Europe's New Moral Crusade: A campaign against progressive values | People and Power

Al Jazeera English
24 Dec 202225:00

Summary

TLDRThe video investigates a coalition of Evangelical Christians, far-right politicians, and Russian oligarchs campaigning against progressive liberal values in Europe. The report traces significant funding sources, including $700 million from the US, Russia, and Europe, supporting anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ movements. It highlights key figures and organizations involved in this 'moral crusade,' revealing legal battles and political strategies aimed at undermining women's and LGBTQ rights. The investigation underscores the global scale and coordinated efforts of conservative activists pushing traditional Christian orthodoxies.

Takeaways

  • ๐Ÿ” The coalition of Evangelical Christians, far-right politicians, and Russian oligarchs is campaigning against progressive liberal values in Europe.
  • ๐Ÿ‡ฒ๐Ÿ‡ฝ The World Congress of Families in Mexico gathered delegates aiming to roll back women's abortion rights, challenge LGBTQ equality, and defend traditional family values.
  • โš”๏ธ This 'moral crusade' involves American Evangelical Christians, Russian oligarchs, and far-right politicians like Italy's Matteo Salvini and Georgia's Giorgia Meloni.
  • ๐Ÿ‡ต๐Ÿ‡ฑ Poland, seen as a model by the conservative right, has a near-total ban on abortion, with activists facing legal consequences for aiding abortions.
  • ๐Ÿ“Š Research identified that at least $700 million was spent in Europe over a decade to support the anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ movement, with significant funding from the US, Russia, and Europe.
  • ๐Ÿ”’ Activists in Poland, like Justyna Wydrzyล„ska, face prosecution for helping women with abortions, highlighting the state's strict anti-abortion laws.
  • ๐Ÿ’ผ Organizations like Ordo Iuris in Poland use legal actions to promote their conservative agenda and raise local funds.
  • ๐Ÿ‡ท๐Ÿ‡บ Russian oligarchs Vladimir Yakunin and Konstantin Malofeev have financially supported conservative moral initiatives in Europe, with close ties to the Kremlin.
  • ๐ŸŒ CitizenGO, a global conservative platform, has received significant funding and support from Russian sources, though it denies financial ties to Russian oligarchs.
  • ๐Ÿšซ The ongoing war in Ukraine has strained but not entirely halted cooperation between Western European and Russian conservative activists.

Q & A

  • What is the main goal of the coalition of Evangelical Christians, far-right politicians, and Russian oligarchs as described in the video?

    -The coalition aims to roll back women's abortion rights, challenge LGBTQ equality, and defend what they see as the sanctity of the family.

  • What event is highlighted as significant for this coalition in the video?

    -The World Congress of Families, which took place last September in Mexico, is highlighted as one of the most important events for this coalition.

  • Which countries and figures are identified as key players in this moral crusade?

    -Key players include American Evangelical Christians, Russian oligarchs, and far-right politicians like Italy's Matteo Salvini and Georgia Meloni.

  • What specific laws and actions are being promoted by this coalition in Europe?

    -The coalition is promoting near-total bans on abortion, challenging LGBTQ rights, and defending traditional Christian values against progressive liberal values.

  • Who is Justyna Wydrzyล„ska, and why is she significant in this context?

    -Justyna Wydrzyล„ska is an activist in Poland who was prosecuted for aiding an abortion, reflecting the strict enforcement of Poland's near-total ban on abortion.

  • What role does the legal foundation Ordo Iuris play in the anti-abortion movement in Poland?

    -Ordo Iuris is actively involved in prosecuting abortion support workers and promoting strict anti-abortion laws in Poland.

  • How has the funding for the coalition's activities been sourced according to the video?

    -Funding has been sourced from the United States (over 80 million dollars), the Russian Federation (about 188 million dollars), and Europe itself (437 million dollars).

  • What tactics and strategies are used by the coalition to promote their agenda?

    -The coalition uses legal actions, public campaigns, and conferences to promote their agenda, often involving high-level coordination and strategic planning.

  • What is the significance of the Agenda Europe document mentioned in the video?

    -The Agenda Europe document is a manifesto calling for anti-sodomy laws, bans on abortion and contraception, and the creation of a network to promote these values globally.

