Creative Campaign Re-Opens Debate on Abortion in Latvia

By Grégor Puppinck, Ph.D | 2012

LATVIA, October 26 (C-FAM) Sculptures of babies curled up on the pavement, attracted people walking by. Near each baby, a message in Latvian, English and Russian told the true story of an aborted child and the reason for his “mother’s choice”.

The 27 babies symbolize the abortions that take place every day in Latvia, a country with a high level of abortion and low demographic rate.

This creative display in the small Baltic country was part of a larger pro-life campaign to reopen the public debate over abortion. Beginning in August, the effort culminated on October 16 with an official conference at the Latvian Parliament on the “Protection of the Right to Life.”

An aim of the campaign is to introduce the principle that “the child is protected from the day of conception” in the law and to make pre-abortion consultation routine.

The campaign began with the launch of a website and a phone-line. Every day the number of supporters grew with famous Latvian artists, musicians, actors, TV journalists, priests, politicians, sportsmen and others.

In early September, the display of baby sculptures was unveiled along one of the major streets at the heart of Rigaold town.

This art installation, which caught the attention of art critics for its quality, remained in the street for several weeks without special protection. Passers-by, touched by those stories, laid candles and flowers before each baby sculpture.

All over the capital of Riga, posters presented a fetus in the womb with declarations from famous people stating, “THANKS for life!” Advertising companies agreed to publish the posters for free.

People spontaneously wrote poems, songs and videos saying “Thanks to parents,” expressing gratitude to their parents for the gift of life.

Information tents were placed in Riga providing materials on the prenatal development of babies and support available for pregnant women, including housing, crisis centres, and financial support.

Three conferences on the legal, medical and spiritual aspects of abortion were organized. A concert closed the campaign.

The medical conference gathered Latvian gynecologists and international experts in the Riga City Council to discuss “Napro technology and fertility of woman.” Gynecologists received information on natural family planning.

The next day, a conference on the “Spiritual battle in favor of life” took place at Latvian Lutheran Church Board house.

The Parliament of Latvia held an official conference on the “right to life.” It discussed ways to reduce the number of abortions and the obligations of the State, especially through the creation of an effective family support system, so that everyone could “choose not to abort.”

A Latvian Judge at the European Court of Justice, Ombudsman of Latvia, parliamentarians, academics and attorneys participated in the conference. The Secretary of State to Justice (representing the Minister of Justice), referenced the San José Articles as he underlined the absence of any international human right to abortion and stressed the necessity to promote a culture open to life.

I presented on the status of abortion within the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, demonstrating that the European Convention on Human Rights cannot be interpreted as containing a “right to abortion,” but the States have an obligation to guarantee the right to life, and therefore to limit abortions and support life.

The campaign – widely covered by national television and news media – was organized by a group of 10-12 volunteers from various organizations who hope other countries will follow.

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