by Andrea Trudden, Vice President of Communications & Marketing

1. Have you been to Italy before? 

I had never been to Italy before this opportunity, but have had the pleasure of meeting our Italian friends here in the States several times at our training conferences. I also have had the privilege of participating in Movimento per la Vita's (MPV) training events virtually in the past.

2. How did this trip begin? 

It just so happened that the MPV Symposium occurred at the time of my anniversary, so my husband was able to join me and we got to familiarize ourselves with the beautiful countryside. Venice is everything you imagine it to be. There is beauty all around. From here, we joined new friends from other areas of the country to drive up into the mountains where the training would be held. Thankfully, one of our fellow travelers happened to be my translator for the week! Camilla was a God-send and has an incredible zest for pro-life work and reaching the youth with a message of hope and love.

3. How long were you in Italy?

With travel and training, we were in Italy for a week. 

4. What PHOs did you visit during your time in Italy?

The MPV Symposium brought in pregnancy center leaders from all over the country, which is quite vast. Ultimately, there were about 65 people present, representing dozens of pregnancy centers and maternity homes. 

5. What did your visit cover (curriculum, training, visits/meetings, etc.)?

The symposium was such a powerful event. Italians have a love for education, so this was a true example of that in-depth teaching. We covered three primary topics, with various subtopics within.

First, we discussed cultural changes in the world from both a physical standpoint as well as a psychological standpoint. The abortion pill use is expanding all over the world, and it is important to understand the impact it has on women, both physically and emotionally. 

Second, there was a clear generational gap that needed to be addressed. Many at the training have worked in the field for decades and have an amazing heart for the work. On the first night, however, we were asked how many in the room were under the age of 35. Four hands raised. (Mine was NOT included.) To come back to a culture that embraces life, we must reach the youth with a positive message about family and hope. For effective succession planning and true impact, we must have more involvement from the youth. MPV has a good youth program that sadly lessened with COVID-19. They are rebuilding and have grand plans for future expansion.

Sticking to culture, we unpacked the role of media today and how we can use it to positively share stories from pregnancy help. We must recognize that journalism has shifted over the last decade and has activated an aggressive media attack on the abortion issue. I had the opportunity to provide media training there alongside two professional reporters. There are ways to counter the narrative, but we must be intentional about putting stories out into the world. There was a theme of becoming good storytellers throughout the Symposium. 

Finally, I was able to provide an overview of the global landscape of pregnancy help. This brought us back to talking about the abortion pill and abortion pill reversal. We must be fully aware of the implications easy access to abortion has on society and adapt to this new landscape.

6. What was the biggest thing you learned from or about the organization(s) you visited? 

I was very impressed with the depth of MPV's work. They encompass all life issues. In fact, while we were on-site, a couple of the presenters went down the road to present at another conference that had a focus on combatting euthanasia. MPV is working to mobilize the youth, serve through pregnancy help, encourage pro-life laws, and create a culture that embraces life from natural life to natural death.

7. What was the biggest takeaway from your visit to Italy?

Italy truly has the best pizza! Plus, there is a desperate desire to change the culture to embrace life before it is too late. MPV is watching the world and doing everything it can to protect the country from falling into cultural darkness.

8. Why is it important for us to connect internationally and between organizations?

This opportunity was a great example of how we are truly better together. MPV is doing amazing things in Italy! As one of our joint affiliate networks, they tap into Heartbeat trainings often and have great influence in their network. Staying connected and sharing the current challenges and triumphs helps us strategize for tomorrow while bringing key concepts to others around the globe. This is such a mighty mission that we are all working toward, so the more we can work together, the better.

9. Is there anything else that stood out to you or affected you during your time there?
Was there anything that surprised you?

My translator, Camilla, introduced me to a six-year-old girl who was saved at her pregnancy center outside of Rome. The girl's parents are still together and they are actively involved in the work of MPV. Her mother is studying to become a magistrate and her father is a lawyer. Seeing how engaged he was at the Symposium and how she was cared for by all around, as though she was a niece to each person, showed love in action. While a completely different language and nation, the work is exactly the same. We are each called into this movement to share our skills to work toward a common mission of life. It was a great affirmation.

Partnership with Movimento per la Vita, Heartbeat unveiled

While newly elected Pope Francis paid an unexpected visit to some 40,000 participants in Italy’s March for Life in Rome May 13, Heartbeat International was busy at the same event, signing paperwork for an official partnership with Italian pro-life organization Movimento per la Vita.

The collaborative partnership adds 398 new affiliates for Heartbeat International, bolstering its position as the largest network of pro-life pregnancy help centers in the world, with 1,800 affiliates. Heartbeat’s first official

partnership in Western Europe now gives the 42-year-old organization a presence on all six inhabited continents, with partners in Canada, Latin America, the Philippines, Australia, South Africa, and Central Africa.

“We are very pleased to announce this partnership with Movimento per la Vita,” Peggy Hartshorn, Ph.D., in her 21st year as president of Heartbeat International, said. “We already share so much in common with these friends, and I personally look forward to what we will learn from them as our relationship grows.”

Founded in 1975, Movimento per la Vita—much like Heartbeat International—began providing women with abortion alternatives three years prior to the procedure's legalization in its country, and now includes 338 pregnancy centers and 60 maternity homes, providing life-affirming help to women and families in need. The group is led by its founding director, Carlo Casini, a former judge who now serves as a member of the European Parliament.

Movimento per la Vita also operates a pregnancy helpline, SOS Vita, which connects women facing difficult situations involving unexpected pregnancies to local centers, referred to as Centri di aiuto alla Vita (CaV). The helpline operated by Movimento per la Vita distinctly parallels Heartbeat International’s Option Line ®, a 24/7 call center connecting women and men facing unexpected pregnancies with real-time help and face-to-face contact with local pregnancy help centers.

In 2012, Movimento per la Vita served 60,000 women and saw 16,000 babies born who were otherwise vulnerable to abortion. Since 1975, the network has served over 500,000 women, delivering 160,000 children.

Click here to view Movimento per la Vita's website.