Silencing NGOs through US Foreign Policy.pdf

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1、SilencingNGOsthroughUSForeignPolicy:ExploringtheImplicationsoftheGlobalGagRuleKarinMagnussonEducation,Globalization&CivilSocietyProfessorKurth-SchaiPublicIntellectualEssayDecember13,2007ThroughtheimplementationoftheGlobalGagRuletheUShasgonefrombeingaleader

2、inprovidingforsocialdevelopmentandbecomeaforceworkingagainstthesamecause1(Crossette60).TheGagRuleislimitingwomen’sresourcestohealthandinformationconcerningreproductivehealth.ItrestrictsNGOs’abilitytohelppeopleindevelopingcountriesbylimitingthosecitizens’ac

3、cesstofamilyplanning.Furthermore,theGagRuleappliesideasindevelopingcountriesthatarenotinlinewiththevaluesofthecitizensinthedevelopingcountriesortheUnitedStates.InordertomaketheUSgovernmenttakeresponsibilityfortheiractionsandrepealtheGagRulethepeoplewhoarea

4、ffectedbytheGagRuleneedtogainvoicesintheUS.HistoryoftheGlobalGagRuleTherootsoftheGagRulecanbefoundintheHelmsAmendmentfrom1973.Thisamendmentprohibitednon-governmentalorganizations(NGOs)workinginforeigncountriesfromusingUSAIDtofundabortions.Theimplementation

5、oftheHelmsAmendmentwasthestartofright-to-lifegroupsintheUSfocusingtheirattentiononstoppingUSAgencyforInternationalDevelopment(USAID)frombeingprovidedinternationallyforabortionandfamilyplanning(Dixon-Mueller66).Thefamous1973case,Roev.Wade,madeabortionlegali

6、ntheUS.Americananti-abortiongroupscouldnotrepealthisdecisionbutrealizedthattheycouldinsteadlobbytolimitabortioninothercountriesbymakingsurethatUSforeignaidwasnotusedtoprovideabortions(Crane128-130).TheGlobalGagRulewasfirstintroducedbyPresidentReaganin1984a

7、stheMexicoCityPolicyattheworldpopulationconferenceinMexicoCity.OpponentsofthispolicydubbedittheGlobalGagRule,andthenamehasstuckeversince.PresidentClinton,whoseadministrationwaspro-choice,eliminatedtheGlobalGagRulein1993.However,ClintonwasforcedtoaccepttheS

8、mithAmendmentin1999,whichreinstalledsomeoftheGagrulerestrictions(Crane128-130).In2001,thesamedayBushtookoffice,hereinstatedthefullGagRule.TheGlobalGagRuletakestheHelmsAmendmentonestepfurtherandforbidsNGOsfrom