Werner Fornos addressed the critical subject of Human Population Growth at the 48th Annual UNA-USA Florida Division Convention held February 28-March 1, 2003 in Gainesville. Mr. Fornos is now serving as President of the Population Institute in Washington, DC and as a member of the UNA-USA Board of Directors. In his opinion the United Nations is the voice of reason in the world. This renowned authority on population stated that birth rates are generally under control in the industrial world but not in the developing countries. To make matters worse, high growth rates are coupled with poverty. And poverty breeds the worst in human nature: crime, drug abuse, intolerance, and terrorism. The population of Africa is increasing despite the ravages of AIDS, TB, and malaria. In Asia, India is on the way to surpassing China as the most populous nation and will face great problems.
The so-called Mexico City policy of the present U. S. administration prevents funding any agency that provides counsel on abortion. This is very short-sighted because the statistics show that family planning agencies, if funded, would mean fewer abortions. Also, abortion is not family planning--in fact, it represents the failure of family planning. Education, Mr. Fornos emphasizes, is the answer. Once a child becomes sexually active, he or she should have the knowledge and the means to prevent pregnancy.
There are four solutions to population control: 1) eliminate illiteracy among girls, 2) promote full employment opportunities for women, 3) reduce infant mortality, and 4) provide universal access to knowledge and means to control fertility. Education and employment of women always results in lower birth rates. Two-thirds of the world�s work is done by women but at a much lower pay scale generally. Another goal has to do with men and overcoming their irresponsibility in the impregnation process. Male dominance and exploitation of women is a worldwide phenomenon that must be reversed.
In the question-and-answer time Mr. Fornos stated it is a tragedy that ratification of the Convention on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) has been denied by five countries: Libya, Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and the United States. Another tragedy is female genital mutilation in many Muslim countries. Finally he defined two types of sex: loving carefully or loving irresponsibly. Mr. Fornos concluded the estimated 9.6 billion world population by 2050 threatens the carrying capacity of this planet.
Richard L. Atkins (Greater Orlando)
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