The White Ribbon Campaign at U.Va.

 

Fostering solidarity against violence in our community

On the morning of U.Va.’s 181st Final Exercises, 25,000 white ribbons were circulated and pinned to graduation gowns (as well as jackets, shirts, and dresses) in remembrance of a series of tragic incidents involving violence against women. For recent graduates Caitlin Donaghy and Holly Grant, the co-coordinators of the White Ribbon Campaign at U.Va., such tragedies made it “simply unacceptable to remain quiet and inactive.” After fielding responses from students, faculty, and community organizers, the pair decided to help implement the White Ribbon Campaign at U.Va.

Claire Kaplan, the Director of Sexual and Domestic Violence Services at the U.Va. Women’s Center, explains that the White Ribbon Campaign began as a men’s initiative in Canada calling for the rejection of violence against women. It has since become a universal campaign, embraced by men and women across the world. According to Kaplan, the U.Va. community has been tragically reminded in the past year that it is “not immune from the violence that so pervades our global culture,” and therefore, we must all work together to help prevent future occurrences of violence against women.

In its first phase of development, the White Ribbon Campaign at U.Va. focused on disseminating thousands of white ribbons during Final Exercises—25,000 to be exact. According to campaign co-coordinator Caitlin Donaghy, “Final Exercises provided an incredible platform to raise awareness and commit a grassroots organizing event.”

The ultimate goal was to get people talking critically about violence and abuse in the community. “We wanted to not only raise awareness but also send the message . . . that domestic abuse and violence is an issue that individuals can, and indeed have a responsibility to, take a stand against,” said campaign volunteer and recent graduate Liz Walsh. “We are all bearers of the responsibility to speak up in the face of [such] violence.”

Taking action and demonstrating community solidarity are principles that Charlottesville Chief of Police Tim Longo has emphasized in his support of the White Ribbon Campaign. “The message needs to be one of action, not simply awareness . . . one of the most important things we accomplish through supporting the White Ribbon Campaign is the presence of a unified voice speaking out against senseless acts of violence.”

A strong supporter of the White Ribbon Campaign since its May inception, Chief Longo authorized the Charlottesville Police Department to wear white ribbons during Final Exercises. “It was the right thing to do,” stated Chief Longo. “To see a police officer in uniform wearing a white ribbon sends a compelling message to others.” This message will hopefully “engage people in the important task of taking the pledge and exercising the moral courage to speak up the next time that they see or hear something that places others at risk,” said Chief Longo.

An important, unifying action affiliated with the White Ribbon Campaign is pledging “to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and girls.” The act of pledging, according to the Women’s Center’s Claire Kaplan, “extends far beyond the borders of the University” and “requires vision and imagination” in helping to bring about a less violent world. Individuals interested in making the pledge and learning more about the White Ribbon Campaign at U.Va. are encouraged to visit http://whiteribboncampaignuva.com.

According to campaign co-coordinator Holly Grant, the White Ribbon Campaign at U.Va. will shift its focus in the fall and help to enact two main initiatives:

1) Raising funds for women’s support services in the Charlottesville community.

2) Instituting mandatory bystander education to help individuals both recognize the warning signs of abusive relationships and learn more about local resources available to them.
[Fittingly, this year’s Susan Grossman Memorial Lecture—held on Tuesday, November 9th at 7:30 pm in Newcomb Hall Theater—will give an overview of what bystander behavior is, why it happens, and what steps can be taken to help those in need.]

IF INTERESTED IN VOLUNTEERING OR GIVING FEEDBACK TO THE WHITE RIBBON CAMPAIGN AT U.VA., individuals are encouraged to email the campaign’s organizers at whiteribboncampaignuva@gmail.com.

TO STAY UPDATED with the White Ribbon Campaign at U.Va. as it moves into its second stage of development, please visit its website at http://whiteribboncampaignuva.com.

THANK YOU to all those who have volunteered their time in supporting the White Ribbon Campaign at U.Va.!

by Mary Beth Lineberry