7 News Belize

Red Cross Responds To Catholic Church
posted (March 17, 2014)
Last week we told you about the Catholic Church's blacklisting of the Belize Family Life Association, the National Aids Commission, UNIBAM, and The Belize Red Cross. The communiqué from the bishop said that these organizations were no longer welcome in the over 200 Catholic Schools countrywide because they, quote, "foster programs that ultimately undermine our Catholic values."

We heard from the National AIDS Commission and UNIBAM, but we didn't hear from the Red Cross, which is the only international agency in the group. The Church criticized their programme which is called Together We Can. Today the Director General of the Red Cross Lilly Bowman defended the programme known as "T-W-C":..

Lily Bowman, Executive Director, Belize Red Cross
"We have a mandate and we have committed to reach all the most vulnerable and most at risk people in our country. We alleviate suffering where it is found, don't discriminate, but we've been working to our TWC program in prevention which encourages and promotes behavior change, encourages and promotes right choices, we believe that knowledge gives you the power to make the right choices to have a better life."

Reporter
"So what sorts of activities do you run at the schools?"

Lily Bowman, Executive Director, Belize Red Cross
"Educational activities; speaking in field of prevention of HIV and AIDS. it's a peer education program which directly addresses behavior changes as i just mentioned."

Jules Vasquez
"The Catholic Church is only interested in one behavior; abstinence for those who are unmarried. That is not a behavioral choice, that's a lifestyle choice and they are saying that is the only lifestyle that they advocate for people who are unwed - absolute abstinence. Is that the position of the Red Cross?"

Lily Bowman, Executive Director, Belize Red Cross
"Actually the TWC program, its approach is the ABC approach. First and foremost abstinence. Secondly, be faithful, but the reality on the ground Jules we cannot turn a blind eye on. So if you cannot choose to behave exercising abstinence and if you cannot be faithful, at least do not spread diseases - protect yourselves."

"We have been into schools where they have told us they don't want the program and we have politely stepped out. We do impose anything on anybody."

Reporter
"Would this be the case; that they won't be doing this program at the Roman Catholic Schools?"

Lily Bowman, Executive Director, Belize Red Cross
"I can't answer for that. We can only know after all when we approach the school, but as I just mentioned we respect them thoroughly. If they do not welcome us in their school we just stepped out. We don't impose our teachings on anybody. The Red Cross as I mentioned is open to all and whenever there is a need we will be there."

The Red Cross sent out a release today saying that The Red Cross "'Together We Can" programme places youths in a position to...develop life skills that can allow them to...mitigate their risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STI), including HIV. It advocates use of condoms as a last resort.

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