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34 Million Friends of UNFPA has simple goals: to educate Americans about the
lifesaving work of UNFPA (the UN Population Fund), to inform them about the US
government's decision to renege on its promised funding to UNFPA, and to
encourage Americans to become activists on behalf of UNFPA by contributing a
dollar to the 34 Million Friends campaign (for an eventual total of 34 million
friends, and $34 million, the amount the US withdrew in 2002 alone) to help
make up for the budget shortfall at UNFPA resulting from the US's decision.
UNFPA works in more than 140 countries to provide lifesaving reproductive
health services to women, youth and families. Since 1969, access to voluntary
family planning programs in developing countries has increased, enabling more
women to have the number of children they want when they want to have to
improve their health and that of their children. Fertility has fallen by
half, from six children per woman to three. Nearly 60 per cent of married
women in developing countries choose to practice contraception, compared with
10-15 per cent when UNFPA started its work.
Experts estimate that the loss of $34 million to international family planning
efforts will lead each year to 2 million unwanted pregnancies, 800,000 induced
abortions, 4700 maternal deaths and 77,000 infant and child deaths.
About 34 Million Friends of UNFPA
Two women, Lois Abraham and Jane Roberts, began contacting friends and urging
them to send $1 to support UNFPA programs after the US government reneged on
promised funding in 2002. In the months since Lois and Jane began the
campaign, a remarkable national grassroots movement across the country and
across the political spectrum has been created ˆ with a goal of finding 34
Million Friends of UNFPA willing to commit and contribute to protecting the
health and lives of women around the world.
Every penny of every dollar contributed by citizens supports UNFPA programs in
developing countries. And recently, the United Nations Foundation announced
that it would match new donations 25 cents on the dollar.
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Sustainable
Resources 2004 > Exhibit
