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Geelong Deanery |
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Pregnancy Support National ConferencePregnancy Help Geelong Inc. will host "Laughter Through Tears", the 10th Biennial National Conference for the Australian Federation of Pregnancy Support Centres in July 1997. The aim of the Australian Federation of Pregnancy Support Centres is to offer counselling, support and material aid to those involved with an unplanned pregnancy, and to provide counselling after a termination. These centres are "Life Affirming" in their philosophy and do not refer for abortion. The biennial conferences aim to educate counsellors, medical personnel, teachers, students and parents in current thinking on moral, ethical, counselling and educative techniques regarding pregnancy, abortion, reproductive health, adoption, single parenting, teenage relationships, parenting skills and relationship counselling. The Conference will be open to anyone interested in "life affirming" pregnancy counselling, education and support. We believe that the experience from overseas Pregnancy Support Agencies, particularly the USA, will assist us in providing better counselling and ongoing support for our clients. We have been fortunate in obtaining the services of Peggy Hartshorn from "Heartbeat International" who will be our keynote speaker. We also hope to call on the expertise of professionals in the areas of post abortion counselling, adolescent health, and a speaker to address where "fathers fit into the picture regarding an unplanned pregnancy." It is also proposed to hold the inaugural meeting of Pregnancy Support International. The idea of this body was floated at the Pregnancy Support Conference I attended in Oslo in 1994. We believe having a coordinating body internationally for Pregnancy Support Centres would be invaluable. Thus we are in the process of corresponding with centres throughout the world to see if it is feasible to set up an international body. This is a very daunting task, but we believe with support, energy and lots of prayers it is possible. We are requesting assistance from anyone and everyone in all sorts of ways. The main concern is financial. We will have to finance the travel costs for our speakers, and find someway of covering the advertising and administrative expenses of the conference. We will attempt to keep the delegates costs as low as possible as nearly all pregnancy support centres throughout Australia are manned by volunteers. If any of the parishes are interested in assisting us, we would really appreciate their help. We would be happy to come and talk about the Conference at any appropriate gathering or meeting. If members of the Deanery can assist us in any way to run the Conference we would really appreciate hearing from them. (Pauline McKenzie - On behalf of the Steering Committee.) |
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