Ignis Ardens -> Conference challenged to include pro-life speaker

Conference challenged to include pro-life speaker

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Credo

Posted: Nov 1 2009, 05:03 PM

Seraph

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Galway Conference challenged to include pro-life speaker
http://www.youthdefence.ie/latest-news/gal...-life-speaker-/

QUOTE

The director of the Life Institute, Dr Se�n � Domhnaill, has challenged the Irish Centre for Human Rights in NUI Galway to include a pro-life speaker in its line up for a conference to be held next Thursday dealing with abortion. Although the conference is entitled �Global and Local Perspectives on Abortion�, it excludes the majority local pro-life perspective, and only features pro-abortion speakers. The conference is co-hosted by the Irish Family Planning Association, but the Life Institute has asked whether the centre, or the conference receives taxpayer funding.

Dr � Domhnaill wrote:

�We note that the Irish Centre for Human Rights is hosting a conference on abortion on Thursday November 5th, but that it has entirely excluded any speaker(s) who would protect the human right-to-life of every unborn child.

Can you explain why a centre which claims to be �one of the world�s premier university-based institutions for the study and promotion of human rights� would entirely ignore the rights of the unborn child to the point where it would deny these children any representation or advocacy? It is easy to set oneself up as a human rights advocate: it is harder to actually give meaning to the term by including those members of the human family who are most vulnerable and most at risk from the abortion industry. Then again representatives of the abortion industry, who never let human rights interfere with their profit margin, are co-hosting your conference. You are also ignoring the perspective of the majority of the Irish people � the �locals� referred to in your conference title � who oppose abortion.

It is deeply ironic that your next conference, to be held 19-20 November � is entitled �Forgotten Rights, Forgotten Concepts�, since you have so clearly forgotten the first right � the right to life, from which all other rights stem.

We would like to know:

Does the Irish Centre for Human Rights receive any taxpayer funding from any State department, from NUI, or from any other source.
Who is funding this conference � Global and local perspectives on abortion � and who made the decision to exclude any pro-life speakers.
Perhaps you could, even at this late stage, show your openness to a real commitment to human rights by including a speaker who believes that all human life should be afforded protection.�

http://www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/upcom...onferences.html

QUOTE

Global and Local Perspectives on Abortion
Global and Local Human Rights Perspectives on Abortion; Hosted by the Irish Centre for Human Rights at National University of Ireland Galway and the Irish Family Planning Association, Thursday November 5 th 2009.

Venue: Aras Moyola, National University of Ireland, Galway Campus, Theatre 3, Room MY127.

9.30am Coffee and Registration

9.45am Welcome and Introduction by Professor William Schabas, Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway.

9.50am Ireland Perspectives session

� Abortion Law and Activism in Northern Ireland- Recent Developments�

Eileen Fegan: Law Lecturer, Queen�s University Belfast

10.15am �Impacting Abortion Law in Ireland - Possibilities for Change'

Natalie McDonnell: Legal Consultant, Irish Family Planning Association

Lecturer in Family Law, Human Rights Law and Media Law, University College Dublin

10.40am Questions and Answers session

11.00am Global Perspectives session

�International Human Rights and Comparative European Standards for Health Protection in Abortion Regulation�

Joanna Erdman: International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Programme, University of Toronto

Christina Zampas: Senior Regional Adviser and Legal Adviser for Europe Center for Reproductive Rights

11.40am �Abortion- an African Perspective�

Aminata Tour�: Chief on Gender, Culture and Human Rights, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

12 noon Questions and Answers session

12.30pm Reception

Credo

Posted: Nov 1 2009, 08:28 PM

Seraph

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http://www.socs.nuigalway.ie/society_profiles/view/56
The college Life Society plan on doing something in response.

QUOTE

We plan to offer information exposing Irish Family Planning Association, to display fetal development models, offer crisis pregnancy contacts etc...

Meanwhile:
http://www.ucc.ie/ccr/audio/wtw.mp4
mentions how Pro-Abortion elements/Labour Youth have taken positions of importance within the Students for Life society in UCC (Cork)

The first couple minutes of the audio piece contains the reading out of a letter of the young man, Charles Quinn who ran against Student's for Life Auditor Mark Khan in the election.

Credo

Posted: Nov 2 2009, 08:41 PM

Seraph

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http://www.galwaynews.ie/9356-controversy-...tion-conference

QUOTE

Controversy has erupted over an international conference on abortion to be held in Galway this week.

NUI Galway's Irish Centre for Human Rights and the Irish Family Planning Association will host the conference at the University on Thursday (05/11).

But the 'Silent No More' Awareness Campaign group, which has a base in Belfast, says a speaker with a personal perspective of the effects of abortion, should have been invited to speak at the conference.

