PRO VITA București

Who we are?

PRO VITA Association – Bucharest is a non-governmental and non-profit organization, with a Christian and social profile, promoting the right to life since conception, the family and the parental vocation, by means of efficient education, civic involvement and legal issues.

It has acquired legal personality in 2005 as a subsidiary of the widely known and respected PRO VITA Association based in Vălenii de Munte, founded in 1993 by Father Nicolae Tănase (Valea Plopului), and it has continued as an independent organization in the following years.

The values on which the PRO VITA activity is based are:

  • Human life from its inception (from the moment of conception), as supreme value;
  • Family, as a centre of social organisation;
  • Education, as a tool for personal development;
  • Faith in God, as a fundament of the whole life.
Defending the right to life of the unborn child: women deserve better than abortion!

What do we do?

1. Humanitarian and charitable activities

Most part of the annual budget is assigned to charity deeds. Since 2012, PRO VITA Bucharest supports, from a financial and logistic point of view, the Social Centre „Saints Archanghels” in Slobozia, Giurgiu County (destined for victims of domestic violence). Previously, from 2011 to 2014 we developed a humanitarian programme, for mothers who are in a difficult situation, and for born or unborn children, in the Valea Părului village, Teleorman County – now discontinued. Also, in our early years we supported the assistance and orphanage centres of the Mother Association from the Valea Plopului and Valea Screzii villages (Prahova County).

2. Assistance, specialized counselling and support

This integrated programme has approximately 25 beneficiaries per year. It addresses the young women which are in difficult social situations, and which are to become mothers or have recently become mothers and envisages three main directions of action:

  • The moral-religious direction, for the understanding of the human, biological and social nature of the born person who will be born;
  • The socio-medical direction, by means of which women are helped to know the following items: the normal evolution of pregnancy and issues raised by birth, the moral obligations of the mother towards the child, the management of difficult post-partum situations, etc.
  • The legal direction, which focuses on the support of the mother for enforcing her legal rights and obligations with respect to the child’s birth, raising and education.

Services provided within the programme:

  • Psychological counselling. It is a free-of-charge service and a confidential service by means of which the identification of the causes which generated the crisis situation and the solutions for the resolution of the crisis is attempted.
  • The support group for mothers is dedicated to pregnant women who, as a result of the psychological, spiritual and material support found in our association in the difficult moment of a pregnancy which was not desired in an initial stage, decided to assume the status of mother to be. Pre-born and post-born activity.
  • Legal counselling, with respect to the mother’s legal rights and obligations and court actions filed for the settlement of paternity, in case the father of the child refuses to ascertain and to support the child.

Post – abortion therapy and healing. The psychotherapy and healing programme in the Post-Abortion Syndrome is generically called „The Journey” and is developed in partnership with the CareConfidential Association in Great Britain. Involves also Christian-Orthodox psychotherapy elements and it is the first coherent programme of its kind in Romania.

3. Education and information

We intend to inform and raise awareness of public opinion with respect to the unborn child’s right to live, as well as the public approach with respect to any other topics related to the protection of the values of life and family. We organise: training courses, seminars, debates, public events, etc., for example:

  • The educational program „Vreau să aflu” (I want to know) which is addressed to school pupils and has the following objectives: to form a responsible perspective regarding sexual relationships; prevention of risk behaviours; support of the personal development through the construction of solid principles with respect to sexuality, moral and social values.
  • „Rupe tăcerea” (Break the Silence) Project raises awareness, by means of video testimonies, with respect to the pain and regret of women who committed abortion. Unique in Romania.
  • Public film projections;
  • A book library and multimedia items at the disposal of the broad public;
  • Informational websites;
  • Between 2011 and 2013 we were the coordinators for Bucharest of „March for Life”, the main pro-life public event in Romania.

4. Legal Centre

PRO VITA Legal Centre provides public policies, advocacy and educational strategies, provides assistance (legal representation), legal counselling and mediation in the organisation’s fields of interest:

  • Dignity of human person (bioethics; abortion; assisted reproduction; organs’ donation and transplant; genetic manipulation and cloning; euthanasia, palliative care and the end of life);
  • Family (family rights; domestic violence; parental rights and children’s rights; labour regulatory framework for parents);
  • Freedom of faith (moral – religious education in public schools; conscientious objection of medical professionals; public discrimination against Christians);
  • Protection of morality and public health (against pornography and prostitution) etc.

Up to now we have provided more than 70 papers for high level public debates (including debates in the Romanian Parliament) and we were involved in 13 litigations before competent courts in Romania and also before the European Court of Human Rights.

The marriage as the foundation of family, of society and of civilization itself

Representatives

  • Bogdan I. Stanciu – Chairman, founder
  • Roxana Puiu – Psychoterapist
  • Robert Antal Șandor – Chief accountant
  • Marian Macovei – Attorney at law

 

Domestic and international affiliations

 

Financing

PRO VITA Bucharest is funded exclusively from private sources, through donations (from individuals) and sponsorships (from legal entities). Annual accounts and the pay scale are published on the website. We receive contributions in goods (food, building materials, furniture, hygiene products, etc.) or services (healthcare or technical assistance, transport, etc.) for humanitarian actions.