A pro-life group focused on understanding the growing abortion rates in Ireland and engaging in dialogue with the pro-choice movement is hosting a workshop designed to give people the skills to do exactly that: facilitate conversations around abortion with mutual understanding and less hostility.
The Minimise Project, founded by a group of Irish youth after the 2018 referendum is not “another campaigning, politically focused pro-life group,” according to their website. Instead, they are focused on recognising that “there is room for cooperation in working to reduce the abortion rate.”
The workshop, which takes place on Saturday, November 8 at 2pm at Milford Church Grounds in Castletroy, Limerick will include talks by Minimise Project leaders and opportunities to practice leading dialogue about abortion.
Neil Carmody, who previously attended a similar workshop hosted by the Minimise Project in Dublin and is now assisting in organising the Saturday workshop, spoke about the value of attending: the goal is to “try and find common ground with those who might have opposing views to see if we can show the pro-life argument in a more positive light and draw more people into the pro-life way of thinking,” said Mr Carmody.
Much of the workshop will focus on the core beliefs that underline and strengthen the pro-life argument, such as “personhood and equal rights” and “bodily autonomy”.
Aside from engaging in discussion about pro-life values, Mr Carmody also noted that the workshop will provide practical skills as well, as attendees are able to practice scenarios to help gain confidence in engaging in conversations around abortion with people who may not have the same opinion.
“We practice how to be persuasive without being hostile,” said Mr Carmody. Speaking about the often “distorted” images of what being pro-life means, he added that the workshop offers a concrete opportunity to try and combat stereotypes which depict pro-life people as “monsters”.
Those interested in attending the workshop on November 8 can contact Neil Carmody at nlcarmody@gmail.com.
