Civic and spiritual leaders in the Australian city of Toowoomba near Queensland's east coast have united to fight pornography to save marital relationships from breakup and women from violence.

Mayor Paul Antonio, social activist John Minz of Toowoomba Together, and Christian leader Letitia Shelton led the meeting attended by 200-300 people Oct. 15, lifesitenews.com reports.

The meeting heard testimonies from women whose marriages were wrecked and young men whose lives were ruined by porn.

Supporters of theme for "A City Free From Porn" campaign were asked to take a pledge handed out to attendees on business cards which some said was akin to "Taking the pledge" an important part of the 19th century temperance movement in the United States and Canada.

"I acknowledge that viewing pornography promotes exploitation of women and violence against women and it damages families," the pledge states. "I commit that I won't view porn and I will help create a city free from porn."

Mayor Antonio told the crowd gathered in the city park, "We must begin a journey with one step. I think what we've focused on today is the real value of proper relationships."

Antonio told LifeSiteNews that no one could doubt that pornography "is one of the elements of violence within the family. Many young ladies have had horrific experiences with porn and there is no doubt it has the characteristics of an addiction."

Strong backing for the campaign comes from Toowoomba City Women's founder, Letitia Shelton.

"We've been working with the mayor and other city leaders throughout this year, looking at the link between porn and domestic violence. Domestic violence is a huge thing in our nation, you have to look at what is driving that," The Huffington Post reported.

"We've been working with the mayor and other city leaders throughout this year, looking at the link between porn and domestic violence. Domestic violence is a huge thing in our nation, you have to look at what is driving that."

The women's organization was founded a decade ago to bring churches of many Christian denominations together in social ministries aimed at protecting and supporting girls and women through such programs as summer camps and residences for unwed mothers.

Shelton is, however, downplaying the religious aspect of fighting porn and instead stressing the civic benefits of reducing the violence against girls and women that pornography encourages.

"Ideally, we'd like [boys and men] to realize the harm it can to a community, to look at what porn can do to a life," she said according to lifesitenews.com. "The ideal is a place where every human being is valued."

She says she draws hope from the success of an anti-smoking campaign despite the resistance of the billion-dollar tobacco industry.

"In 50 years, they've been able to highlight the dangers of smoking," she said. "They haven't eradicated it, but there's a lot less smoking going on.