This is a reaction received from a woman in Nicaragua. We have chosen to make the message anonymous, as we have not got contact to her for a permit. This correspondence has spurred us to send our message to Tom Allen on 30 May, see

http://www.aidoh.dk/new-struct/Happenings-and-Projects/2007/London/Simple-question.htm

Dear Jen:
As you know I wrote to Tom Allen in London, and here is the answer I got. I will gather more information on Sunday at the rally, since coincidentally I will be in London that day.
Thanks for your valuable work and keeping us informed on the events. A friend of mine show some other sculptures that you had done.

Warmly,

Woman from Nicaragua

-------- Mensaje original --------

Asunto:	RE: From Nicaragua
Fecha:	Wed, 30 May 2007 11:32:46 +0100
De:	Tom Allen <tallen@bond.org.uk>
Para:	Ana <xx…@org.ni>

Dear Ana,
 
Good to hear from you, and glad that you will be at the Rally on Saturday!
 
I don't have much time to reply to this query - so my apologies. We are all working flat out preparing for Saturday.
 
We are sorry that Jens Galschiøt is upset about his sculpture. No one here intended to make him angry.
 
One of the organisations involved in the Your Voice Against Poverty campaign, Rainbo, had proposed showing the sculpture in the park, where some of the activities on the day are taking place. 
 
Lots of different activities were proposed, and given that our intention was to run a family-friendly event, we were looking for things like painting, singing, funfair activities and circus events.
 
Rainbo asked us whether the statue would be "OK with the expected crowd", and we thought that it wasn't the kind of thing that fitted the mood of the park. We were already full of activities, and this sculture didn't seem to add much to the proceedings.
 
So Rainbo decided not to sponsor the sculpture on this occasion. 
 
So, from our point of view, the sculpture was not on the programme in the first place, and we don't want to "censor" or "ban" it. If someone were to bring it to the park or to the banks of the Thames on 2nd June, no one would try to stop them! 
 
And I would agree with you that generating political pressure for women's reproductive and health rights and against Christian fundamentalism is vital and important. We were focusing on the quality of the activities being prepared for the park, rather than on the broader issues at the time we were talking to Rainbo.
 
Tom
 
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: Ana [mailto:xx..@.org.ni]
Sent: 29 June 2007 18:09
To: Tom Allen
Subject: From Nicaragua
 
 
Dear Tom:
 
My name is Ana. I have been and continue to be an activist of 
campaigning against debt, exclusion and poverty for many years now.
I will be in London on Sunday to attend a workshop on Budget Monitoring, 
and I plan to participate in your demonstration.
It has come to my knowledge that you have banned a sculpture of Rainbo 
made by the danish artist Jens Galschiot.
I have been surprised by the news and would like to know your reasons 
for such decision.
 
These days we are facing in Latin America and especially in Nicaragua 
constant threats to the freedom of expression by our governments. They 
act in different ways, and religions are sometimes used as perfect 
excuses for terrible messures, such as the prohibition to therapeutic 
abortion in Nicaragua after having it in the Penal Code for over 139 
years. This has caused already the death of over 40 pregnant women since 
october 2006, mostly young and poor women to whom they denied the right 
to medical treatment as a result of the fear of health professionals 
to be accussed of performing an abortion. More than 90 children are now 
orphans as a result of this criminal and opportunistic meassure of the 
Frente Sandinista, now in governement. Women with regular income and 
economic conditions pay to get appropiate health services. Women with 
better economic conditions go abroad to get an abortion or get proper 
healh care. Poor women are condemned.
 
If those of us that want to erradicate poverty and have adecuate public 
policies in order to have equal opportunities and well being for 
everybody fail to identify the key role that sexual and reproductive 
rights play in poverty perpetuation, or start to accept that in order to 
reduce poverty, we should sacrifice democracy and freedom, our future 
looks somber.
 
I hope that the reasons for banning the sculptor are important and are 
not related to any of the things mentionned above. In any case, I hope 
to hear from you to learn first hand those reasons.
 
Sincerelly,
 
Ana