Hollywood, CA (LifeNews.com) -- Popular television talent show American Idol is under fire again for a second anti-poverty campaign that will funnel donations to international groups that support abortion. The program has aligned itself with Save the Children and UNICEF, two groups that actively work with pro-abortion organizations.Last year, the project generated more than $75 million and, this year, American Idol will air its second Idol Gives Back program on April 9, 2008.
As was the case before, several celebrities will appear on the show to urge Americans to make a donation.
Unfortunately, a study released by the International Organizations Research Group (IORG) documented UNICEF's ties to abortion and indicated the group has helped write many documents that call for increased access to abortion and worldwide legalization.
As recently as October UNICEF sponsored a campaign that included a call for "safe abortions."
Life Decisions International, an American pro-life group that organizes boycotts of companies that support the Planned Parenthood abortion business, tells LifeNews.com that UNICEF has a long history of supporting abortion.
The group said UNICEF has promoted abortion at international population conferences and contributed millions to the UNFPA, which has supported China's forced abortion policies and has seen its funding revoked by the United States government as a result.
In October 2004, UNICEF officials wrote members of the New Zealand parliament telling them to oppose efforts to require abortion business to tell parents when their teenage daughters are considering an abortion.
"The child advocacy group said the primary right when a girl became pregnant was not the right of a parent to know," the New Zealand Herald newspaper said of the group's message to legislators.
Meanwhile, LDI tells LifeNews.com that Save the Children has a "working relationship" with several pro-abortion groups.
The pro-life group says Save the Children took part in a 2001 campaign sponsored by Planned Parenthood and other abortion advocates to promote population control.
"It is laudable that the people involved with American Idol want to help the poor," LDI president Doug Scott told LifeNews.com. "But it is tragic that they would choose to do so through groups like UNICEF and Save the Children."
Scott said he is not surprised that American Idol chose to support Save the Children since its creator Simon Cowell is the chief executive officer of International Save the Children.
Scott called on the television program to disclose the pro-abortion activities of the charities it supports so donors have a better understanding of where their money is going.
"We are caring people who want to do our part to help those less fortunate, but we will do so through organizations that do not view the killing of human beings as a 'solution' to poverty and other adult-created problems," Scott said.
Ironically, last year, American Idol produced a new winner in Jordin Sparks, whois a long-time pro-life advocate.
Related web sites:
Life Decisions International - http://www.fightpp.org