  • How has the Russian invasion of Crimea affected the coalition's activities?

    -The Russian invasion of Crimea led to sanctions against key Russian oligarchs involved in the coalition, but the moral crusade activities continued with the involvement of other conservative groups.

Outlines

00:00

๐Ÿšจ Evangelical Coalition Against Liberal Values

A coalition of Evangelical Christians, far-right politicians, and Russian oligarchs is aggressively campaigning against progressive liberal values in Europe. This movement, inspired by the reversal of abortion rights in the U.S., aims to roll back women's abortion rights, challenge LGBTQ equality, and defend traditional family values. The World Congress of Families, held in Mexico, epitomized this crusade, attracting various conservative figures determined to challenge liberal ideologies.

05:02

โš–๏ธ Legal Battles Against Abortion Rights

In Poland, where abortion laws are extremely strict, activist Justina faces prosecution for helping a domestic abuse victim during the COVID-19 lockdown by sending her abortion pills. This case is emblematic of the broader legal and ideological battle against women's rights in Poland, driven by conservative organizations like Ordo Iuris. These groups seek to impose severe penalties on those promoting or aiding abortions, portraying their efforts as a defense of life.

10:04

๐Ÿ”Ž Investigating Conservative Networks

Efforts to trace the financial support for conservative movements in Europe reveal significant funding from the U.S., Russia, and within Europe itself. Organizations like Ordo Iuris, supported by various conservative foundations, are actively involved in legal battles against LGBTQ rights and abortion. These groups use litigation as a tool to intimidate and penalize activists, raising funds through local and international networks dedicated to conservative causes.

15:05

๐Ÿ›๏ธ TFP and the Funding of Conservative Movements

The Tradition, Family, and Property (TFP) movement, a significant funder of anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ initiatives in Europe, aims to restore traditional values and hereditary nobility. They have spent millions over a decade supporting conservative causes. Similarly, Russian oligarchs like Vladimir Yakunin and Konstantin Malofiev have financed various conservative projects in Europe, aligning with local movements to promote their shared moral agendas.

20:06

๐ŸŒ International Conservative Collaboration

The World Congress of Families, a key platform for global conservative activists, has seen participation from Russian oligarchs and European far-right politicians. Despite sanctions and geopolitical tensions, these networks continue to collaborate, driven by a shared vision of defending traditional values against perceived Western moral decline. Organizations like CitizenGO, funded by small donations, amplify this agenda through petitions and advocacy, while maintaining ties with influential conservative figures worldwide.

Mindmap

Keywords

๐Ÿ’กMoral Crusade

A 'moral crusade' refers to a campaign aimed at promoting or enforcing moral standards. In the context of the video, it describes the movement led by Evangelical Christians, far-right politicians, and Russian oligarchs against progressive liberal values such as abortion rights and LGBTQ equality. This crusade is driven by a belief in traditional Christian orthodoxies and is a reaction to changes in social policies, particularly in Europe.

๐Ÿ’กAbortion Rights

Abortion rights pertain to the legal rights and access to safe and legal abortion services. The video highlights the efforts of conservative groups to roll back these rights, exemplified by events like the World Congress of Families. These groups view the restriction of abortion as a way to uphold the sanctity of the family and traditional values.

๐Ÿ’กLGBTQ Equality

LGBTQ equality involves ensuring that people who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, or queer have the same rights and opportunities as others. The video describes the opposition from conservative factions who see LGBTQ rights as contrary to their traditional values. This opposition is part of their broader campaign to challenge progressive liberal policies.

๐Ÿ’กRussian Oligarchs

Russian oligarchs are wealthy and influential businessmen in Russia. In the video, figures like Vladimir Yakunin and Konstantin Malofiev are identified as significant financiers of the conservative moral crusade in Europe. Their involvement underscores the geopolitical dimensions of this cultural conflict, linking it to broader East-West tensions.

๐Ÿ’กWorld Congress of Families

The World Congress of Families is an international organization that promotes traditional family values. The video describes its role as a gathering place for conservative activists from around the world who share a common agenda of opposing abortion and LGBTQ rights. The Congress serves as a platform for coordinating and strategizing their campaigns.