Credo

Posted: Nov 2 2009, 11:35 PM

Seraph

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Meanwhile:
http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2009/nov/09110204.html
Director of Planned Parenthood at 40 Days for Life Birthplace Resigns after Watching Abortion Ultrasound

QUOTE

BRYAN, Texas, November 2, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The director of the Texas Planned Parenthood abortion mill where the 40 Days for Life campaign began has resigned, saying she experienced a conversion after watching an ultrasound video of a child being killed by abortion.

"I just thought I can't do this anymore, and it was just like a flash that hit me and I thought that's it," said Abby Johnson in an interview with local news network KBTX 3.

Johnson had been affiliated with Bryan's Planned Parenthood facility for eight years, and worked as its director for two. She said she began to feel uncomfortable with Planned Parenthood's business philosophy after the organization, suffering from the economic downturn, told her to try to bring more abortions in the door. "The money wasn't in family planning, the money wasn't in prevention, the money was in abortion and so I had a problem with that," said Johnson.

But the turning point for Johnson was reportedly when she witnessed an actual ultrasound image of an abortion being performed on an unborn child.

"I feel so pure in heart. I don't have this guilt, I don't have this burden on me anymore," said Johnson. "And that's how I know that this conversion was a spiritual conversion."

Johnson resigned on October 6th, near the beginning of Bryan's sixth annual 40 Days for Life campaign, and she has since joined up with the nearby Coalition for Life to begin praying near her old workplace. Coalition for Life is the local group that began 40 Days for Life, the national prayer and fasting campaign that was ongoing at the time of Johnson's resignation.

"This is by far the most amazing thing that has happened to the Coalition for Life throughout its entire history ... we thank God!" wrote Coalition for Life director Shawn Carney, who has been working with Johnson since her resignation, on the group's website.

40 Days for Life national director David Bereit said that Johnson's "amazing conversion demonstrates the importance of a constant, peaceful prayer presence in front of abortion facilities."

"From that first campaign in 2004, we've prayed for Abby - and for all abortion workers - that they would come to see what abortion really is, and that they would leave the deadly business. In this case, those prayers have been answered," said Bereit. "We are so proud of Abby's courage to leave the abortion industry and publicly announce her reasons for leaving."

The story is receiving broad attention after it was posted on the Drudge Report website today.

Planned Parenthood reacted with legal action on Friday by filing for a temporary restraining order, seeking to prevent Johnson and the Coalition for Life from disclosing confidential information. "We regret being forced to turn to the courts to protect the safety and confidentiality of our clients and staff; however, in this instance it is absolutely necessary," said Planned Parenthood in a statement.

A hearing for the restraining order has been set for November 10.

Johnson is one of eight abortion industry workers who left their jobs during the fifth coordinated 40 Days for Life campaign that concluded yesterday in 212 cities. She was the highest-ranking of the eight. Others who quit their clinic jobs included nurses, office staffers and security personnel.

In addition, a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in Kalispell, Montana announced that it will close its doors on November 20, citing a decline in business as the reason for the closure. That clinic was the site of a 40 Days for Life prayer vigil this past spring

Credo

Posted: Nov 3 2009, 09:39 PM

Seraph

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The director of the Irish Centre for Human Rights, Professor William A. Schabas has made it clear on local radio that �all are welcome� to this �Academic Conference� and he welcomes �healthy debate� . He also has threatened to leave if it turns into a "shouting match"
http://www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/upcom...onferences.html

QUOTE

Global and Local Human Rights Perspectives on Abortion; Hosted by the Irish Centre for Human Rights at National University of Ireland Galway and the Irish Family Planning Association, Thursday November 5 th 2009.

Venue:Aras Moyola, National University of Ireland, Galway Campus, Theatre 3, Room MY127.

This post has been edited by Credo on Nov 3 2009, 09:41 PM

Credo

Posted: Nov 4 2009, 08:18 PM

Seraph

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http://www.galwayindependent.com/local-new...ence-line%11up/

QUOTE

A row has broken out over a conference in NUI Galway on the divisive issue of abortion. Pro-life campaigners say the conference is one sided, with pro-life supporters excluded from addressing the conference. However, organisers say the conference is not designed to be a debate on abortion.

The conference, being held on Thursday 5 November is titled 'Conference to Investigate Human Rights Perspectives on Abortion' and is being hosted by NUI Galway's Irish Centre for Human Rights and the Irish Family Planning Centre.

The aim of the conference is to offer both Irish and global perspectives into the issues surrounding abortion, which has dominated legal and human rights discourse in Ireland for the last 25 years.

