They know and they don’t care. For the third year in a row, the Bush Administration has decided not to release the $34 million voted by the Congress for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

What does Bush know? He knows that UNFPA is not complicit in or responsible for the Chinese government’s coercive family planning policies in China--which is the Administrastion's excuse for cutting US funds to the UNFPA.

Bush knows that in over 140 countries, UNFPA is welcomed for its humanitarian work of making motherhood safer, of offering family planning choices, of supporting equal opportunity and education for girls and women, and for educating against AIDS, and female genital mutilation.

Bush knows that cutting funds to UNFPA will not affect China but instead will deny life-saving services to women all over the world.

Bush knows all these things, but he doesn't care.

Why doesn't he care? Because there is a very small, mean-spirited minority in this country that doesn’t believe in family planning and constitutes an important part of Bush’s “base”.

Knowing how few people agree with their narrow agenda, these people are willing to spread mistruths about what organizations do and to suggest that government funds might be used for abortions knowing full well that U.S. law has prevented that for 30 years. Their tactics are disgraceful and transparent, yet they garner favorable responses from like-minded politicians, including our President.

The poorest, most vulnerable women in the world are clearly not part of Bush’s base. He is hoping they aren’t on our radar screens. He wants to please his base under the radar. He is hoping that we aren’t paying attention. But we are.

34 Million Friends of the UNFPA is asking 34 million citizens to contribute one dollar to replace the lost $34 million and tell the world the Americans care.

So far, since Bush first cut UNFPA funds two years ago, we’ve raised close to $2 million. The money raised has paid for emergency obstetrical supplies, family planning commodities, training for doctors and midwives, for communications and transportation equipment. The Point G hospital in Bamako, Mali has a new operating facility for Dr. Kalilou Ouattara who does the operations to repair obstetric fistulas. I met Dr. Ouattara last year on a trip to see first hand what UNFPA does in clinics and schools in West Africa.

The United States is the only country ever to deny funding to UNFPA for political rather than financial reasons. It puts us way outside the mainstream and is doing great harm to our reputation in the world. The world is, to put it frankly, appalled.

It’s up to us to send a different message about the compassion, character, and the cooperative spirit of America. The women of the world have it so tough. Can’t we reach out to ease their burden? Can’t we as citizens right this terrible wrong committed by our government?

For women in the poorest parts of the world, and for our national standing everywhere, the situation is critical. It takes so little to accomplish so much. Please join us in giving a dollar and making a statement to the world.

Jane Roberts, is retired schoolteacher and co-founder of 34 Million Friends of UNFPA. Send your dollar to 34 Million Friends of UNFPA, 3800 Arapahoe Ave., Denver, CO, 80303 or contribute online at www.34millionfriends.org.

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