๐Ÿ’กConservative Christians

Conservative Christians are individuals or groups who adhere to traditional Christian doctrines and oppose liberal social policies. In the video, they are depicted as key players in the moral crusade against progressive values, collaborating with like-minded politicians and oligarchs to influence social policy in Europe.

๐Ÿ’กPoland's Abortion Laws

Poland's abortion laws are some of the strictest in Europe, allowing terminations only in cases of rape, incest, or danger to the mother's life. The video features activists like Justina, who face legal repercussions for assisting women in obtaining abortions, highlighting the harsh enforcement of these laws and the broader impact on women's rights.

๐Ÿ’กCitizen Go

Citizen Go is a conservative advocacy group that promotes petitions against abortion, LGBTQ rights, and other progressive causes. The video mentions its significant funding and connections with Russian oligarchs, indicating its role in the global network of conservative activists pushing back against liberal policies.

๐Ÿ’กTraditional Values

Traditional values refer to long-established beliefs and practices regarding family, gender roles, and morality. The video explores how these values are being defended by conservative groups against what they perceive as the erosion caused by progressive liberal policies. These values often include opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights.

๐Ÿ’กReligious Freedom

Religious freedom is the right to practice one's religion without interference from the government. In the video, conservative groups argue that their opposition to abortion and LGBTQ rights is rooted in their religious beliefs and thus should be protected under the banner of religious freedom. This concept is used to justify their legal and political actions.

Highlights

A coalition of Evangelical Christians, far-right politicians, and Russian oligarchs are engaged in a fierce campaign against progressive liberal values in Europe.

The reversal of abortion rights in the United States has emboldened conservative campaigners in Europe.

Delegates gathered for the World Congress of Families in Mexico, aiming to roll back women's abortion rights and challenge LGBTQ equality.

The coalition's mission is described as a crusade to defend traditional Christian orthodoxies against progressive liberal values.

American Evangelical Christians, Russian oligarchs, and far-right politicians like Italy's Matteo Salvini and Georgia Meloni are linked in this crusade.

Conservative activists in Europe see the continent as the next key battleground for their agenda.

In Poland, activists like Justyna Wydrzyล„ska face imprisonment for aiding abortions, reflecting strict state laws against abortion.

Legal organizations like Ordo Iuris in Poland use prosecutions to enforce anti-abortion laws and intimidate activists.

Research by Neil Datta and colleagues identified over 700 million dollars spent on anti-abortion and anti-LGBTQ rights campaigns in Europe from 2009 to 2018.

Hidden camera footage from a conference revealed strategies and rhetoric used by right-wing and anti-abortion groups.

Agenda Europe, a conservative network, calls for anti-sodomy laws, bans on abortion and contraception, and other extreme policies.

U.S. organizations like Alliance Defending Freedom International and the European Center for Law and Justice receive millions to support faith-based legal advocacy in Europe.

Russian oligarchs like Vladimir Yakunin and Konstantin Malofeev have financially supported conservative moral agendas in Europe.

CitizenGO, a high-profile social media platform, was initially proposed to receive funding from Malofeev's foundation.

Despite interruptions from the war in Ukraine, conservative Christian activists in Western Europe and Russia continue to maintain friendly relations and collaborate.

Transcripts

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foreign

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[Music]

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encouraged by the reversal of abortion

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rights in the United States a coalition

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of Evangelical Christians far right

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politicians and Russian oligarchs are

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now engaged in a fierce campaign against

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Progressive liberal values in Europe but

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what's driving this so-called moral

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Crusade and who is funding it reporter

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Sarah Spiller has been in search of

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answers

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foreign

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it was billed as one of the most

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important events of its kind in the

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world last September in Mexico delegates

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gathered for the World Congress of

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families and they were on a mission

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come on

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[Applause]

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a mission to roll back women's abortion

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rights to challenge lgbtq equality and

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to defend what they see as the sanctity

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of the family

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[Music]

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thank you

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this is nothing less than a crusade in

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defense of traditional Christian

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orthodoxies against Progressive liberal

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values

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[Music]

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a crusade that has linked American

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Evangelical Christians Russian oligarchs

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and far-right politicians like Italy's

