Global and Local Perspectives on Abortion

[Galway]

News from Ireland
http://www.youthdefence.ie/latest-news/galway-conference-challenged-to-include-pro-life-speaker-/
"Galway Conference challenged to include pro-life speaker Oct. 30, 2009

The director of the Life Institute, Dr Seán Ó Domhnaill, has challenged the Irish Centre for Human Rights in NUI Galway to include a pro-life speaker in its line up for a conference to be held next Thursday dealing with abortion. Although the conference is entitled “Global and Local Perspectives on Abortion”, it excludes the majority local pro-life perspective, and only features pro-abortion speakers. The conference is co-hosted by the Irish Family Planning Association, but the Life Institute has asked whether the centre, or the conference receives taxpayer funding.

Dr Ó Domhnaill wrote:

“We note that the Irish Centre for Human Rights is hosting a conference on abortion on Thursday November 5th, but that it has entirely excluded any speaker(s) who would protect the human right-to-life of every unborn child.

Can you explain why a centre which claims to be “one of the world’s premier university-based institutions for the study and promotion of human rights” would entirely ignore the rights of the unborn child to the point where it would deny these children any representation or advocacy? It is easy to set oneself up as a human rights advocate: it is harder to actually give meaning to the term by including those members of the human family who are most vulnerable and most at risk from the abortion industry. Then again representatives of the abortion industry, who never let human rights interfere with their profit margin, are co-hosting your conference. You are also ignoring the perspective of the majority of the Irish people – the “locals” referred to in your conference title – who oppose abortion.

It is deeply ironic that your next conference, to be held 19-20 November – is entitled “Forgotten Rights, Forgotten Concepts”, since you have so clearly forgotten the first right – the right to life, from which all other rights stem.

We would like to know:

Does the Irish Centre for Human Rights receive any taxpayer funding from any State department, from NUI, or from any other source.
Who is funding this conference – Global and local perspectives on abortion – and who made the decision to exclude any pro-life speakers.
Perhaps you could, even at this late stage, show your openness to a real commitment to human rights by including a speaker who believes that all human life should be afforded protection.”

http://www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/upcomingconferences.html
"Global and Local Perspectives on Abortion
Global and Local Human Rights Perspectives on Abortion; Hosted by the Irish Centre for Human Rights at National University of Ireland Galway and the Irish Family Planning Association, Thursday November 5 th 2009.

Venue:        Aras Moyola, National University of Ireland, Galway Campus, Theatre 3, Room MY127.

9.30am       Coffee and Registration

9.45am       Welcome and Introduction by Professor William Schabas, Irish Centre for Human Rights, National University of Ireland, Galway.

9.50am        Ireland Perspectives session

                 ’ Abortion Law and Activism in Northern Ireland- Recent Developments’

                   Eileen Fegan:              Law Lecturer, Queen’s University Belfast

10.15am     ’Impacting Abortion Law in Ireland - Possibilities for Change'

                   Natalie McDonnell:      Legal Consultant,  Irish Family Planning Association

                                                    Lecturer in Family Law, Human Rights Law and Media Law, University College Dublin

10.40am    Questions and Answers session

11.00am    Global Perspectives session

’International Human Rights and Comparative European Standards for Health Protection in Abortion Regulation’

                   Joanna Erdman:   International Reproductive and Sexual Health Law Programme, University of Toronto

                  Christina Zampas:  Senior Regional Adviser and Legal Adviser for Europe Center for Reproductive Rights

11.40am      ’Abortion- an African Perspective’

                    Aminata Touré:   Chief on Gender, Culture and Human Rights, United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)

12 noon    Questions and Answers session

12.30pm   Reception

For speaker biographies click here

To reserve your place on a first come first served basis, please email Alexis Bushnell, Irish Centre for Human Rights at a.bushnell1nuigalway.ie"

[Dust]

Unfortunately, I have to say this is not surprising.  Show only one side long enough, and people will start to think the other side doesn't exist...

[Galway]

http://www.galwaynews.ie/9356-controversy-over-galway-abortion-conference
"Controversy has erupted over an international conference on abortion to be held in Galway this week.

NUI Galway's Irish Centre for Human Rights and the Irish Family Planning Association will host the conference at the University on Thursday (05/11).

But the 'Silent No More' Awareness Campaign group, which has a base in Belfast, says a speaker with a personal perspective of the effects of abortion, should have been invited to speak at the conference"

[Galway]

http://www.galwayindependent.com/local-news/local-news/pro-life-groups-slam-conference-line%11up/
"A row has broken out over a conference in NUI Galway on the divisive issue of abortion. Pro-life campaigners say the conference is one sided, with pro-life supporters excluded from addressing the conference. However, organisers say the conference is not designed to be a debate on abortion.

The conference, being held on Thursday 5 November is titled 'Conference to Investigate Human Rights Perspectives on Abortion' and is being hosted by NUI Galway's Irish Centre for Human Rights and the Irish Family Planning Centre.

The aim of the conference is to offer both Irish and global perspectives into the issues surrounding abortion, which has dominated legal and human rights discourse in Ireland for the last 25 years.

However groups such as Life Society, the student pro-life group of NUI Galway and The Silent No More Awareness Campaign are furious by what they say is a collaboration by the Irish Centre for Human Rights with pro-abortion groups, as they describe them.

The Irish Centre for Human Rights has gathered informed speakers from UN organisations, international universities and Irish educational establishments as well as leading experts from here and abroad.

However this line-up for the day-long conference has not so much impressed, as infuriated one section of students in the Corribside college.

Spokesperson for Life Society Maria Mahoney said, "It is very disturbing that the Irish Centre for Human Rights would co-host a conference on abortion while neglecting to deal with the most glaring issue of abortion – the taking of human life, the most obvious denial of human rights in any civilised society.

"In addition, whilst the conference purports to deal with perspectives on abortion, it omits any contribution from the many women whose lives have been devastated by abortion. Should the human rights of these women be ignored?" she asked.

Meanwhile, Silent No More spokesperson, Mrs Lynn Coles said, "It is shocking that a university would host a conference on abortion and omit any contribution on the detrimental effects of abortion on women."

But a spokesperson for the Irish Centre for Human Rights said the objectors are missing the point of the conference.

"We are an academic institution and this is a purely academic and legal conference. We are not aiming to offer advocacy or answers to any of the bigger questions on the abortion debate," they said."