A Bolivian's Focus on the Worldwide Family

by Dan and Peter Wooding
May 23, 2007

WARSAW, POLAND (ANS) -- Bolivian-born Yuri Mantilla is Focus on the Family's Director for International Government Affairs. His work focuses on communicating Focus' pro-life/pro-family perspective to government, church and business leaders in foreign nations and the Hispanic community in the United States.

Yuri recently he took his message to Warsaw, Poland, where he was attending the World Congress for Families IV, and that is where we caught up with him during a break in sessions.

He began by explaining that he worked mainly "in the area of public policy, meeting internationally with government officials and organizing conferences at the United Nations Human Rights Council promoting the pro-life, pro-family, perspective."

Yuri went on to say, "My main concern is to promote the proper understanding of the defense of the right to life since the time of conception. Marriage is a union between a man and a woman and I want to make sure that government officials, and international organizations, understand that and that they need to respect those fundamental human rights."

When asked what were some of the biggest challenges he faced in his work, he replied, "Well, I think it's this global agenda that is trying to promote abortion around the world. It is also the fact that there are so many efforts to destroy the definition of marriage; the legalization of homosexual marriage for example. I think we see this by the attack today on fundamental moral values, ethical norms, and I believe it's so essential for us to do our work, not only nationally, but also globally because by definition, the pro-life, pro-family, groups are part of the international Body of Christ. Yes, I think it's very important to do our domestic work but it is also important to have an international perspective in what we do."

Yuri then spoke about the situation in Latin America.

"Right now, in Latin America, there are nations that are very concerned about what's going on in terms of increasing efforts to destroy the definition of marriage," he said. "It is interesting to note that, in some Latin American countries, abortion still is a crime. For example, there is the Inter-American Treaty of Human Rights, Article 4.1 which says that 'the right to life is a fundamental human right and begins at the time of conception.'

"In my understanding, as an international lawyer, that this is the only treaty in the world that recognizes life since the time of conception which obviously makes abortion a crime. This is a treaty that has been signed by Latin American nations but, although the United States is part of the organization of American States, it has not ratified this treaty because of its legalization of abortion."

When asked if this model helped him in trying to campaign with other governments, Yuri replied, "Yes, it helps in the sense that international organizations many times are the places where radical forces are trying to promote abortion and homosexual marriage, but by pointing out the fact that that there are international treaties such as the treaty that I just mentioned where abortion is still considered a crime according to the law and you cannot have the so-called customary right to abortion because a great region of the world rejects abortion, that helps.

"There are other nations around the world, particularly Middle Eastern and African nations that consider that abortion is a crime and marriage is a union between a man and a woman. I would say that the laws in Europe and the United States on these issues are not the best examples for other nations. I believe it will be some of the developing nations that are going to take the lead in terms of the defense of life since conception and marriage as a union between a man and a woman and defense of the natural family right.

"That is why it is important for us to have a global perspective and to see where those emerging leaders in developing nations are such good examples and are producing those good laws?

"Poland is a great example of a nation in Europe with good moral values and which is standing up for what is true and trying to promote a consistent perspective of family values in Europe."

We then asked him for his thoughts on the World Congress on Families and Yuri said, "Being here is a great experience. I remember when I was an international student at the University of Kiev in Ukraine - I lived for five years in Ukraine -- and I used to take a train to go to Berlin and it was always through Warsaw.

"At that time I was not a Christian and to be back here after all these years is outstanding. It's just amazing how things have changed and how much Warsaw has developed. But the main thing is to see people from around the world here at this congress that share the same values that we have and to understand again that we are not really a movement based in one country, but we are a movement that is from around the world. We have absolute truth on our side.

"It's just exciting to see how vibrant these people are here in Poland. At the congress, we are seeing the youth and the older people who have such an enthusiasm for the defense of marriage and the right to life since the time of conception."

Yuri then added, "The history of this country [Poland] is remarkable. They were able to defeat Nazism and later Stalinism and now we are sitting in this building that was built by the Soviet Union in honor of Joseph Stalin. It looks still like a very strong building; a symbol of communism; yet they have democracy here and we are talking about issues that are contrary to totalitarian ideologies; we're talking about the family in this same place and this is another proof of miracles. It's a miracle we are here and I am optimistic about the future of our movement and I think this is a conference that gives us new hope."

When asked how Christians could pray for his work, he said, "We need to pray that many Christians will continue to speak out and not be afraid to speak truth. We need to pray that many more Christians will become government officials; that we will have Christians as diplomats, as lobbyists in international organizations, and that we will have more Christian journalists as that will help us to have a more global influence.

"Also pray that government officials around the world will be willing to do the right thing; that they will not be afraid or concerned about international pressures from extremists, from radical groups, and that finally the truth will prevail; and that that truth is based on the Bible. But also that even those that are non-Christian can see the truth written in their hearts; the natural law written in their heart; and that presidents of countries will see that.

"Finally, the main prayer I would ask for is that the sanctity of human life will be respected around the world with the acceptance that life begins at the time of conception. We need to pray that nations will not continue to legalize abortion but by the contrary that nations would embrace the right to life the most important human right since the time of conception."

For more information on Focus on the Family, go to www.focusonthefamily.com.

© 2007 ASSIST News Service, used with permission.