The Progressive Agenda Conquering the Global South?
Some UN “experts” will have you believe that (1) traditional, conservative values on life and family are misogynistic, anti-female, anti-rights and (2) supporting other countries’ national sovereignty and right to uphold and protect conservative values within their social and legal frameworks is a form of modern-day colonialism.
At the same time, UN agencies and other powerful, progressive international organizations such as Ipas and IPPF are carrying out social engineering programs to “liberate” developing countries from their “antiquated” way of thinking. They are doing so by actively working to subvert their views on almost everything they believe in to- you guessed it- align with the worldview of richer countries in the North. But what is colonialism if not the imposition of a way of life from richer, more powerful countries upon the more vulnerable and less developed ones?
Let us take sexual health education, for example. Many people do not see a problem with educating about sexually transmitted diseases, consent, and so on. But the sexual education agenda pioneered by UN agencies does not stop there. Several days ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) hosted a webinar, “LET’S TALK: Sexual health & adolescents!” proving this exact point. Speaking about adolescents, Dr. Venkatraman Chandra-Mouli, Adolescent SRH advocate, said, “They need to have an understanding of norms, how they are thinking, how they are feeling, so it’s not just biology, it’s about dealing with feelings, dealing with norms, dealing with attitudes…social skills to know how to negotiate s*x….”
Dr. Venkatraman went on to say, “We have to understand that adolescents are sexual beings and that sexuality and sexual behavior does not begin at the time of marriage.”
A different panelist, Dr. Karen Tang, MD, Gynecologist, Author said that sexual education for adolescents should also be about “how to have a fulfilling s*xual life” and the importance of information on sexual pleasure.
These normative ambitions that go beyond mere health concerns give rise to a whole new plethora of moral, ethical, and philosophical questions. Rebecca Oas of C-Fam documented the development of CSE programs abroad and said, “The message of CSE is that sexuality should be placed at the center of a “comprehensive” education that encompasses broader issues of relationships, communication, social activism, politics, human rights, and the nature of science.” Oas went on to explain, “it is, in the most literal sense, a form of indoctrination: the teaching of a doctrine or worldview that is, to many, at odds with their cultural norms, religious beliefs, and family values.”
A large chunk of UN agencies’ work is normative and is meant to have lasting effects on the collective consciousness of those countries. They are investing tons of resources in grassroots advocacy, from hosting workshops with young people, medical professionals, and engaging with policymakers. These are no small-impact projects and often go unchallenged as conservative groups often lack the coordination and resources to have the same kind of presence in those regions.
UNDP and UNFPA have recently funded workshops in Ghana to teach youth and religious leaders, among other groups, about “misinformation, disinformation, religious intolerance, and hate speech.” While there is little to no information on the substance of those discussions, we know that UNFPA is stepping up their efforts to engage with young people and faith leaders in religious communities to gain their support and advocacy for controversial topics such as abortion or CSE.
