The World Population Day rally in Goa, India a week ago was one of many such events held throughout the world. The annual event was started by the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) in 1989 “to reaffirm the human right to plan for a family.”
HLI Goa volunteers worked tirelessly, despite heavy rains, distributing over 8,000 leaflets with a simple message: overpopulation is a myth. The truth is that proposed measures to control population growth through contraception, abortion, and other anti-life tactics decimate family life and often end up violating human rights. HLI Goa celebrated the July 11th event in a somewhat different way: with a pro-life message to the masses. Government and NGO rallies in India and around the world encourage reducing the birth rate; we encourage openness to life, especially because the total fertility rate in Goa is already a dangerously low 1.6, a half point below replacement level fertility. At this extremely low rate, a society does not replace itself.
We spread the message far and wide, including the Pilar Pilgrimage Centre, a Catholic seminary originally founded by the Capuchins in 1613. Upon reading our materials and seeing our presentation, many people were shocked by the malevolent nature of the population control movement. We’re encouraged that many priests took extra leaflets for other parishes.
To empower people at the grassroots level through education and training, we involved youth from St. Anthony’s High School by sponsoring a poster contest. The following are just a few of the wonderful slogans the children produced:
Hold my hand to protect the land.
Children are the greatest asset of the nation.
The best gift you can give to your child is another child.
Increase the family; develop the nation.
I am confident HLI Goa’s life-saving efforts will change hearts and minds, helping even more to deepen their respect for the sanctity of life and family. Lastly, after screening the pro-life movie ‘Hard Truth’ for over 100 high school students, we performed an original pro-life musical for the students and local priests. Father Chris Fernandes, our special guest, commended HLI Goa for our ongoing efforts through education and training to expose the ill effects of contraception and abortion and how being open to life benefits marriage and families, and ultimately benefits society.
Reprinted with permission from HLI.org.