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Population Program News
What do an inflatable globe, green-and-pink stickers, and T-shirts that say "The Fate of the World is in Your Hands… and Your Pants" have in common? For student leaders across the country, these are the tools that empower youth and save the planet! During September and October, the Global Population and Environment Program reached out to more than 250 students, giving interactive "Sex and Environment" workshops in Illinois and a Student Leadership Training in Washington State. Not only did young people learn about the connections between reproductive health and rights and environmental protection in a fun and engaging way, but they were inspired to become long-term leaders in their communities for taking action locally and globally!
More than 100 students attended film-screenings of the documentary the week prior to the event, drawing women's rights and pro-choice advocates to the workshop in droves to learn about population and environmental issues. The other student presenter was Ty Dawson, who leads the Sierra Club Coalition's Campus Climate Challenge effort at the second biggest University in the nation, Ohio University. He spoke out about how seeing first-hand the damaging effects of mountain top removal inspired him to take action, and work to change Ohio's energy policies. He encouraged many students to join the Sierra Student Coalition and become part of a renewable energy revolution. Together, Shelby and Ty truly made the green-pink connection. The students, faculty, and staff who attended the workshops were inspired by the linkages. According to a graduate student from Western Illinois University, "What I enjoyed most about the program was the uniting of the two movements. The idea had already occurred to me, but the visual aides along with the activities to get the audience involved in the discussion of these combining forces really helped me understand the connection."
Participants developed an understanding of the need for access to education, health care, and global citizenship. In addition, they gained organizing, advocacy and lobbying skills necessary to be effective leaders on their campuses and in their communities. Then, in late October, we partnered again with this amazing coalition to co-host a series of campus tours, once again highlighting our successful "Sex and the Environment" workshop at four universities throughout Washington state. Stay tuned for more successful stories from Washington State in our next Pop Report online! News from Capitol Hill: On September 15, the Bush Administration overruled Congress and announced that it will withhold funding to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) for the fifth year in a row. Since 2002, this UN program that saves women's lives, promotes human rights, protects the environment and empowers families to improve their quality of life, has been denied U.S. funding. UNFPA's family planning programs give women choices about the size and spacing of their families, ultimately easing the strains placed on the environment by the world's growing population. According to the UNFPA, the withheld funding, now totaling $161 million, could have prevented 385,000 infant and child deaths, 27,000 maternal deaths, and four million induced abortions, or funded contraceptives to prevent 12 million unwanted pregnancies.
Photo used with permission.
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We toured four college campuses in Illinois, highlighting two student speakers to discuss the connections between comprehensive sex education for young people and global warming. One featured speaker was Shelby Knox, a student who famously demanded comprehensive sex education in her small, evangelical community of Lubbock, Texas. A documentary made about her fight, 
Following the Illinois tour, we partnered with