NCLN Symposium Testimony: Jonathon Van Maren

Jonathon Van Maren

Attended symposium as a student in 2009

Graduated from Simon Fraser University

Currently works as the Communications Director for the Canadian Centre for Bio-Ethical Reform

I was new to the pro-life movement when I decided to attend NCLN’s Symposium, having just been elected president of SFU’s pro-life club. What I realized when I arrived at the Symposium in Toronto was that my little pro-life club wasn’t just a pocket of student activists. It was part of a growing movement, with the infrastructure for that movement being provided by NCLN. I met students from across the country, many of whom I would later develop a personal relationship with. I met pro-life leaders like Jojo Ruba and Dr. John Patrick, who lent us their insight and suggested concrete things for us to do to save lives on our own campus. And most importantly, the Symposium gave me the confidence to go back to my campus and attack the challenges that we faced.

As a number of others who attended the 2009 Symposium, I now work full time in the pro-life movement to EndtheKilling in Canada. It is because of NCLN and the encouragement, resources and connections they provided that I was able to realize that my calling was to work in the pro-life movement. I cannot recommend this Symposium highly enough.

For more information about the 2012 Symposium, click here.