Event Reports

Four billboards have been erected as part of the '40 Days for Life' campaign. The billboards have been up for two months -  in Gosnells, Bayswater and Fremantle (for the first month) and in the second month (until the 24th April), in the inner city suburb of Mt Lawley. 

The organisers contacted 'Youth Defence' in Ireland and gained permission to use some of their artwork and concept. One volunteer, Joanne Tate-Cicchini said that the billboards were very effective and had received coverage in the West Australian newspaper. Members of the general public provided positive feedback. 

The billboards referred to the website www.nobodydeservesabortion.com  

You may recently have heard about Melissa Ohden, considered a 'voice for the voiceless'. Melissa miraculously survived an attempted saline abortion at around six months in the womb. After years of questioning she has emerged to tell her story of hope and triumph - to be a voice for the millions of babies who have not survived and the babies still being aborted today.
 
Melissa Ohden has had an enormous impact on those who heard her speak during her tour in Australia during September. In only three weeks Melissa spoke to over 2,000 people who attended events to hear her incredible story - high school students, the general public, business people, politicians, pregnancy support workers and others involved in various pro life fields and groups. Thousands more heard her speak on 5 different Australian radio stations and read about her in newspaper articles. She was on the front page of the Sunraysia Daily (Mildura local paper), with another large article on page four. She was involved in filming a television advertisement and YouTube footage.
 
Melissa demonstrated compassion and forgiveness when telling her story, and her audiences responded. Some with tears, sharing their own stories of abortion, or the stories of relatives or friends that impacted on them, some with gratitude that Melissa is here at all to tell her powerful story. On a topic that can be so divisive, Melissa engaged and embraced everyone that she came in contact with.
 
Some of the feedback from Melissa's tour:
 
"Thank you for all you did in organising Melissa's tour!!!  Congratulations on the success of it all. It was wonderful to have Melissa visit Toowoomba. Her personal story, interwoven with the devastating effects of abortion on individuals and society, yet triumphing in wholeness and forgiveness, greatly impacted all who heard her. The Gala Dinner was a special and successful evening with Melissa's speech being the highlight.  She is a relaxed and gifted speaker who Emily's Voice would be keen to invite again in the future.  The filming in which Melissa was involved on the following day was carried out with ease and enthusiasm.  Thank you for bringing Melissa to Australia!" -Emily's Voice, Toowoomba.
 
"Melissa's visit to Mildura was a bridge building exercise between those who already understand the damaging impact of abortion on lives both past, present and future, and those who had either not thought about it before, or had only experienced the righteous anger of those who oppose abortion.  At Zoe Pregnancy Support we believe the often harsh features of the polemic divide or 'anti/pro choice...abortion' is unhelpful and destroys opportunity to bring hope and genuine choice to those who most need it.  Melissa's Social Work training underpinned her life story which speaks loudly for the truth about abortion in a gentle and powerful way.  It is without doubt Melissa changed lives when she graced us with her presence and shared her life story... Thank you Life Network Australia.  Thank you Melissa Ohden.  We are in your debt.  Together we have, and will continue to make a difference". Anne Webster - Zoe Pregnancy Support, Mildura.

Melissa Ohden in Australia related links:

Hear Melissa speaking in Canberra

Open House Radio

Bill Muehlenberg's Culture Watch

Australian Christian Lobby

A Catholic Notebook 
 
Sunraysia Daily

HD. Magazine

On 1st-2nd October 2009 Susie Galvin set up a Pro-Life Stall at the Wagga Wagga Show selling little hands and feet badges, 12 week foetal models and note cards. She also had information brochures about the development of the unborn baby, and different aspects of after an abortion and pregnancy.

Susie wrote:
“I had the opportunity to talk to a few teenagers as they stopped at the stall. I found that the little hands (and feet) were a good starting point for conversations. It was really touching to see the expression on their faces — I think all of them were amazed.

As I was packing up on the last day a woman come over with her two children. She was looking at the picture of the 2 month-old unborn baby. She looked very upset and said "people might find that offensive".

One teenager who came to the stall looked about 2 months pregnant - she was skinny and could see her baby bump. She stopped and picked up quite a few brochures from the stall about abortion. When she was picking up the brochures she kept on looking at her boyfriend. As they walked away I  prayed that they would make the RIGHT choice.
 
