Mother's rights campaigner, Brenda Coughlan and leading Victoria lawmakers in Victoria Park, Sale, Victoria to celebrate the unveiling of a statue honoring the special bond between Mother and Child.
Former Premier of Victoria, Ted Ballieu and Former Deputy Premier of Victoria, Peter Ryan attended, as Hon. Darren Chester, a Commonwealth Minister representing Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Ms. Coughlan, a spokesperson for Independent Regional Mothers, jointly unveiled the statue by Andrew Poppleton entitled "Cherished - Mother and Child".
The event follows on from national and state level apologies for adoption practices which confined and coerced mothers with the aim of sundering their mother and child bond. St. Patrick's Day, 17th March, 2017 was chosen for the unveiling to send a message to Ireland -where similar events took place- that the mother and child bond is sacred.
Brenda Coughlan earned the respect of Victoria's legislators due to her ability to lucidly illuminate the reforms needed after decades of illegal coercion of single women during pregnancy.
Victoria's forthright embrace of reforms has led the world - thanks in good measure to the work of Brenda and Independent Regional Mothers - who support the Irish First Mothers campaign for truth, justice and redress.
Transcript of Brenda's address to the gathering is here with permission:
irishfirstmothers.blogspot.ie/2017/03/Mother-And-Child-Bond.html
PHOTO: http://bit.ly/2myNdZI
Former Deputy Premier of Victoria, Peter Ryan; Former Premier of Victoria, Ted Ballieu; Hon. Darren Chester, a Commonwealth Minister representing Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. In Victoria Park, Sale, Victoria, Australia. Front: Brenda Coughlan, Spokesperson for Independent Regional Mothers.
WATCH: youtube.com/watch?v=wS0oXSOLC2Y
Attending the ceremony was former Victoria Premier, Ted Ballieu who in 2012 made a formal apology on behalf of the Victorian Government for incarcerations, medical abuses and forced adoptions carried out in the 1950s, 60s and 70s.
Victoria Park, Marley St., Sale, Victoria, Australia:
https://goo.gl/maps/idfHgQSnrSy
Brenda's mothers group Website:
independentregionalmothers.com.au/about/
IrishFirstMothers.com
Irish First Mothers embodies Brenda Coughlan's vision and spirit in their campaign for truth and justice about coercion during pregnancy in Ireland.
Heartbeat to Heartbeat; Live for the Day,
When the Mother And Child Reunion - Is Only A Moment Away:
Read: http://bit.ly/Declaration-Of-Mother-And-Child-Human-Rights
Facebook: http://bit.ly/MotherAndChildReunion
Visit: MotherAndChildReunion.org/
VIDEO ID: vimeo.com/
