Aktion Leben

Aktion Leben (full name aktion leben österreich) is an Austrian non-profit association dedicated to counselling and supporting pregnant women and expectant parents, and to educational work for children and young people. It runs a publicly funded family counselling centre and focuses on counselling during pregnancy, prenatal relationship promotion, sex education, and public advocacy on bioethical topics. The organisation describes its guiding principle as a society that treats the dignity of every human being at every stage of existence as the standard for its actions and that strengthens human rights. Aktion Leben is a charitable, independent, interdenominational and non-partisan association financed predominantly by private donations. In the Austrian federal provinces there are independent Aktion Leben associations that cooperate with aktion leben österreich in content and organisation. On 14 November 2001 several Austrian Aktion Leben regional associations were among the first 44 organisations to be awarded the Austrian Donation Seal of Quality (Österreichisches Spendengütesiegel). The national association is headed by an honorary chairperson supported by an honorary board elected by the general assembly, with a secretary-general responsible for management. The association advises, accompanies and supports pregnant women or expectant parents in emergency situations. Its counselling focuses on psychosocial, attachment-oriented counselling, social-law information, and counselling on decisions about continuing or terminating a pregnancy. It offers sex education for young people, educational events for all age groups, and publishes brochures, games and teaching materials on contraception, pregnancy and life before birth. It also informs about and takes positions on ethical questions of modern medicine, summarising its activities in an annual report published on its website. Aktion Leben states that it opposes renewed criminal punishment of women who have abortions under the time-limit rule, opposes criminal sanctions against doctors, and opposes aggressive approaches to women seeking abortions outside abortion clinics. It initiated the international "Day of Life", celebrated annually on 1 June across Austria with the campaign "Die Überraschung des Lebens" (The Surprise of Life), which recalls that every person is unique. It also advocates a child- and parent-friendly society. Catholic pro-life groups in Austria have criticised the association, arguing that it works "on fundamental questions against the Church" and that its open-ended pregnancy counselling does not correspond to Church teaching.

Aktion Leben traces its origins to 1954, when the Jesuit Georg Strangfeld and a group of committed Catholic academics founded "Aktion Rettet das Leben" to support pregnant girls and women, at a time when abortion numbers were alarmingly high despite threatened punishment. In 1955 the first larger event was held at the University of Vienna under the title "Abtreibung – warum nicht?" (Abortion – why not?). Subsequently a number of further "Rettet das Leben" associations were founded in the federal provinces (1959: Styria, Tyrol). In 1957 the first nationwide conference took place. The goals at that time were awareness-raising, advocacy for child- and family-friendly policy, and care for women and families in need, for example through financial support of Caritas mother-and-child aid. Under the SPÖ minority government Kreisky I, Justice Minister Christian Broda presented a draft law for a criminal-law amendment in January 1971 that contained an "indications solution"; for SPÖ women this proposal was far too limited. In summer 1971 the Aktion Leben appeared for the first time, opposing a "relaxation of abortion provisions". SPÖ women decided at their conference on a motion against the indications rule and for the time-limit rule (impunity in the first three months); this was also adopted at the SPÖ party congress. Meanwhile the SPÖ won an absolute majority for the first time in the 1971 National Council election. Thus the time-limit rule was adopted on 29 November 1973 and, after objection by the Federal Council, again on 23 January 1974 in the National Council, entering into force on 1 January 1975. In 1974 Aktion Leben initiated the collection of supporting signatures for the popular initiative for the "Protection of Human Life" and against the time-limit rule, which was ultimately carried out in 1975. With 895,665 signatures it was the largest popular initiative at that time. When the National Council dealt with Aktion Leben's draft in 1976, it was rejected by 105 votes to 75. In 1978 Rettet das Leben and Aktion Leben merged. Afterwards various groups repeatedly appeared under the name Rettet das Leben. Since 1989 aktion leben has officially recognised the time-limit rule. aktion leben österreich explicitly distances itself from radical groups that advocate renewed punishment of women. To the goals of the 1950s, counselling and help were added, and since 1995 bioethical questions as well. On 14 November 2001 several Austrian Aktion Leben regional associations were among the first 44 organisations to receive the Austrian Donation Seal of Quality. Today aktion leben österreich is a charitable, independent, interdenominational and non-partisan association financed predominantly by private donations, with independent provincial associations cooperating with it. It runs a funded family counselling centre and works on counselling during pregnancy, prenatal relationship promotion, sex education and public relations on bioethical topics. It initiated the international "Day of Life", celebrated annually on 1 June with the campaign "Die Überraschung des Lebens". Catholic pro-life groups in Austria have criticised the association, arguing that it works "on fundamental questions against the Church" and that its open-ended pregnancy counselling does not correspond to Church teaching.

• 2001

  On 14 November several Austrian Aktion Leben regional associations are among the first 44 organisations awarded the Austrian Donation Seal of Quality.

• 1995

  Bioethical questions added to the association's goals.

• 1989

  aktion leben officially recognises the time-limit rule.

• 1978

  Rettet das Leben and Aktion Leben merge.

• 1976

  National Council rejects Aktion Leben's draft by 105 votes to 75.

• 1975

  Time-limit rule enters into force on 1 January; popular initiative carried out with 895,665 signatures, the largest at that time.

• 1974

  Time-limit rule adopted again on 23 January after objection by the Federal Council; Aktion Leben initiates signature collection for the popular initiative "Protection of Human Life".

• 1973

  The time-limit rule adopted in the National Council on 29 November.

• 1971

  Aktion Leben appears for the first time, opposing a relaxation of abortion provisions; Justice Minister Christian Broda had presented an indications-solution draft in January.

• 1959

  Further "Rettet das Leben" associations founded in Styria and Tyrol.

• 1957

  First nationwide conference of the movement.

• 1955

  First larger event held at the University of Vienna under the title "Abtreibung – warum nicht?".

• 1954

  Aktion Rettet das Leben founded by Jesuit Georg Strangfeld and a group of committed Catholic academics to support pregnant girls and women.

Charitable, independent, interdenominational and non-partisan non-profit association financed predominantly by private donations; advocates a child- and parent-friendly society and the dignity of every human being at every stage of existence.

• Pregnancy and crisis counselling

• Psychosocial and attachment-oriented counselling

• Social-law information and advice

• Sex education for young people

• Educational events and workshops

• Brochures, games and teaching materials on contraception, pregnancy and prenatal life

• Public relations on bioethical topics

1. 1aktion leben österreich official websiteaktionleben.at
2. 2Geschichten aus der Beratungaktionleben.at
3. 3Aktion Leben Österreich – Wikipediade.wikipedia.org
4. 4Aktion Leben – Wikidatawikidata.org