Why stand for life on campus?
• Abortion directly affects students. Many students get pregnant and don’t babies. You could change the mind of a mother and save her baby.
• Students are the future leaders of the country in politics, the prolife movement and the media. What happens on campus now will happen in the country in five to ten years. By changing the campus, you will change the country. Make your life count – shape history.
• The media and government are interested in what students think. Thus you can influence them now.
• Students are more radical than working people and often start social change.
Campus awareness
Here are some successful ways to help make students aware and educated.
• Stick prolife posters on walls.
• Write an article for the campus newspaper.
• Challenge the pro-abortionists to a campus radio debate.
• Distribute thousands of small pro-life pamphlets.
• Put an information display in a glass cabinet at the Students Union.
• Debate with pro-abortion lecturers in law, philosophy or genetics.
• Give an educational talk.
• Have an information table and display boards at orientation week.
• Keep a pro-life book and video library to help students write essays on abortion.
• Members join women’s rights, political societies and campus media to promote the prolife view.
• A prolife campus magazine.
• Several activities can be combined for an awareness week: posters, pamphlets, talk, information table.
Political lobbying
Students can make a big political impact:
• Write letters to politicians.
• Visit politicians to discuss abortion (take literature with you).
• Researched “Abortion in South Africa” in 1994 (50 pgs) – see http://www.Christianview.org
• Submission to parliament on behalf of all Christian campus organisations.
• Oral presentations to parliamentary committee on abortion including a slide show and answering questions
• Demonstrate outside parliament.
• Students defend the unborn at national congress of political party.
Outside involvement
• Educate through interviews on radio
• Participate in demonstrations.
• Give talks at schools and youth groups.
• Day of prayer for local churches.
• Helped start first city pregnancy centre.
While you can have a big off-campus impact, first build a strong campus society. Give some time to off-campus outreach, but not too much – otherwise you may lose your base. Some leaders graduate – others want a change, so you must recruit and train new activists every year.
Medical School actions
UCT Christian Medical Fellowship leader, Nick Haus led these actions:
• A petition against pressure on medics in hospital to help with abortions.
• Try persuade mothers in the abortion ward to keep their baby.
• Debate with lecturer on medical ethics.
• Invite Christian speaker to debate ethics lecturer.
• Organise a visit to a Pregnancy Centre.
(for more, see “Being salt and light at medical school” at http://www.Christianview.org).
Law faculty actions
His People campus leader, Lukas Nakos challenged a pro-abortion lecturer on the legal right to abortion. To try to shut him up, she asked if he would like to give the lecture. He agreed immediately and won many of his class to the prolife cause.
Moving on to national politics
Former UCT student, Graham McIntosh, MP served with the PFP, DP and now DA. He helped found Pro-Life South Africa. Your members may go to national politics.
Supporting pregnant students
• Ask student health to refer pregnant students to abortion alternatives.
• Ask residence administration to accommodate students with children.
• Help pregnant students avoid academic exclusion from lost time.
Organising campus pro-life action
To make a big difference, you must organise people. This could be a new portfolio, department, event or awareness week for your Christian society or separate pro-life society. The action group could be just prolife or also for other issues. Choose what is best for your campus.
How start student pro-life society
• Find a few interested people.
• Find out the rules to start a society. Possibly a minimum number of members and a constitution. Sign up these members, on a form to collect their contact details. Ask for support from Christian society leaders, lecturers and local pro-life activist leaders (Maybe ask to join a board).
• Explain the vision for the society, with ideas of what it can do. Let interested people get to know each other.
• Elect an interim committee: Chairperson, vice-chair, treasurer, advertising, membership, events. The chairperson must have previous committee or organising experience.
• Choose a name and membership fee.
• Fill in the documents for university registration (compare other societies).
• Ask for funds from the university for publications, travel. Also charge a reasonable membership fee.
• Collect pro-life literature, videos, slides, stickers and newspaper cuttings.
• Organise a recruitment drive to boost membership – best in orientation week.
• Plan regular and special meeting dates for the society and committee.
UCT Students for Life 