Highlights from Live Action’s 2nd annual Youth Leadership Summit

Hello, it’s Shiloh! The Live Action Leadership Summit wrapped up on Saturday, and all told it was a soaring success. Each student, including myself, walked away with inspiration and real life activism experience. It was encouraging to be reignited with the reality of the injustice of abortion.

I hope you’ve all had a chance to read the blog posts that the students wrote this week. Each team chose two heroes from history to be their representatives. One or both of these figures were to be the subject of their posts. Team Saint Patrick/Bilski Brothers wrote about the declaration of truth by Saint Patrick. Team Wilberboom, outlined the constant fight for the helpless, highlighting Wilberforce and Corrie ten Boom. Team Catherine of Alexandria/Pope John Paul II asked the question What is Life Worth? Maximillian Pro told the story of a man who gave his life to save another man. And Tubman/Burke wrote of Harriet Tubman and her unlikely but powerful dedication to the freedom of her people.

The teams were also challenged to a video contest, planning, writing, directing, filming, and producing short pro-life videos, each 2-4 minutes long. Four teams were able to produce videos, which can all be seen in this playlist. These are skills that are invaluable in the pro-life movement, which is why Live Action has chosen specifically to cultivate the opportunities available through new media.

After being educated about activism, the students were excited to try it out themselves. Some of the students were participating in activism for the first time this week! On Thursday night, we attended Music in the Park in downtown San Jose. Groups passed out our latest publication of the Advocate, and some students interviewed passers-by on camera to get perspectives on abortion; it was a great audience for activism because of the many diverse opinions on the pro-life issue. The students engaged in countless in-depth conversations with those they met.

On Saturday, the grand finale of our week, the whole crew carpooled into San Francisco, and set up a fetal development exhibit on Pier 39. Despite some passionate opposition from Pier 39 security and aquarium employees, we were able to impact San Francisco natives and tourists alike with the truth about the humanity of the unborn. We were encouraged often by people passing by, which gave us patience toward those who mocked or ignored us.

By the end of the week we were all exhausted but glowing with enthusiasm. These young people are leaders, not just potentially, but literally; they will be going home to at least three separate youth chapters of Live Action to implement their experiences from the Summit week. They will be wielding their prayers, their knowledge, their enthusiasm, and their growing experience to combat the deception and injustice of the abortion industry. They are the fruit of our labor, and in turn they themselves will plant and cultivate new seeds to foster the culture of life in our society.

— 2011 (c) Live Action —