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PR: Billboard Campaign Launched
09.02.2009
Pro-life billboards opposing research on human embryonic stem cell lines in UCC were launched by Youth Defence right across Cork and Munster today. The sixty-four billboards are the centrepiece of a major new €60,000 advertising and information campaign launched by the pro-life group, which hopes to swamp Cork with information raising public awareness regarding lethal research on human embryos, and seeks to involve the public in opposing the proposed research in UCC.
Last October the university’s governing body controversially approved a proposal to allow for research on imported stem cell lines obtained by destroying human embryos.
The campaign utilises full-colour billboards to make two succinct points:
One features a photograph of a tiny embryo and reads:
EMBRYONIC STEM CELL RESEARCH DESTROYS HUMAN LIFE AND OFFERS NO CURES.
And the other states:
Medical treatments found by using ADULT STEM CELLS: 73, Embryo stem cells 0.
Both billboards have the strapline: STOP EMBRYO RESEARCH IN UCC.
The aim of the campaign is to encourage the public to lobby both their elected representatives and UCC to demand that plans to begin human embryonic stem cell research in the university are immediately withdrawn.
The campaign also involves a new and comprehensive information and lobbying leaflet, a pro-life seminar in UCC, Maynooth and other venues, a media campaign, a door-to-door canvass to encourage lobbying, a drive to facilitate alumni who wish to register their protests, regular information stands, a new information-packed website, and more. Its core messages are that the human embryo is deserving of full protection; that research on human embryos have not produced one cure; and that treatments for more than 70 medical conditions have been successfully developed using adult stem cells.
“We’ve already got a great response from students and alumni of UCC,” said Eoghan de Faoite of Youth Defence. “Some alumni have even offered to hand back their degrees to the university in protest.”
The pro-life blitz will also inform the residents of the rebel county that the governing body of their university has decided to ignore the pro-life ethos of the Irish people, and asks people to make their voices heard loud and clear against embryo research.
“We’re expecting this campaign to make a huge difference to public awareness and to raising opposition to UCC’s plans to begin experiments on stem cells obtained by destroying human life,” said Eoghan de Faoite of YD. “It’s will be the biggest campaign ever seen opposing embryo research in Ireland and, most importantly, it reaches out to the pro-life majority to get them involved, That’s when the politicians and UCC will start to feel the pressure.”
The Youth Defence spokesman said that the campaign was being launched at a time when the Attorney General, representing the state in a case involving frozen embryos, had declared that the embryo outside of the womb had no legal right to life. “His remarks were appalling, and had no factual or legal basis,” said Mr de Faoite, “But they highlighted the potentially lethal attitude of the state towards the human embryo, and the urgent need for this campaign.”
End
