In 2012, the Social Justice Council at St. Theresa of Lisieux High School in Richmond Hill, Ont., hosted a pro-life symposium for students at their school.
Every tragedy has its bystanders; those who believe what is happening is wrong, but don’t try to defend the victimized. Those who allow their voices to go unheard permit the unspeakable to continue. There are many high school students who have convinced themselves that they are strongly and passionately against abortion, but are passive and have no involvement in the pro-life movement itself.
The best place to begin activism is in high school. There are teachers who are actively involved in the movement. To cultivate the pro-life presence within a school, find a teacher who best represents the pro-life image who can serve as mentors for students wishing to be pro-active on the abortion issue. Through staff involvement, student initiatives can be very successful. Talk to teachers about why you believe incorporating pro-life morals and values into lessons is important. Explain how the lessons directly relate to the curriculum. The Interim’s curriculum supplements can help teachers prepare pro-life lessons.
High schools have groups and clubs that help promote issues pertaining to social justice. (It doesn’t always have to be a pro-life club). If there isn’t already one, start one. Within these groups, it is possible to organize speakers for not only the club or council, but the whole student body. Speakers from Campaign Life Coalition, the Canadian Centre for Bio-ethical Reform, local Right to Life groups, the National Campus Life Network, the Silent No More Awareness Campaign, and other pro-life organizations can help to better spread the pro-life message with the intent of making abortion an issue that students are not afraid to discuss. Another idea is to invite high school students to a conference with keynote speeches and workshops.
Outside school, students can accomplish a great deal in small ways. Each fall, LifeChain, a campaign promoting pro-life views using encouraging signs on street corners, is held, and usually done through local churches. Taking an hour to stand on a street corner holding a “Children are precious” sign can show observers that life is special. Although this can be done outside the school community, gather students within the school to participate in the event.
Involve yourself in politics because the government is the level at which the pro-life movement can make the biggest change. Writing a letter to the prime minister or other members of parliament shows them that future voters want to end abortion and are impressed to see youth interested in politics. Furthermore, participate in the “Adopt an MP” campaign, the purpose of which is to instill pro-life values in your MP, through prayer, education, and a well-constructed relationship.
Spark the interest of strangers through small actions. When going out, sport a pro-life t-shirt or button. People will notice and may engage in discussion. Discussion plays an essential role in involving people, and also in educating oneself about an issue. Another way is to use drop cards, which are small cards that have various pro-life statements. For example, the truth of what abortion looks like, famous quotations, or even crisis pregnancy center phone numbers for women who are contemplating abortion. These cards can be left on the subway, public restrooms, shopping malls or any place they may attract attention.
Teenagers spend a lot of time on social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter, and most students are updated on current events through the internet. This is an advantage to be exploited by pro-life youth to actively update friends on the movement and current life issues. For example, posting images of abortion procedures, news articles, or powerful quotations can appeal to attention.
During the fall and springtime, 40 Days for Life is held and is a prayer-filled, peaceful vigil dedicated to praying for women, abortionists, and children inside abortion facilities. Attending this event can bring peace of mind in knowing that you have asked for God’s mercy while standing across the street from a facility with fearlessness and grace. An alternative to this event is sidewalk counseling which can help women understand the devastation involved with post-abortive stress and offer alternatives to abortion, although one shouldn’t try this without training from people with experience doing it.
The National March for Life takes place in Ottawa every May, a national event that involved 25,000 people this year. Most provinces, except Ontario and Quebec, whose focus is on the national march, also hold a march for life at the same time. Within your school, youth group, family, or friends, show your support by marching and rallying on Parliament Hill or your provincial capital. This is the biggest pro-life event in Canada. To help defray the travel costs, organize a bake sale at your school or church, which in turn is an opportunity to educate others about abortion and the pro-life movement.
Although attending events makes a difference, students must ensure that they have fundamental knowledge about abortion, and the pro-life movement. Without the fundamentals, the effort of changing hearts and minds is difficult because students need to know why life is precious, why you are pro-life, and why it’s important to defend the unborn. It is not enough to know that abortion is wrong. To be readily prepared and equipped to debate opponents and fence-sitters means that students must immerse themselves in the issue. Expand your knowledge by entering the Father Ted Colleton scholarship contest that honours the work he did for the pro-life movement. Educate yourself with articles, books, blogs, videos, discussions, or arguments to help strengthen your own views in preparation to be a pro-life warrior.
Renata Iskander is a Grade 12 student at St. Theresa of Lisieux High School in Richmond Hill, and was a summer intern at The Interim.
