Marilyn Hempel
A just and stable world of wanted children is one of the best defenses against terrorism. Unfortunately, President Bush may not understand this. He has refused to release this year’s money to the United Nations Population Fund, money that is desperately needed to help countries like Pakistan improve their family planning services and reduce their total fertility rate. And he has sent next year’s budget to Congress with no funding for the UN’s population services. Does this contribute to homeland security? Family planning costs pennies compared to dropping bombs, and it’s far more effective in reducing terrorism.
The news is not all negative. There are people and nations that dare to think outside the box; that have implemented wonderfully creative and successful solutions to the problems confronting the world. Highlighting some of these success stories is a major priority for the Population Press this year.
Did you know that only 134 years ago, 40% of all the children in Finland died of starvation? Today, Finland is one of the world’s most successful nations, as measured by key indicators for technology, economic growth rate, human development, children’s welfare, and the status of women. What happened?
In the late 1860s Finland was one of the worst places on earth to live. Bad weather conditions resulted in a series of crop failures, adding to the extreme poverty, and decimating life in many villages. In 1866 almost 20% of the population died either of hunger or of diseases resulting from poor nutrition. In 1868 40% of the children died!
The remaining Finns picked themselves up and focused heavily on education. The Lutheran Church made literacy its primary goal. Ministers traveled from house to house teaching people to read, men and women, boys and girls. Young people were allowed to marry only if they could read. By 1900 the number of primary school teachers was ten times the number in 1870. In 1940, only 10% of Finns had a secondary school education. Today, 99% have graduated from high school.
Finland instituted other human services, including family planning and sex education. About 86% of Finns belong to the Lutheran Church, which is favorably disposed towards family planning. For example, it is one of the subjects discussed in confirmation classes.
Finland has a comprehensive family planning program that is the envy of many other nations. It includes not only reproductive health but also public support for families with children, child day care, child health care and home help services. With high literacy, a stable population, and a sound economy, the people of Finland now enjoy a high quality of life. In the next Pop!ulation Press, we will explore this success story in greater detail. Stay tuned!
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