Family Watch International (FWI), a US Christian conservative organisation described by civil rights activists as a “hate group” for its anti-LGBT stance, has been coaching high-ranking African politicians and religious and civic leaders to oppose comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) across the continent.
For at least a decade, African ambassadors to the United Nations have been invited to FWI’s annual training programme in the US. The focus of the training is on opposing both LGBT rights and CSE – which the UN defines as “the education of children and young people about sexual health, well-being and dignity”. FWI’s training for African leaders also includes practical sessions on how to negotiate at the UN.
FWI president Sharon Slater and her husband, Greg Slater, who is the group’s senior legal adviser, also hold receptions for the twenty or so politicians at their suburban home in Gilbert, Arizona.
By day, Greg Slater is vice-president and senior director of global regulatory affairs at the microchip giant Intel, which has publicly backed equal rights for LGBT people. But in his role at FWI, he advises the organisation on legal strategies to push their anti-LGBT agenda, and also presents some of the diplomats’ training sessions.
Zambia’s ambassador to the African Union (AU), Emmanuel Mwamba, confirmed to openDemocracy that he has attended two diplomat training sessions hosted by FWI in the US and, earlier this year, he gave one of the programme’s keynote speeches.
Since attending his first FWI training, Mwamba has been vocal against CSE in Zambia. In a newspaper article published last month, he writes that “at the heart of CSE is a determined goal to achieve, sexualise children, make them less ‘homophobic’, and let them know that sex is a right with whoever they wish to have it with.”
UNAIDS executive director Winnie Byanyima, from Uganda, told openDemocracy that “CSE is an integral part of the right to education and to health. It is not optional. It is not negotiable.”
“Quality CSE puts the power of knowledge for prevention directly in the hands of adolescent girls, boys and young people – to prevent HIV, early pregnancy, the trauma of maternal deaths, and sexual and gender-based violence – and to know where to get timely support.” Read more via openDemocracy