By Gudrun Schultz  

Canada's pro-life movement is getting an energy boost from the growing number of young people who are joining in the work of defending life. College and university students make up the bulk of the numbers-campus pro-life groups have sprung up across the country this year, and the students are energetic and enthusiastic about spreading their message to their student communities and beyond.

"I think there's a lot of youth interested and really pro-life out there, but they need to be harnessed. They do believe in the sanctity of life, but they are scattered," said Yoli Singson, special project manager with CLC. The organization has deliberately targeted young people in promoting the march, reducing the cost of the banquet dinner and bringing in top-quality speakers and performers for the youth conference the following day.

"We've been pushing and pushing, encouraging the young people to come, and now we're starting to see the fruits of that," Yoli said. "Last year was a very good experience and the word just spread."

The work undertaken by the National Campus Life Network, a student-run pro-life organization dedicated to helping students develop on-campus life advocacy groups, has encouraged more students to get involved with the pro-life movement. This year's executive director Paul Gianoli has spent much of his time in the past year traveling across Canada to initiate and support pro-life groups on university and college campuses. Over thirty schools were visited and six new clubs formed with official ratification from their host campuses. Four more clubs are on their way to becoming fully ratifiied.

"The youth want to talk about [abortion]," Paul said. "As a culture we can't really stay in this 'let's not talk about it' middle, it's going to have to polarize at some point. I don't see us being able to sustain this mentality of doing whatever feels right."

NCLN currently recognizes 39 campus pro-life groups at universities and colleges throughout seven provinces.

The organization holds an annual national symposium for pro-life youth leadership, with an aim to inspire and equip young people to bring the message of respect for life back to their schools. The 2005 symposium drew students from 18 campuses across the country, from the University of Northern British Columbia in Prince George to St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia.

Action Life participates in pro-life education by sponsoring up to three area students to attend the conference each year. Some students are already involved in pro-life work and go to receive networking support and gain additional skills, while for others the symposium is an opportunity to get involved for the first time.

This investment in educating youth has born much fruit over the years. A number of students have drawn on the experience to continue promoting the pro-life message on Ottawa campuses. Others have left Ottawa for graduate studies and continue to be active in the pro-life campus groups at their institutions.

Action Life also serves as a resource center for students with the Ottawa camups groups, providing them with educational materials for campus pro-life displays to help communicate respect for life through campus events.

The pro-life youth movement holds the future of respect for life in Canada. Despite the strength of opposition in much of the country to any protection for the unborn, the young people who have committed their energy and talents to the defense of life have an enormous power over the outcome of the battle for life in our country.

Published in Action Life News, Summer 2006