Dear White Ribbon Supporter:
Greetings friends and supporters of the White Ribbon Campaign, and welcome to our first e-newsletter for the fall of 2007.
Traditionally this has always been our busiest time of year, and we were tragically reminded of the vital need for men’s efforts to work to end violence against women by a rash of violent sexual assaults on Canadian university campuses in the first weeks back to school. It brought home the urgency of our work, and the culture of violence and fear that regrettably still exists for too many women.
However, we have to have hope that in the long term, our work, and that of individuals and communities around the world will make a positive difference. Already this fall we have had inquiries about starting new campaigns in Ottawa, Halifax, Terrace and Kelowna BC. White Ribbon is speaking at several Take Back the Night events, on the need for men and women to join together in this work. In the US strong efforts are underway in Burlington Vermont, Massachusetts, Syracuse and many more locations. And around the world we are adding new countries to the global effort every month.
In Ontario we are participating in some promising initiatives where the provincial government is looking at gender based violence prevention strategies specifically focused on work with men and boys. This is a first, and a welcome addition to the already critical support, intervention and awareness work with women and girls. At the United Nations, for the first time we are helping develop activities around engaging men in the global 16 Day of Activism to Eradicate Violence Against Women. These institutional responses are also promising.
This summer we completed a strategic plan for White Ribbon, which re-affirmed four priority areas. The first is our commitment to focus on youth, and a move to develop meaningful youth engagement strategies. The second is our dedication to being a truly national campaign here in Canada. Third is to grow and expand our international role as a catalyst and facilitator for campaigns across the planet. And last but certainly not least is our commitment to organizational sustainability. Without any core government funding to sustain our work we rely heavily on our supporters to keep going.
Please read on for some of the wonderful things that are happening this fall, and last but not least I would encourage you to regularly visit our Blog Ourfuturehasnoviolenceagainstwomen.blogspot.com. This is rapidly becoming a global nexus where we are connecting to issues and events around the world. Please send us your link, activities, pictures, and events… we would love to help spread the word about this work.
Order Materials for Your Fall Campaign!
Order early to avoid the rush.
It’s that time of year again. The days are getting shorter, the air is getting crisp and students are getting back into the swing of school. Which means it’s also time to start preparing your Campaigns – this can be the year you help put an end to violence against women and promote healthy, equal relationships.
This year we are excited to introduce new materials to help you get your campaigns off the ground.
We’re happy to re-introduce the enamel lapel white ribbon pin, a more durable alternative to our fabric ribbons. These one-inch metal pins are perfect for wearing year-round. $4.00ea.
Our new t-shirts are union-made in Canada and come in three different colours; red, white and black. Our ribbon logo is front and center with the pledge “My Future Has No Violence Against Women” on the back. $20.00ea.
Supporters have been asking for a White Ribbon magnet for years, and guess what? We’ve finally got them! These car-safe magnets are a unique oval shape and can be displayed on your car, on your fridge at home, filing cabinet at work, or any other metal surface. $4.00ea.
As well, we’ve updated our information sheets “What Every Man Can Do”, “Say Something”, “FAQ” and “Statement of Principles” and now offer 25 of each as a packaged set. These sheets are ideal educational tools for those wanting to learn more about the Campaign, how to take action and how to talk to others about the Campaign. They’re perfect for class and board room presentations. Plus, the package is also available as a downloadable PDF which will enable printing off as many copies as needed. $15.00/package or $5/PDF
And of course, don’t forget to purchase white ribbons, the symbol of one's pledge to never condone, commit or remain silent about violence against women. $12.00 for a bag of 100.
More information and our online order form are located here.
Our 2007 Campaign
Stepping Up our Public Engagement Efforts
In addition to our year-round educational and outreach activities, the White Ribbon Campaign is increasing its efforts this fall to engage the public in dialogue about violence against women and men’s role in ending it. Coinciding with this year’s White Ribbon Days, we will be organizing events aimed at bringing people together to discuss innovative strategies to end violence against women.
One of those initiatives is a boys conference organized in partnership with Elementary Teachers of Toronto with support from Toronto Hydro. One hundred and fifty grade 7 and 8 boys will be coming together over one day in Toronto to learn about the impact of violence against women and how to bring the White Ribbon Campaign message back to their schools.
The second initiative will be in partnership with the University of Toronto and will convene a panel of experts to discuss the role of men in working towards a future with no violence against women. Stay tuned for additional details regarding these two events.
Our 2007 campaign efforts will also include participating and presenting at various Take Back the Night events; plans for an educational workshop at the Scouts Canada Global Development Village; a keynote presentation at the National University Walk Home Conference; and our involvement with the United Nations in organizing the global 16 Days of Activism beginning on November 25th, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.
Please visit our main website www.whiteribbon.com and our blog ourfuturehasnoviolenceagainstwomen.blogspot.com/ for more information and updates about all of campaign activities.
White Ribbon Campaign-in-a-Box
The White Ribbon Campaign is excited to announce a new resource called Campaign in a Box, a set of fully interactive exercises designed to help teach and promote healthy, equal relationships among boys and girls. It meets Ontario curriculum expectations and is specifically formulated for use with kids from grades 5-8. Unlike many other teaching resources this is designed to be used in and outside of the classroom. Whether you're a hockey coach, Scout leader or Sunday school teacher the Campaign in a Box is a great tool for bringing gender issues and violence prevention messages to the young people you work with.
Designed over two years with the consultation of many education and violence prevention professionals the Campaign in a Box has been created with the support of the Ontario Women's Directorate. It is part of a larger campaign, called Promoting Healthy and Equal Relationships, which consists of several resources including teaching manuals, an interactive website and an online game.
We have conducted workshops in Toronto, London, and Peterborough to give communities training in using the Campaign in a Box. Many Boys and Girls Club staff, parole officers, women's shelters and educators attended the trainings and we look forward to receiving feedback on how our resource is being utilized.
To find out more about the Campaign in a Box or the other Promoting Healthy and Equal Relationships resources please visit our website.
Canada-Brazil Cooperation Project Update
Brazil Adopts Canada’s December 6 Remembrance Day
A group of young men participate in public outreach activities in Recife during last year’s White Ribbon days.“I hope that more men are able to convince other men to end violence against women. The White Ribbon Campaign can now be more Brazilian”, said Claudia Araujo from Brazil’s Ministry of Health and a supporter of this initiative. The Brazilian White Ribbon Campaign is organized by a group of several NGOs, including Promundo in Rio de Janeiro and Instituto Papai in Recife, and is a partner with the White Ribbon Campaign in Canada in the Canada-Brazil Cooperation Program funded by the Canadian International Development Agency.
Support the White Ribbon Campaign
Did you know that the White Ribbon Campaign receives no core funding from any level of government? Except for some very limited project specific funding, our work is made possible only through the generosity of the foundations, corporations, and individuals like you who donate to our cause. If you are already a supporter, please consider a few ways you can make an even bigger impact.
- Become a monthly donor. This enables us to plan our fiscal year more securely, and helps us with a more consistent source of donations.
- See if your workplace has an employee charitable program. Many corporations help employees by supporting causes they are aligned with – see if you company is one of them.
- Tell your friends, family and colleagues about the White Ribbon Campaign!
Donate Online
What are we doing right? What could we do better?
Want to get involved?
For any of these issues, or any others that come to mind, please let us know by e-mail at info@whiteribbon.ca or by phone at (416)920-6684 or 1-800-328-2228 .
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