Continued support needed for students to establish a pro-life group at the University of Auckland
29 Oct 2009
To whom it may concern,
I am writing again on behalf of the members of the Unstudent club, Pro-Life NZ, regarding our attempt yesterday to affiliate our group with the Auckland University Student Association (AUSA).fortunately, despite the fact that over one hundred students had gathered in the university quad in support of our right to affiliate, the vote was not allowed to take place due to an obscure technicality in the AUSA constitution.
According to Joe McCrory (AUSA Administrative Vice President), any pro-life group wanting to affiliate with the student association is required to have a referendum to enact constitutional change. Although we are yet to confirm the validity of this particular clause, it is flagrantly discriminatory, as it should be noted that no other group is explicitly targeted in the AUSA constitution.
That the Student Executive waited until the last possible moment prior to the student forum to announce this technicality against on ‘pro-life groups’ is indicative of an agenda within the AUSA to impede and subvert the rights of pro-life students to express their beliefs.
This was further evidenced in the blatant attempt by the conveners of the student forum to delay what should have been a ten-minute process for over an hour; they proposed a pointless motion to put off the student vote till the next meeting which was easily defeated. It was only after vigorous speeches by Pro-Life NZ president Simeon Brown and secretary Zippy Kumar that the student president finally, after nearly an hour of protracted stalling, proposed a ‘symbolic vote’ on who supported the affiliation of a pro-life group on campus- which we lost 54/57.
The fact that this ‘symbolic vote’ was taken after the number of our supporters had halved, due to the protracted time, again indicates the distinct failure of the AUSA to uphold intellectual freedom on campus. Of course, given that the results of the vote was unconfirmed, and the that the margin of defeat was so narrow, Pro-Life NZ has suggested that future votes be counted by impartial observers rather then the Student Executive.
Although, the results of the day were disappointing, it must be pointed out that some hundred students came out yesterday in support of our right to free expression; young people of diverse ethnic, religious and political background, all concerned for the intellectual and humanitarian life of their university and who endured ad hominem attack, belligerent hostility and insult from our opposition. Pro-Life Auckland would like to thank you all. We would also like to express our gratitude to the various student clubs who were also present yesterday, especially LoveShackLaw, StudentLife and the Overseas Christian Fellowship.
At this point in time, Pro-Life NZ is reviewing its options for next year. As the semester is already drawing to an end, any further challenges to the AUSA, constitutional or otherwise, will be made in the near future. The validity of yesterdays meeting remains ambiguous, and will therefore be pursued to ensure that next year Pro-Life Auckland will be affiliated on campus.
We petition all UoA students to join us in our cause to re-establish the AUSA and our university as a place of true intellectual discourse in which the right to free expression is paramount.
We also urge all students who have Pro-life beliefs to contact the club so that we can form a strong network on campus.
For more information, please contact Simeon Brown (Contact details below)
Yours sincerely,
Rowan P. Light,
On behalf of,
Simeon Brown, president of Pro-Life Auckland
Phone :02102724242
Email: simeon@prolife.org.nz
« Back to the prayer items list