However groups such as Life Society, the student pro-life group of NUI Galway and The Silent No More Awareness Campaign are furious by what they say is a collaboration by the Irish Centre for Human Rights with pro-abortion groups, as they describe them.

The Irish Centre for Human Rights has gathered informed speakers from UN organisations, international universities and Irish educational establishments as well as leading experts from here and abroad.

However this line-up for the day-long conference has not so much impressed, as infuriated one section of students in the Corribside college.

Spokesperson for Life Society Maria Mahoney said, "It is very disturbing that the Irish Centre for Human Rights would co-host a conference on abortion while neglecting to deal with the most glaring issue of abortion � the taking of human life, the most obvious denial of human rights in any civilised society.

"In addition, whilst the conference purports to deal with perspectives on abortion, it omits any contribution from the many women whose lives have been devastated by abortion. Should the human rights of these women be ignored?" she asked.

Meanwhile, Silent No More spokesperson, Mrs Lynn Coles said, "It is shocking that a university would host a conference on abortion and omit any contribution on the detrimental effects of abortion on women."

But a spokesperson for the Irish Centre for Human Rights said the objectors are missing the point of the conference.

"We are an academic institution and this is a purely academic and legal conference. We are not aiming to offer advocacy or answers to any of the bigger questions on the abortion debate," they said.

This post has been edited by Credo on Nov 4 2009, 08:24 PM

Credo	Posted: Nov 5 2009, 07:55 PM
Seraph Group: Members Posts: 2034 Member No.: 228 Joined: 13-November 07	The Irish Centre for Human Rights made it clear at the start today that they had no �official position� in regard abortion. Credo was present and offers a report now. The Centre are discredited for hosting this conference and who funded it remains unanswered. They are clearly on the side of those they hosted there today. Natalie Mc Donnell: Legal Consultant, IFPA and the IFPA representatives could not look pro-lifers in the eye when told they profit out of dead babies. Natalie was also told her talents could be used elsewhere. Eileen Fegan was quick to point out she �never profited� on a dead baby and was uncomfortable when being confronted with the truth. The fact that a pro-abort had to utter the words "dead baby" acknowledged that the "safe and unsafe abortion" she was promoting involves. death. Those present saw them for what they are. They are liars and despite their �professional� presentations with power point and facts and figures etc etc, they were exposed as liars and looked uneasy. One IFPA representative was all smiles yesterday on campus. Earlier today his head hung in shame. He was rattled when told the truth. The Questions and Answers session was the only time that those who oppose abortion were able to speak. The Chairman, made a flippant remark to a young woman that �if she wanted to continue with those questions, organise your own meeting� Maria, in a short few sentences, destroyed the pro-abortion argument. My point of the IFPA profiting on dead babies was expanded upon by another activist who quoted their price list and spoke about Post Abortion Syndrome. Many students present thanked us afterwards and saw through the propaganda machine of the IFPA and the line up of speakers. None of them mentioned the word �baby� and spoke in the usual language of those involved in the death Industry. A retired gynaecologist and member of staff was treated badly by Professor Schabas, the Chairman. Reluctantly he let him speak and in the 2 minutes he spoke, he tore away the lies of the pro-abortion speakers and reminded Professor Schabas, that he was around along time before him. Professor Schabas adjourned the meeting when a Medical Doctor tried to raise a point. They were very nervous and uneasy. The conference was a propaganda exercise for the IFPA and others but if anything, it won a few soul over to the side of truth. The College Life Society were present and did very well. Maria Mahoney, spoke well and the Conference organisers and speakers were like rats on the sinking ship. I�m delighted at how things went and God Bless those who turned up today and asked questions and above all who represented Life, the unborn child, and truth. Some students turned up and probably heard the truth for the first from us today. Anybody seeking the truth, would see through the line up of speakers and realise their agenda. Members of NUIG staff were present and expressed their opposition to the organisers of the Conference and for sure the Irish Centre for Human Rights have discredited themselves today. I will expand on a few points in other posts. I�m happy at the way the activists acted today and they did well. The organisers were forced to allow the conference to be opened to the general public after a news feature on a current affairs show on local radio, Galway Bay FM. Professor Schabas acknowledged at the conference that the Irish Centre for Human Rights at NUIG received substantial phone calls/emails from people expressing opposition to the conference and abortion. They tried to prevent people attending by telling them via email that the room was �booked up� There were about twenty empty chairs in a room that accommodates eighty people. I'm sure http://www.justthefacts.org is well known but it might be worth promoting again. This post has been edited by Credo on Nov 6 2009, 12:54 AM

Pilgrimage of Grace	Posted: Nov 6 2009, 12:18 AM
Poor Old Grumpy Group: Members Posts: 6050 Member No.: 93 Joined: 26-January 07	Good. Well done Credo, and all concerned.

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