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Matthew salvini and Georgia Maloney

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natalita

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okay

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emboldened by the reversal of abortion

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rights in America conservative

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campaigners see Europe as the next key

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Battleground

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[Applause]

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we talk about the family being under

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attack the epicenter of this is is in

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Europe that in Europe that the

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governments they don't want you to get

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married and they are anti-children you

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are supposed to be gay or you are

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supposed to be

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diverse

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we are building armies in all the major

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cities across the world to fight to

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speak out and to witness

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that pool was taken up by conservative

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Christians in Russia Keen to make common

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cause with the West's moral Crusaders

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[Music]

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so we set out to investigate this

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movement of European conservative moral

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activists and Trace the millions of

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Euros rubles and dollars which has

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helped fund its moral Crusade

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the places where this comes from three

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main geographic sources first of them is

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the United States accounting for just

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over 80 million second sources the

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Russian Federation about 188 million and

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then the third source is Europe itself

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437 million

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our journey began in a European country

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seen by the conservative right as

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showing the way forward

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Poland has a near total ban on abortion

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and those who defy that ban was

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imprisonment under strict state laws

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Ka works with fellow activists in a

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group which counsels women on how to

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safely find help with abortion

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we met her the day before a court case

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which could see her jailed for up to

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three years what will happen maybe

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tomorrow will be the beginning of like

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the Witch Hunt

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[Music]

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justina's ordeal began during the covid

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pandemic in 2020 she was contacted by a

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woman who said she was the victim of

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domestic abuse trapped by the lockdown

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and desperately needed help with an

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unwanted pregnancy Justina sent the

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woman her own abortion pills it is a

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thing that every decent person would do

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in my opinion and also this was the

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safest and recommended method of

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abortion

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but that act resulted in Justina being

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accused of aiding an abortion I was

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really

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pretty skirt

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I I cried here like the two days

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activities they they use us uh as a tool

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to

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make other women afraid

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the day after our meeting Houston always

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back in a heavily guarded Court where

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she faced not just the state prosecutor

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but also this man Jacob sloanovsky

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so who is Jacob zlonovsky and why was he

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there

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[Music]

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to find the answer I began here the

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collegium into Mariam

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private university in Warsaw which

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trains lawyers in conservative ideals

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it was set up by a legal foundation

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called Aldo euras and the court has

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allowed Odo Uris represented by the

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lawyer soloski to participate in Houston

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urban jinska's prosecution

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in their Warsaw HQ I asked order urus's

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president what he wanted to happen to

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use dinner

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we hope that

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the lady will be punished by by the

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court if anybody

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promotes campaigns to take Life The

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Unborn

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we need to provide proper sanctions in

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the criminal law meanwhile back at the

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trial key Witnesses failed to appear and

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the judge rescheduled the hearing

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I'm very disappointed and

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and I have to find a courage

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outside the court activists called out

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what they see as Odo urus's mission

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a sustained attack on women's right to

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abortion

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and just in a pledge to keep supporting

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women who need her group's help if

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anybody will need it we will do no

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matter what their circumstances are

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battle to enforce Poland's law which

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only allows terminations in cases of

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rape incest or when a woman's life is in

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danger has now extended to Ukrainian

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refugees

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on their website they say they sent

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letters to hundreds of Polish hospitals

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to find out if they were providing

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abortions to refugees from Ukraine

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the letter asks if doctors were taking

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required legal steps to ensure women

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were telling the truth they'd been raped

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abortion is an abortion even if you come

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from a war zone an abortion is an act of

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a Act of Killing of an innocent person

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and according to the Polish law and

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those are only rare exceptions to this

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General principle the constitutional

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principle of a protection of life

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in their self-ordained role is Guardians

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of flag bearer for Europe's moral

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Crusaders

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Crusade operate and how are they funded

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in Brussels we met a man who's been

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looking hard for answers to those

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questions

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Neil data and his colleagues began their

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research by following the money they

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identified all the different

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organizations which were active in

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contesting abortion rights women's

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rights contraception LGBT rights laws on

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violence against women and then tracked

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down their financial details their

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annual reports audited accounts Etc over

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a 10-year period from 2009 to 2018

