NOW Calls for Stepped-up AIDS Research, Fight on Indian Relocation

The National Organization for Women on Sunday passed resolutions on issues ranging from AIDS, divorce and teen-age pregnancy to relocation of Native Americans in concluding its annual meeting.

Just blocks away, the National Right to Life Committee had held its annual meeting, which ended Saturday, and the timing of the two conventions kept the abortion issue on the front burner of NOW’s annual convention.

At the conference, NOW unanimously passed a resolution supporting resistance to relocation of Navajos from formerly shared Navajo and Hopi land in Arizona, and a resolution calling for more AIDS research. It also voted to oppose any civil rights violations of victims of acquired immune deficiency syndrome.

NOW also moved to support the development of programs to prevent unwanted teen-age pregnancy, including comprehensive sex education.

Other resolutions dealt with child care and child custody, women and the legal system, divorce laws, pornography, sex- and race-based wage discrimination and the equal rights amendment.

“That spectrum of issues is really the bottom line of what we’re talking about when we talk about giving women equal status,” said Toni Carabillo, a former NOW vice president.

Margaret Papandreou, head of the Greek women’s union and wife of Greek Prime Minister Andreas Papandreou, was the guest speaker Saturday--the first time an international feminist leader addressed a national NOW conference.

One of those voting was 11-year-old Katy Kroll of Pembroke, Mass., a NOW member since she was 6. She said she is part of NOW “for my future, so when I get older I can do what I want to do.” Her goals include becoming president.

Meanwhile, in Estes Park, Colo., Nobel Peace Prize winner Mother Teresa urged hundreds of young Roman Catholics on Sunday to criticize abortion because “unborn children are the targets of destruction.”

“Jesus loved everyone, but he loved children most of all,” said the Roman Catholic nun, famous for her work among India’s poor. “Today we know that unborn children are the targets of destruction. We must thank our parents for wanting us, for loving us and for taking such good care of us.”

Mother Teresa addressed more than 700 Catholic teen-agers from 17 states. They were gathered at the YMCA Camp of the Rockies for the four-day “Awakening II” conference.

Mother Teresa is in North America for a two-week tour of the houses of the Missionaries of Charity, which she founded.