidler, Wendy Wright, Rev. Thomas Euteneuer, Austin Ruse and Rabbi Yehuda Levin all have in Common?
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2008/may/08052801.html

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