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I was able to find that there is at

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least over 700 million dollars going

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into this movement in Europe

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for lgbtq activist Bart stachevsky this

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movement felt like a real threat

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so in 2016 he wired himself up with a

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hidden camera to attend a conference

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with the title agenda Europe this is the

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first time he's spoken about what

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happened

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the guests were welcomed at a Gala

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dinner

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with special guests members of the

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government and developments have fallen

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the more I was there it was few day

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conference the more I could understand

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that there is very special meeting

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especially when we see on how high level

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those participants were attendees

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included people from right wing and

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anti-abortion groups from Spain to

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Croatia and they were all given a

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warning

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[Music]

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when they were speaking out about

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tactics you need to use to win the

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battles the language you need to use the

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rhetoric the tools you need to use I've

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seen the PowerPoint presentation which

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was quite obvious that they don't want

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to have a like an equal discussion with

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us they just want to win

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agenda Europe's online blog later

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published this document which they

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claimed showed how the abortionist the

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homosexualist and the eugenicist agendas

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a part of one and the same ideology

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we are not an ideology we are human

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beings that deserve to be treated

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equally

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[Music]

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the document reads like a Manifesto

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calling for everything from anti-sodomy

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laws to bans on abortion contraception

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and IVF and it notes we should not be

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afraid to be unrealistic or extremist in

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choosing our policy objectives

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but perhaps the most significant idea

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was its call for the creation of a

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network which must be capable of acting

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at the level of each country as well as

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globally

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we don't know if this idea was adopted

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by agenda Europe what we do know is that

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Alan formal Network which looks like

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this has continued to grow in strength

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it's a loose informal network of

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organizations that want to undermine

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human rights in relation to sexual and

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Reproductive Rights and LGBT issues they

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meet they exchange ideas they brainstorm

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data's organization which is funded by

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The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

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amongst others calculated that at least

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700 million dollars was spent in Europe

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in a 10-year period to 2018.

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it suggested around 80 million of that

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came from United States and tax filing

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show US Dollars have continued to pour

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into Europe from various sources if we

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take a look at the American money for

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example we can see that that 80 million

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dollars is really concentrated in a few

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organizations which have specific a very

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specific specialty that of litigation on

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subtle issues such as abortion really

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what they call religious freedom LGBT

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rights children's rights the woman who

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opened the agenda Europe meeting in

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Warsaw is Sophia Kuby a director of

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Alliance defending Freedom International

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an organization with offices and

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capitals across Europe

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it's backed by its U.S counterpart which

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has poured Millions into the European

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offshoot money they say used for

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faith-based legal advocacy

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their website boasts of many successes

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when we emailed and even called at the

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adf's Strasbourg office to ask about

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their work they declined to take part

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another conservative faith-based Legal

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Foundation that's received large sums

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from the U.S is the European Center for

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Law and Justice led by French jurist

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Greek or popink we

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fellow conservatives

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are the only ones who can save human

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rights from self-destruction

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because we accept that God exists

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Mr Poppins Foundation issues legal

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opinions represents clients and mounts

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challenges in the European Court of

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Human Rights he was also unavailable for

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an interview

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but not all litigation relies on U.S

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funding

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in Poland leaked emails show how Auto

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eurus uses its legal actions such as the

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prosecution of abortion support worker

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used Tina vajinska to raise local funds

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foolish lgbtq

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camel Machu

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machuse found himself at the center of

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order euras supported litigation

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what is concerning is that they are

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using the legal ways to

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um

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to threat the activists the action Rose

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after activists published this online

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map of local municipalities arguing that

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some had passed resolutions which

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discriminate against lgbtq people with

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the support of order Uris several of

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those regions are now suing for

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defamation demanding Financial penalties

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and public apologies

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the demands

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are

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extreme like

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20 thousands Lots per each case

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order Uris was originally set up with

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financial help from another polish group

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The Pietro skaga Institute so we are

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very grateful to them what what did they

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do was to provide us with the initial

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funding to provide us with uh

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fundraising know-how

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based in krakov The pietroscarga

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Institute is aligned with an

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international network of Affiliated

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organizations known as tradition family

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and property

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they believe in restoring not just

