Pro-lifers to congregate for Calgary conference
By Alistair Burns
The B.C. Catholic

Editors note: This is our third article from The B.C. Catholic's Chosing the Culture of Life series

On Canadian university campuses the battle over abortion continues to be a flashpoint. The Canadian Centre for Bio-ethical Reform (CCBR) is offering to help pro-lifers unsure how to fight for their cause. Their annual Crash Course in Pro-Life Activism will return to Calgary Aug. 13-17.

John Hof, a CCBR board member, said the crash course gives pro-lifers the "tools they need to engage the [culture] of anti-life, and it trains them for the apologetics of abortion."

The course has two components. The first presents study topics, especially tips for organization and fundraising. The second trains attendees in activism, as they politely gather at a busy intersection with pro-life signs and placards.

Hof, who has attended the course, said the response to the graphic placards by most passers-by is a complacent one, perhaps a shrug of the shoulders.

"Naturally that is not always the case. Some people can be angry ... there's obviously a visceral reaction to the trauma of abortion."

According to Stephanie Gray, one of the course's founders, clubs from Kelowna, Edmonton, Lethbridge, and the United States have attended in the past.

Gray emphasized that all are welcome to attend the course in August. She believes pro-life clubs could greatly benefit. "It's about selling a winning strategy, not an organization's name, in order to stop the killing."

Hof advises anyone who is considering attending but is still sitting on the fence that the course is vital for life activists and that Calgary is great in the summer.

Hof is adamant that a pro-life presence in cities is vital. "There is no protection whatsoever for unborn children, and that's why these measures are so necessary."

Applications to attend the Crash Course in Pro-Life Activism are due June 1, and the cost is $75. More information is available from Alanna Gomez of CCBR:
agomez@unmaskingchoice.ca.

aburns@rcav.org