Presentation to the Commission on Unalienable Rights
US Department of State
February 21, 2020
Jennifer Roback Morse, Ph.D.
Founder and President, The Ruth Institute
[Pictured: Dr. Morse (L) presenting Chairwoman Dr. Mary Ann Glendon with the Make the Family Great Again petition and signatures.]
Good afternoon, Madame Chairwoman, and distinguished members of the State Department’s Commission on Unalienable Rights. I am Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse,
Founder and President of the Ruth Institute. The Ruth Institute is a global non-profit organization, leading an international interfaith coalition to defend
the family and build a civilization of love.
I am here to present our petition to Make The Family Great Again to this Commission. In this petition, we explain how and why the family
itself has rights. We want this Commission to know that a worldwide coalition supports this view.
We hold these truths to be self-evident:
- That every person comes into the world as a helpless baby
- That every person has a mother and a father
- That children need their parents
- That the needs of children place limitations on adult society, including limits on adult sexual behavior
- That every society needs institutional structures for ensuring children develop from helpless infants to responsible flourishing adults
Therefore, we urge this Commission to consider the following rights of children and families in its deliberations.
- The right of every child to a relationship with his or her natural mother and father, except for an unavoidable tragedy
- The right of every person without exception, to know the identity of his or her biological parents
- The right to life from conception to natural death
- The right of families to educate their own children in their faith tradition and values, without being undermined by the state
Pro-family leaders from around the world have signed our petition, which we undertook in partnership with Life Petitions. The pro-family leaders from Latin
America and Africa are especially aware of the harm international agencies can do when they ignore the rights of the family mentioned in our petition.
All too often, the United States government has collaborated in the promotion of destructive policies which undermine the rights of children to their
parents, and parents’ rights and responsibilities toward their children.
The Ruth Institute and its international interfaith coalition whole-heartedly supports the cause of making the family great again, worldwide.
Thank you very much.
(The Ruth Institute collaborated with Life Petitions to create and circulate this petition, which can be found here.
A partial list of signatories can be found here.)
