(Pro-Life Campaign) Hundreds attended the Pro Life Campaign National Conference in Dublin last weekend (Oct. 14). The keynote speaker at the annual event held in the RDS was Obianuju Ekeocha, President of Culture of Life Africa.
The central theme of the conference was “growing the pro-life vote at election time” and several speakers, including a number of candidates in next year’s local elections talked about ways of increasing turnout and the importance of getting more pro-life representatives elected to in turn influence public policy and overtime reduce the soaring abortion numbers.
PLC CEO Eilís Mulroy exclusively revealed at the conference that after researching the issue thoroughly, the PLC has calculated that the Government spent €46m of taxpayers’ money on abortion provision in the past four and a half years and not a single cent on promoting alternatives to abortion. She told attendees that this “scandal of monumental proportions” must be turned into a major election issue. A series of social media videos produced by the PLC urging people to ‘think pro-life’ before they vote were played at the conference. These short 30 second long videos will be promoted across social media platforms in the coming weeks and months side by side with other projects, all designed to significantly increase the numbers voting pro-life at election time.
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In her keynote address to the conference, Obianuju Ekeocha talked about the way Western governments make their support for developing countries conditional on these countries permitting wide-ranging abortion, something she referred to as "ideological colonisation".
Ms Ekeocha, who is a well known pro-life advocate internationally (with over 130,000 followers on X) also criticised these same Western governments for placing almost the entire focus on abortion rather than on improving maternal healthcare in African countries. She mentioned that in 2022, for example, the Irish government donated significant amounts of taxpayers’ money to radical groups who push abortion in developing countries, including €300,000 to the International Planned Parenthood Federation. She said it was vitally important that the public across the West be informed about what’s happening in their name and started calling for change.
Tweet This: “Growing the pro-life vote at election time” to reduce abortion numbers was the theme for the ProLife Campaign National Conference in Dublin
Independent Cllr Deirdre Donnelly (Dunlaoghaire/Rathdown constituency) addressed the conference and encouraged attendees to get politically active to bring about positive change. She said: “I personally look forward to a day in the future where the lives of everyone, born and unborn are respected but in the meantime, we can work for changes in public policy to ensure proper supports are put in place to meet the needs of women experiencing an unplanned pregnancy and to promote positives alternatives to abortion. It’s vital that we continue to intensify the pressure for practical changes.”
In a very moving address to the conference, Dr Andrew O'Regan, Senior Lecturer in General Practice and GP from Co. Kerry shared the story of his late infant son Liam O'Regan who was diagnosed with Patau syndrome, a life limiting condition before birth. He emphasised that every single life is worthy of dignity, respect and love, regardless of age, ability or disability or stage in life, saying: “The politicians who are making the laws, many of them hear this term ‘fatal foetal abnormality’ and they don’t understand that this boy was not a fatal foetal abnormality, he was Liam O’Regan and he was our son.”
Dr O’Regan encouraged attendees to continue to inform themselves, to remain active on the pro-life issue and to use their votes to protect life.
Outstanding contributions were also delivered at the conference by three younger members of the movement: Luke Silke, local election candidate for Aontú, Melissa Byrne of Students For Life Ireland and Jordan Brittain of Students For Life of America. The contributions of all guest speakers are available here to view. More photos of the event are available for viewing here.
Editor's note: This article was published by Pro-Life Campaign and is reprinted with permission.
