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LEVI (Longmont Ending Violence
Initiative) is kicking off our 2nd Annual White Ribbon Campaign,
June 8 - June 22, 2008. The campaign focuses on men working
to end violence against women. We will consider this successful
when men rally together to end domestic violence and sexual
violence. Historically, these issues have been relegated
as just “women’s issues”. Men in our community
are needed to step up if we are to have any additional affect
on reducing domestic violence in Longmont.
We are reaching
out to men as fathers, coaches, mentors, uncles and friends
of young men and boys. We are also reaching out to men
as friends, family and co-workers of other men.
Click on these links to quickly
find an area of interest.
- Men and boys learn respect for women
and girls from other men.
- Men have a role to play as leaders demonstrating
the true meaning of strength, healthy values, and integrity.
- By increasing the number of men interested
in working on issues of violence against women, new and
unique efforts are likely to occur.
- It will take
many different approaches to find solutions appropriate
to community needs.
- Violence DOES
NOT equal strength.
FACTS
about the White Ribbon Campaign:
- Men have roles
and responsibilities in ending violence against women.
The vast majority of men are not physically violent.
- At the same time,
some men have learned to express their anger or
insecurity through violence. Far too many men have come
to believe that violence against a woman, child or another
man is an acceptable way to control another person, especially
an intimate partner.
- By remaining silent about these things,
we allow this behavior to continue in our work, schools
and homes.
- The good news is that more and more
men and boys want to make a difference. Caring men are
tired of the sexism that hurts the women around them. Caring
men are also concerned with the impact of this violence
on the lives of men and boys.
The message for the 2nd Annual White Ribbon
Campaign is below. You will see this in all our materials
during the campaign.
If you are concerned about violence against
women in the Longmont community and want to get involved,
we welcome you! There are a number
of ways you can help, and we appreciate your efforts! For
more information on how to help, click
here to download a
packet of information which includes more details and examples
of how to help. Just a few of the things men can do:
Wear a white ribbon and
support the White Ribbon Campaign as a personal pledge
never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence
against women. Talk to other men and boys about what it
stands for, and encourage them to wear one as well.
Individual ribbon pick-up
locations:
- Longmont Police
Department lobby (ribbons are located in the wall display
just to the left of the Records desk)
- Longmont Public
Library
- Twin Peaks Mall (information
desk)
- Longmont
United Hospital (front desk and ER)
- Daily Times-Call.
- YMCA
Distribute
white ribbons, pass out flyers and posters. Please
help by distributing white ribbons to other males in
the Longmont
area - at
your
place of employment, at church, at your civic organizations,
or some place else. Contact
LEVI to arrange to pick up larger quantities
of white ribbons.
If your business is willing to be a white ribbon pick-up location for the public,
please contact LEVI. Thank you!
Please consider printing out a flyer or poster and posting it in various locations
around Longmont or give it out to people. Download the flyer here - 8
1/2 x 11 size, 11 x
17 size. To download a flyer in Spanish, click one of these links - 8
1/2 x 11 size, 11 x 17 size.
Talk about positive roles for men
and boys. Kids and adults are targeted with media
images and messages that are not always affirming to values
of equality and non-violence. Watching TV or reading in
the same room as your children provides opportunities to
discuss these influences as they arise. Sometimes our voices
as parents or concerned adults can feel drowned out, but
persistence shows our children these values are important.
Take 10-15 minutes at a little league, football, softball, or soccer practice
to talk about positive use of strength and problem solving without violence.
Talk to your sons or other young boys with the message that being
strong is not the same as being violent. We need to tell them we will
support them in standing up to those who are violent against them and others.
These messages are just as important for our daughters to hear.
Utilize “teachable moments”: When serious problems occur, they
need to be isolated and addressed, but those situations also provide opportunities
to deliver messages about positive attitudes, values and conduct. For more
about “teachable moments”, visit the Coaches
Corner website.
