Protecting the family comes at a price!
United Families International has been protecting and strengthening families since 1978. After successfully battling the anti-life, anti-traditional family agenda of the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) in the USA, UFI followed the major proponents of ERA to the United Nations where radical feminists gathered for their next attack on the family. There, we realized immediate success. Today, UFI continues to be very effective at the United Nations, influencing negotiations that produce key outcome documents setting family policy throughout the world.
It was at the UN Commission on the Status of Women in 2009 that we first met Layla Alkhafaii. After Layla finished college in Iraq she was targeted by the Ba’ath party and told she had to join. She refused this ultimatum and was put in prison, along with many of her friends. She suffered in prison for 10 years enduring beatings and torture. She even watched some of her friends die. Finally able to escape after 10 years, Layla fled to Canada where she lived in exile for 14 years. When Saddam Hussein’s regime was toppled, she chose to return to Iraq to help rebuild her country. Now, Layla sits in the Iraqi parliament. There she works to improve the conditions in her country for women and children and create transparency in a fledgling government.
We listened to her speak in two different meetings as she told her remarkable story. After the meeting, we approached her to thank her for sharing her vision, ideals, and dedication to important issues for women and families. She was incredibly gracious and humble. We had a wonderful discussion about UFI; what we stand for and also about her organization. Layla was at CSW representing Al Hakim Foundation, an organization that promotes intellectual excellence, religious dialogue, and cultural understanding. She is a remarkable example of someone willing to sacrifice everything for the things in which she believes.
I share this story with you in the hopes that we will all be inspired to try a little harder, despite the obstacles we face, to make a positive difference in this world.
We must all recognize that we are in a war…a cultural war where the opposition would like to destroy the family. UFI is dedicated to winning this war by keeping the public informed as to the enemy, the battles being fought, and the best strategies necessary to win this war. Our small, but expert, staff is highly skilled in directing our large grassroots base in this battle to protect the family. We are also vigilant in attending closed meetings and commissions where important documents protecting family issues are discussed and decided.
I invite you to now turn your attention back to the great work we are doing behind the scenes that affects your family in some very real ways. You may ask, “How does the United Nations affect my family?” Well, let me explain.
International law is now affecting the laws and policies of nations around the world more than ever before. The most blatant attempt to impose international law upon the citizens of these nations is through UN treaties or conventions. Treaties are a form of “hard law” which means that when a country signs and then ratifies the treaty, it is binding law and can even supersede that country’s constitution. Such treaties are an obvious form of intrusion on national sovereignty. But there are more subtle intrusions happening all around us through international “soft law.”
For example, in a recent landmark case in America that established a constitutional right to consensual homosexual sodomy, Lawrence v. Texas, 539 U.S. 558 (2003), the US Supreme Court relied on and cited UN Conference Cycle language as “evidence” or “meaning” of the US Constitution. In this regard, international law has had a very real affect in shaping laws and policy in the United States and most other nations.
The ongoing effort to promote an anti-family agenda, mandated by actions at the United Nations cannot be ignored if we are to preserve and protect the future for our families. Like Layla Alkhafaii each of us must take an active role in making a positive difference in our countries and our world. Your role will be unique as you assess your resources and commitments, but we can all do something! As we take action, the institution of the family, and in turn your own family, will see great results. We will make our world a better place.
As I reflect on the joys of my life as the mother of thirteen children, I recognize that much of what I enjoy would not be possible were it not for the work of those who 30 years ago protected my family from the dangers of the ERA. That realization empowers me to perform the work today that must be done so that my children and grandchildren will continue to have a secure future for their families.
I invite you to join me in spreading this important message: Families can and must be protected. As the end of the year approaches, I encourage you to give thoughtful consideration to making a donation to help push this critical work forward. Without your financial assistance we cannot continue to influence language at the UN, build strong country organizations, and educate the people of the world as to how each person can help preserve a future for families. We at United Families International will continue to make every nickel work for you and your family. Join us in making a positive difference in the world””today!