VSU Hosts Events for Domestic Violence Awareness Month

VALDOSTA - Valdosta State University will host a series of events in support of Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October. Through these opportunities, local abuse victims can share their experiences, together sending powerful messages of courage, hope and survival.

This year's slogan, "Peace Begins at Home," is a reminder that this form of violence - whether physical, verbal, emotional or sexual - affects all members of a family and is not restricted by race, sexual orientation or social and economic factors.

Listed below are ways members of the VSU family can get involved. Call (229) 249-4842 for more information about any of these events.

Purple Ribbons and Awareness Buttons, Oct. 1-31

Each year, the campus community honors victims of domestic violence by wearing purple ribbons, which serve as a unifying symbol of courage, survival, honor and dedication to ending intimate partner violence. At various locations throughout October, purple ribbons will be distributed for VSU faculty, staff and students to wear in support of healthy relationships and opposition of domestic abuse.

Women's and Gender Studies Program representatives will kick-off the Purple Ribbon Campaign by passing out ribbons and educational fliers Thursday, Oct. 1, at the University Center breezeway and the pedestrian mall. They will also sell buttons that display messages against domestic violence, sexism and other forms of discrimination.

Ribbons can also be acquired at Hildegard's downtown on the corner of North Patterson Street and Central Avenue and at Carswell Hall on North Oak Street as well. Awareness buttons can be purchased for $.50 at Carswell Hall; proceeds will go to creating new and maintaining existing awareness programs within Women's and Gender Studies.

Find more information at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/event.php?eid=265140630532 .

Clothesline Project, Oct. 5-9

Because there is no statement more compelling than personal experience, VSU's annual Clothesline Project will break through the silence surrounding violence against women by giving victims a stage to tell their stories. The exhibit will feature t-shirts decorated by domestic violence victims and survivors or their loved ones to represent a personal tragedy or message against abuse.

Clotheslines strung publicly on campus will hold the stories of pain and healing. Guests are invited to walk through the exhibit and bear witness to the tragedy that has occurred for people in the Valdosta area.

On display every October during Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the Clothesline Project focuses on healing for survivors of violence, educating the public about domestic abuse, and preventing future violence against women. The t-shirts were made from VSU students, faculty, staff and people from the Valdosta community.

Find more information at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=133809489183 .

Domestic Violence/Hispanic Heritage, Oct. 6

Dr. Irasema Coronado, associate professor and associate provost at the University of Texas at El Paso, will address the VSU community at a special lecture at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 6, in the Bailey Science Center Auditorium.

Appropriately timed during Domestic Violence Awareness and Hispanic Heritage months, her presentation, "Gender Issues on the U.S.-Mexico Border," will cover issues related to domestic violence and gender quality in the region surrounding the boundary between these two countries.

Co-chair of the Coalition Against Violence Toward Women and Families on the U.S.-Mexico Boarder, Coronado holds a Ph.D. in Political Sciences from the University of Arizona and other degrees in Latin American studies. She has co-authored a book titled, "Fronteras No Mas: Toward a Social Justice at the U.S.-Mexico Boarder," as well as several academic articles related to comparative politics and her research in border politics, cross-border cooperation, environmental and gender issues in the U.S.-Mexico border region.

Find out more at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=140516263913 .

Hand Print Project, Oct. 26-28

Men have their chance to speak out against intimate partner violence via the annual Hand Print Project, which will be on display Oct. 26-28 on the pedestrian mall. The endeavor challenges men to pledge they will not commit or condone any form of violence and seal the promise by placing their handprints and names on a display board.

This public demonstration reminds men that they are also impacted by sexual violence and encourages them to abstain from behaviors - such as the use of derogatory names - that perpetuate a sexually violent culture.

Find more information at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=137134383391 .