The theme of this year's conference was voice for the voiceless.
Delegates at the SPUC annual pro-life youth conference have gone away determined to stand up for the most vulnerable in society.
Over 160 young people gathered this past weekend (15-17 March) for the 2019 SPUC Youth Conference, which this year took place near Milton Keynes. The theme of the conference was "be a voice for the voiceless", and the delegates really took this message to heart.
"I'm so much more aware"
David Hyde, attending the conference for the first time, said that he came away strongly motivated to do something. "I found being up close with all the information on abortion to be a very affecting experience," he said. "When I think of what an abortion actually does to a baby, it just shows how important this fight is. No sane person can think it's right.
"I'm so much more aware of the issues now," he continued. "Like how radical feminists want abortion to be a woman's right, but allowing abortion actually encourages female infanticide, the antithesis of feminism. Or how abortion is allowed for mental health reasons, yet having one will almost certainly impact the mental health far worse than carrying to term."
Learning the truth about abortion
An excellent line up of speakers covered a wide range of topics. Dr Calum Miller, a medical doctor and bioethicist, explained the legal and medical facts around abortion in the UK, including how 99.8% of abortions carried out on grounds of physical or mental health (which are 98% of total abortions) are for mental health - specifically "mental disorder - not otherwise specified". Obianuju Ekeocha of Culture of Life Africa screened her documentary Strings Attached, which exposes Marie Stopes' agenda in Africa, while Michael Wee of the Anscombe Bioethics Centre gave a very informative talk on euthanasia and assisted suicide.
Speaking the truth with love
The keynote speaker was Stephanie Gray, a world renowned presenter who travelled from Canada to share the power of story-telling to spread the pro-life message. She destroyed the arguments for abortion in difficult circumstances by sharing the real stories of people who have faced and overcome incredible adversity.
Stephanie also talked about the importance of seriously listening to people we dialogue with about abortion, and never losing sight of the women involved. "We need the eyes to see and the courage to advocate for the baby in the womb, but we also need eyes to see the person in front of us," she said.
Spreading the pro-life message with love and compassion was also emphasised by the other speakers. Michael Wee said that while the threat of assisted suicide means to be fought at the political level, what we can all do is ensure that no one is made to feel that bringing about their death is their only option. Fiorella Nash, who gave a very compelling talk on how radical feminism has betrayed women, ended the conference by saying: "If you are well informed, you will speak convincingly, if you have love and compassion, you will be listened to."
"I'm determined to make a change"
Delegates also had a chance to ask questions from a panel of experts, and took part in workshops on everything from post-abortive counselling to social media. Of course, there was plenty of time for socialising, with a quiz on Friday night and the now famous ceilidh on Saturday.
Karima Ameur, attending the conference for the second time with the large delegation from Scotland, said: "I had a truly amazing experience at this year’s conference. It’s so rewarding witnessing the continuous growth of young people in the pro-life movement and after listening to all the great speakers I’m determined to make a change."