"A Day in the Life of ... a Rape Crisis Advocate" Blog Contest
Thank you to the advocates who submitted a blog post. We chose 6 finalists, and will feature a new story each week.
We hope you enjoy reading about the fascinating experiences
of these rape crisis advocates!
Week 1: Laura, from the Mt Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention Program
Week 2: Vicki, from The Awareness Center
Week 3: Ihotu, from the Crime Victims Treatment Center
Week 4: Meredith, from Beth Israel Medical Center Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Intervention Program
Week 5: Kristin, from Mt Sinai Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention (SAVI) Program
Today I wanted to post something positive, so I decided to go with Fatima Hassan’s essay to the Stanford class of 2009, recently published in the New York Times. I find her words, on the topic of obstetric and traumatic fistula, which causes women to leak urine and/or feces due to sexual violence and lack of maternal health care, nonetheless incredibly inspiring, reminding those of us in a position to help others why we can never stop working to rid the world of sexual violence:
… these women’s struggles are written into my soul, fueling my desire to change the world… When we truly listen to the communities we wish to serve, we absorb their pain and invigorate our search for justice and solutions. We cannot trick ourselves into thinking “someone else will do it†because we are the ones privileged to have attended college. It is now our responsibility to rethink and implement sustainable change, whether local or global.
Thanks to Emily Brandt for her fantastic article in Examiner.com
In the seven years I’ve lived in Williamsburg, I’ve never seen such progressive organizing to stop rape. … As Chris St. John from the Alliance states, “Project ENVISION is about social change for the long haul. The Alliance’s goal is to leave community movements stronger and more sustainable after our role as facilitators ends and see community leaders sustain the process of achieving a world without sexual violence.â€
Great press!