Write the
editor of your local newspaper about ending violence
against women. It is best to write and submit
your letter at least 3-5 days before you want to see
it published. To see a few examples of letters published
in the Longmont newspaper during the 2007 White Ribbon
Campaign, click
here to download a packet of information
which will give you examples of letters to the editors
from last year, plus give specific details on how to
submit a letter. For some
direction and assistance with
writing a letter, contact
LEVI.
Raise awareness in larger groups, such
as during Sunday church services, during business meetings,
or group meetings. Here are a few ideas: Ask your pastor
for a couple of minutes on Father's Day to talk about efforts
to end violence against women, or ask to have it included
in the bulletin or talked about in a sermon. During a business
meeting or other group meeting, take a few minutes to talk
about the efforts.
If you need help with this, or would like a speaker to come to your meeting
or organization to talk about these efforts, contact
LEVI.
If you are a coach or physical
education teacher and are interested in more long-term
efforts associated with educating other coaches and student
athletes, please contact LEVI to
let us know of your interest.
We are currently working with the St. Vrain Valley School District athletic
department on long term efforts. For information about “teachable moments” and
the Coaching Boys into Men campaign, visit the Coaches
Corner website. We appreciate your interest!
Click on the links below to read articles
and letters to the editor that have appeared in the news
media for the 2008 White Ribbon Campaign:
Editorials / Letters to the Editor
- "Thanks
for Speaking Out Against Domestic Violence" - Cheryl Swanson - Longmont Times-Call - Friday,
June 27, 2008
- "Men,
Treat Women with Respect" - Joaquin
Melendez - Longmont Times-Call - Sunday, June 22, 2008
- "Help
End All Forms of Domestic Violence" - Rick Breeden - Longmont Times-Call - Thursday, June 19,
2008
- "Wear
a White Ribbon" - Tim Lewis -
Longmont Times-Call - Tuesday, June 17, 2008
- "Longmont
Men Must Stand Up Against Domestic Violence" -
Mike Butler - Daily Times-Call - Sunday, June 15, 2008
- Editorial
Cartoon - Daily Times-Call - Sunday, June 15,
2008
- "Men
Must Step Forward to Combat Domestic
Violence" -
Daily Times-Call - Friday, June 6, 2008
Men’s Roles in Gender
Violence Prevention: Film Viewing and Discussion
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
8:00 – 10:30 a.m.
Longmont Safety & Justice Center – 2nd Floor Administration. Contact
LEVI to RSVP by June 5th.
As part of the 2nd Annual White Ribbon
Campaign, LEVI is holding this FREE professional seminar
in order to educate and inspire professionals working
in fields related to gender violence.
We will be viewing the film “Tough
Guise: Violence, Media and the Crisis in Masculinity – a
film that examines the relationship between pop culture’s
construction of masculinity and the reality of being
a man in late 20th century American society.
A facilitated discussion about
men’s roles in preventing gender violence will
be held after the film. |
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If you are a woman and want to help with the campaign, there is plenty of behind-the-scenes
work that needs to be done. Please contact LEVI to
get started. Thank you for your interest!
For more information, contact
LEVI.
LEVI thanks the following partners who
helped turn this campaign into a reality:
- Bit of Billiards
- Boulder Valley Paint
- Carino's Italian Grill
- Classic's Roadhouse
- Comcast Spotlight
- CU Document Design class
- Daily Times-Call
- KGUD 90.7 FM
- LifeBridge
Christian Church
- Longmont Downtown Development Authority
(LDDA)
- Longmont Police Department
- Longmont
Power & Communications
- Longmont Public Library
- Longmont United Hospital
- MESA (Moving to End Sexual Assault)
- Mike O'Shay's
- Mike's BBQ
- Old Chicago
- Outback Steakhouse
- Pumphouse Brewery
- Radio Colorado Network
- Rib House
- RSVP of Boulder County
- Sports Authority
- Texas Roadhouse
- TGIFridays
- the journey
- Twin Peaks Mall
- Volunteers
at the I Volunteer! Day 2008
- Wal-Mart SuperCenter
- YMCA
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