Press release
Transatlantic Christian Council: Steady growth in income and work
BODEGRAVEN, JUNE 30, 2020- The Transatlantic Christian Council, which stands up for life, family and freedom of education and religion in international organizations and member states, sees donations from supporters grow in 2019 and looks back on a fruitful working year.
This is evident from the annual report for 2019 published on Tuesday 30 June 2020. Donations from supporters rose to over €150,000 ($170,000). Whereas in 2015 and 2016 income was still limited to €23,000 and €35,000, in 2017 and 2018 it grew to €110,000 and €130,000. Currently, the corona virus is limiting the organization's work and income. The foundation says it expects that work opportunities and the flow of donations will pick up again in the course of the year.
US Office
Also because of the transatlantic bridge function and the expanding political and business networks and activities in America of the Transatlantic Christian Council (TCC) as a policy-influencing lobbying organization, a sister organization was established in the United States in June 2020 under the name Christian Council International (CCI). This international expansion includes African and other member states of the United Nations (UN), where the organization also has its field of work. In 2019, TCC had regular contacts with decision-making government representatives. A welcome in Washington DC by the American Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos of a Dutch delegation from Reformed Education was an example of this. Lectures were also held at Christian schools in the NL, the US and Canada.
Supervision necessary
“Permanent supervision on what is negotiated and decided at often insufficiently democratically controlled international organizations remains of great importance,” says Henk Jan van Schothorst. In November he was denied access to an international summit on population and development in Nairobi in November, which included the UN Population Fund UNFPA and a multitude of non-governmental organizations and Member States. With a compelling agenda, efforts were made to accelerate international agreement to "safe" abortion as an enforceable right and to compulsory comprehensive sexuality education for children and the financing thereof. At a location opposite this massive event, TCC along with other US-led Christian organizations, churches, parliamentarians and country representatives was able to block this attempt and come up with a powerful counter-statement. However, the attempts continue unabated. These days, too, attempts are being made to get abortion and comprehensive sexuality education to children worldwide through the UN in New York (Commission on Population and Development - CPD) and Geneva (World Health Organization - WHO) under the cover of Covid19 aid. As an organization with Consultative Status at the UN, EU and OSCE, TCC remains alert and hopes to be able to make active use of its powers such as access to and participation in meetings soon.