It was well worth the 2 days and all the setting up just to save that one little baby's life.

Congratulations to Cherish Life Queensland for the amazing work they have done in 2009. On an unpopular and challenging issue like abortion, they are certainly doing great things to defend and protect life. See below.
 
 CHERISH LIFE has:
 
-  Held a "Rally For Life" jointly with a number of other groups in Brisbane with 1100 attending to raise awareness of the implications of the laws being passed in Victoria so that everyone will do more to prevent a similar legislative move here in Queensland.
 
-  Strongly supported any politician or candidate who stood for pro-life values in the March state elections.  Our members particularly helped with support prior to polling day by letterboxing and on the day, manning polling booths for pro-life sitting members and candidates
 
-  Petitioned against any negative impact to the value of human life that arose in parliament.
 
-  Encouraged letter-writing campaigns amongst our members
 
-  Had a stand at the "Pregnancy, Babies, Children Expo" held in Brisbane over 3 days
 
-  Continued attending 2 local Chamber of Commerce groups monthly functions and also a local Business group to raise awareness of the abortion issue amongst local businesses
 
-  Participated in InterAgency meetings in our area.  These meetings involve many community groups across a broad range of areas of service.
 
-  Presented to 400 second year medical students at the University of Queensland on the topic of euthanasia
 
-  Addressed the "Dying with Dignity" group in Brisbane (can you believe it?) upon their invitation on the topic of euthanasia
 
-  Did numerous interviews with university students and high school students for their assignments covering stem cells, euthanasia and abortion
 
-  Spoke in churches prior to the election to help congregations realise how church and state do, must and can mix - noone goes in to parliament with no values.  If those values are not formed and supported by their faith, what are they formed by? 
 
-  Travelled to a number of our branches to discuss the recent legislative changes to Section 282 of the Criminal Code
 
-  Billboards up around Queensland due to our hardworking branches
 
-  Submitted a submission against surrogacy
 
-  Wrote to all politicians urging them to vote against surrogacy
 
-  Participated in numerous interviews for radio (including Cairns, Caboolture, Brisbane and Sydney radio stations), TV (including 7.30 Report on the ABC, Ch 9 and Ch 10 news) and the pressboth online and hardcopy on a range of pro-life issues.
 
-  Issued many press releases and wrote many letters to the editor of the major papers
 
-  Had a number of opinion pieces printed in The Courier-Mail
 
-  Debated Jim Soorley of Voluntary Euthanasia on Caboolture Radio
 
-  Spoke at both the DLP and Family First conferences over the past 16 months
 
-  Started 2 new Cherish Life branches, reactivated another one established contact people in a number of areas
 
-  Numerous speaking engagements presenting to both high and primary schools to give them information about their worth and value as it is only if they understand their worth and value that they will appreciate the worth and value of an unborn baby including education about the reality of life in the womb and the real destructive fallout of abortion on both women and men.
 
-  Held a movie night for our members screening "22 Weeks" - a true story of a young women who had an abortion at 22 weeks
 
-  Held our Cherish Life Conference at Parliament House with numerous speakers including Kevin Rosengren - 2008 Father of the Year, Anne Webster - winner of the
award for Best Presentation of a Research Proposal: ‘Options for resolution of unplanned pregnancy and fetal personhood’ and Dr Janet Gross - doctor from the Dandenongs Victoria who refuses to refer for abortion against great pressure to do so.

-  Hosted Angel Soto, the writer, producer, director and editor of "22 Weeks" to come to Australia from Puerto Rico to speak about the how the movie came about and why he felt compelled to make it.

-  Organised for Angel Soto to be interviewed on 2 radio stations

-  Attended and organised numerous meetings in Queensland with other prolife pro-family groups to strategise against a state move towards legalised abortion

-  Attended interstate meetings with pro-life pro-family groups to strategise to prevent a federal move to liberalise abortion

-  Constantly sent out emails with updates and action requirements to keep people motivated and informed

-  Held our Annual Cherish Life Fundraising Dinner to raise money and awareness for the pro-life cause in general and Cherish Life in particular.

-  Currently planning our "Rally For Life" for March 2010