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Traditional Values but also hereditary

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nobility to positions of power

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they're also amongst the most

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significant funders of antichoice and

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anti-lgbtq equality in EU countries

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tfp student action will continue the

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Crusade for the family the left can do

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what it will

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with great confidence those fighting in

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this spiritual Crusade for moral values

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will never retreat but March forward

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under the standard of tradition family

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and property

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new data's team estimate they spend as

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much as 113 million dollars over a

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10-year period

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the tfp movement itself is a great

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initiative Catholic initiative of

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laypeople from all over the world

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privately founded by as I believe tens

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of thousands of families

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but data and his team believe they've

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tracked the source of an even larger

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amount of money the 188 million dollars

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they say was raised in the Russian

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Federation spent there and in Western

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Europe on initiatives with a

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conservative moral agenda I had 188

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million dollars is linked to the

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entities legal entities such as

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foundations think tanks media Outlets

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Etc that belong to two Russian oligarchs

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Vladimir yakunin and constantinema

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Lafayette both oligarchs were at one

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point very close to the Kremlin those

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men were sanctioned over Russia's

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invasion of Crimea yakunin has been

play16:43

sanctioned again this year and malofiev

play16:46

indicted by a U.S port

play16:48

a spokesperson for yakunin confirmed

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representatives from one of his

play16:52

foundations attended some WCF

play16:54

conferences but denied this Foundation

play16:56

or yakunin personally have funded

play16:59

pro-life proof family activities in

play17:01

Europe

play17:02

a Russian who played a key role in the

play17:04

story is this man Alexi kongoff seen

play17:08

here at the conference of the right-wing

play17:10

Italian party leganore

play17:14

typical Russian doll and as we know God

play17:17

has created man first and then woman out

play17:20

of a man

play17:22

Mr cromof told me how he'd sought to

play17:24

create a link between Europe's moral

play17:27

Crusaders and the pro-kremlin oligarchs

play17:29

we were hearing back then 12 years ago

play17:32

so many alarming news from the West

play17:35

about those gay parades being imposed in

play17:38

all those things and we thought no no no

play17:41

there must be some Christians and

play17:43

pro-family people and we need to find

play17:45

them you were saying that you managed to

play17:47

get

play17:48

um the influence and financial support

play17:49

of leaders in Russia like Mr yakunan and

play17:53

Mr Malibu how how important were they in

play17:55

terms of your vision and your project

play17:57

well I I had this Vision that we should

play18:01

actually make Russia uh the defender and

play18:05

protector of those values and we should

play18:07

declare it internationally and this was

play18:10

my idea and uh I was speaking to any

play18:15

people whom I could reach including some

play18:18

of influential people whom you mentioned

play18:21

so Mr komov looked for a forum where his

play18:24

vision could find fertile ground we came

play18:27

across World Congress of families which

play18:29

is probably the largest platform that

play18:33

unites uh uh you know pro-family

play18:35

pro-life people from over 80 countries

play18:37

of the world we in Russia share those

play18:41

Traditional Values with you and you

play18:43

share them with us so let's be friends

play18:46

and do something

play18:48

the Russian involvement quickly became

play18:51

clear an opening speech at the 2012

play18:53

World Congress was delivered by Natalia

play18:56

Nina then president of the Russian

play18:58

sanctity of motherhood program and wife

play19:01

of oligop Vladimir yakunin

play19:04

[Music]

play19:05

the next World Congress was scheduled to

play19:08

take place in 2014 in the Kremlin in

play19:11

Moscow which came off helped plan

play19:16

the Russian invasion of Crimea saw the

play19:19

Congress drop its official affiliation

play19:21

but a conference still went ahead with

play19:24

many of the same players we have

play19:26

organized a large and wonderful Congress

play19:29

in Kremlin within Kremlin walls in the

play19:33

main number one whole Kremlin Hall where

play19:36

parties of the Communist Party of Soviet

play19:39

Union used to be held and now we had in

play19:42

2014

play19:43

our Congress and people were amazed and

play19:48

try to explain at the World Congress in

play19:50

Georgia in 2016 Alexi komov himself was

play19:53

a key speaker

play19:55

if we are strong together we will be

play19:58

victorious thank you and goodbye

play20:03

recently in Russia president of Vladimir

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Putin has been ramping up his socially

play20:08

conservative credentials contrasting

play20:10

them with Western degeneration

play20:13

is

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[Applause]

play20:41

and Vladimir Putin's speech on September

play20:44

30th was a very powerful one it should

play20:47

be heard by people in America Europe

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Africa Asia because he he had addressed

play20:54

all those audiences on the very day that

play20:58

Putin made that speech Spanish lawyer

play21:00

Ignacio was addressed the Congress of

play21:03

families in Mexico

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sisters

play21:15

is the founder of a high-profile social

play21:19

media platform with a cheerful public

play21:21

face called citizen go if you're

play21:24

watching this video it's because you're

play21:26

committed to defending life family and

play21:29

Liberty with branches across Europe and

play21:31

the world citizen go promotes hundreds

play21:34

of petitions via its online platform

play21:36

when any of our shared values comes

play21:38

under attack we generate a petition

play21:40

aimed at the citizen go says its Revenue

play21:43

nearly 5 million dollars in 2021 is

play21:47

raised wholly from small online

play21:49

donations but let us uncovered by

play21:52

Wikileaks reveal that when our Swagger

play21:55

was originally setting up citizen go in

play21:57

2013 an agreement was drafted with a

play22:00

foundation established by Russian

play22:02

oligarch Constantine malofiev

play22:06

under that agreement malofia's

play22:08

Foundation would pay 100 000 Euros to

play22:11

Citizen go

play22:13

and as part of the deal a representative

play22:15

of malopia's foundation would be

play22:18

appointed to the board of Citizen go

play22:22

at the time Alexi komov was involved

play22:24

with melofier's foundation so I asked

play22:27

him about the proposed deal tell us

play22:30

about that what happened then

play22:31

uh there there were no financing

play22:36

by Russians of citizengo zero never

play22:40

there's an agreement drawn up in June

play22:42

2013. are you saying that those nothing

play22:46

happened yes so comorov insists

play22:50

unequivocally that the financial aspect

play22:53

of the proposed deal came to nothing

play22:55

citizen gay also stated that it has

play22:58

never received money from any Russian

play23:00

oligarch or anyone connected to Putin's

play23:03

regime but one of the ideas did

play23:05

materialize

play23:08

ended up on the board didn't you so how

play23:10

did that come about the way it works

play23:12

that uh if we share the same values and

play23:17

we do various pro-family projects so we

play23:20

trust each other then people invite

play23:23

invite you on the board it doesn't

play23:25

necessarily mean any Financial uh

play23:29

transaction or anything like this

play23:32

Putin's war in Ukraine may have

play23:34

interrupted the growing cooperation

play23:36

between Western Europe's Conservative

play23:38

Christian activists and their Russian

play23:40

counterparts indeed citizen go has

play23:43

recently condemned Russia's invasion of

play23:45

Ukraine and says it ceased its

play23:47

activities in Russia in March 2022 but

play23:50

komov remains optimistic that friendly

play23:52

relations between Russian and Western

play23:54

European conservative fellow thinkers

play23:56

can continue sanctions they they create

play23:59

the atmosphere of fear and persecution

play24:04

for pro-family people who previously had

play24:08

been developing contexts with

play24:10

internationally including with Russia so

play24:12

we have to keep this in mind so our

play24:15

friendships stayed and in the meantime

play24:17

Mr oswagen and his fellow Travelers in

play24:20

Western Europe's new moral Crusade show

play24:23

no signs of giving up on their fight

play24:29

the freedom will not defense itself we

play24:32

are the ones that need to protect our

play24:34

values if we will stand for them we'll

play24:36

protect them it will not stand for them

play24:38

the battle is already lost we need to

play24:40

take these organizations seriously the

play24:42

truth on women's rights is now broken

play24:44

and that the ones who have opposed the

play24:47

right to abortion are now taking up arms

play24:49

in the way that they have not done since

play24:51

the 1970s

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Related Tags
Evangelical ChristiansFar-rightRussian oligarchsAbortion rightsLGBTQ equalityTraditional valuesEuropeConservative movementMoral CrusadeFunding