September 20, 2002

Dear Friends,
There is so much news this time, I'll just be brief and start the newsletter with my quote rather than end with it: In honor of the lives of those who died in the 9/11 tragedy last year I would like to start the newsletter with a quote that one of you sent me. I believe the sentiment also applies to those we've lost to domestic violence. The artist, Brian Andreas, had 9/11in mind as he wrote this.

"In those days, we finally chose to walk like giants & hold the world in arms grown strong with love & there may be many things we forget in the days to come, but this will not be one of them."

WELCOME NEW EMAIL CORRESPONDENTS:
Patricia Oppelt (Animal Safehouse Program, Encinitas, CA), Pauline Musgrove New email address), Michele Fuller (Battered Family Services, Gallop, NM, new SW exhibit), Denine Guy, Marilyn Remark (SW Coordinators, Jr. League, Monterey, CA), Jim Vaughan, Sharon Stead (Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK), Janice Williams (Richmond, VA), Clara Schueler (Family Advocacy program Manager, US Army base, Schweinfurt, Germany), Lt. Marissa Tindale (Glynn county Police Dept, local shelter, Brunswick GA), Jan idinger (Centerville, OH)

States on Board for October events:
21 states on board so far. Alaska, California, Connecticut, Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

Countries on Board for October-November events:
Silent Witness and 16 Days gainst Violence Canada, Cayman Islands, Hungary, United States.

Please let me know ASAP if you are planning an event, even if you don't have the details. It saves us making calls to everyone!!

NEWS FROM THE STATES/COUNTRIES:

California:
This note is from Jean Richards, Monterey, CA, about a new program for teens:
Here's a program that will help by empowering girls [12-17].http://www.GirlsforaChange.org It has great potential for preventing violence before it begins, by empowering the girls before they reach the traditional age of marriage.

*Thanks, Jean. We'll be looking forward to more details as this program unfolds. Teen aged girls need all the help we can muster.

And another great idea from Monterey, as well, from the new SW Coordinators there, Denine Guy and Marilyn Remark: I just became one of the co-chairs for the Junior League of Monterey County California) Silent Witness Project. We have had a very successful project since 1997. This past year our League added shields on the back of the witnesses which presented the information in Spanish. This assists us in outreach in our community which has a very large Latino community. The committee in the 2001-02 year also through a grant published a localized brochure to hand out at the Silent Witness Events, explaining what they were seeing and giving local Domestic Violence resources. We look forward to partnering with the two major D.V. service providers in our County for observance of D.V. Month in October (Women's Crisis Center in Salinas, and YWCA in Monterey).

*I love the idea of writing the shield stories in Spanish on the back of the figure. Brilliant. There is so much innovation out there!! And the Canadians in New Brunswick use French!

Canada (New Brunswick):
Sylvia Richardson, our SW Coordinator in New Brunswick writes: We have a date when our Silent Witness project will be launched-Nov. 7 at 11 am. The launch is being held at the Lieutenant Governor's home. There will be speakers, media, and a reception. You will be on the invitation list, so this e-mail is a heads up for you if you'd like to come you can block off the time on your calendar. I hope we can meet in person in Fredericton on the 7th.

*What a wonderful way to debut the Witnesses, in the home of an elected official. I'd love to be there if my schedule was not already full thatweek. But how about next year?

Cayman Islands:
Bev Banks, chair of SW Cayman Islands wrote about their activities for the 16 Days Against Violence Remembrance: ilent Witness March: Instead of handing out ribbons and/or buttons for this year¹s Silent Witness march we will hand out bookmarkers. These bookmarkers will contain a Silent Witness silhouette in red on white background on one side and the Silent Witness pledge along with a list of relevant telephone numbers (e.g. 911, Legal Befrienders, Women¹s Resource Center) on the other.*Police Commissioner has agreed to tape a segment for telecast during the march.*The Committee will write a letter to be published in the newspapers prior to the march encouraging employers to support the work of the Committee by allowing their employees to participate in the march.*Various organizations will be invited to participate in the march and to carry Banners.*Talk shows will be called in order to publicize the march.*Both the Governor and his wife will be sent letters asking for their support.*All MLAs plus the three official members of Exco (Chief Secretary, Attorney General, Financial Secretary) will be sent letters asking for their support.*The Chief Secretary will be requested to publicize the march within the Civil Service and to sanction and encourage participation by Civil Servants.

*This is such great work. I've been at that March and I know how much attention it generates in the Caymans. Even the tourists stop and observe it. And, in addition to all of this activity, they have a campaign against elder abuse going on during the 16 days of remembrance in the Caymans' as well.

Germany:
This wonderful note from Clara Schueler, coordinator of our newest international SW program: Good Morning Ms. Hagberg. I am the Family Advocacy Program Manager for the military community here in Schweinfurt, Germany. I am indeed planning to submit a proposal for the Silent Witness exhibit here in our community during Domestic Violence Awareness month. Please feel free to contact me to let me know how I may provide this exhibit to the very best for my community.

*We are thrilled to have you on board, Clara, and we will look forward to working with you in many collaborative ways. This is so wonderful, to be spreading hope around the world.

Idaho:
Celia Heady, our friend in Idaho, brings us up to date with their activity: Hello Janet: There will be DV month activities all over Idaho. Here in Boise, in conjunction with a state grantee training, will be a DV awareness happening. Idaho has 5 Silent Witness displays and they will be active.

*Thanks for all your good work, Celia and company. We'll be waiting to hear how this all goes.

Illinois:
Cindy Wolfson, our stalwart coordinator in Cook County writes about new activities in her world:
I've been waiting to hear the date of the unveiling of the Chicago Police Dep't. exhibit, but it has not been finalized. There will be 40 figures and 4 child figures to represent kids left behind when their mothers were killed. Some of the stories will be translated into Spanish, Polish and Korean. It will be housed at police headquarters. The figures are in production now. We will use Chicago stories. It was funded by the Attorney eneral of Illinois. I'll let you know as soon as I know the details, but you will be happy to know it's happening!

Re: Military base exhibits. Did you know that Great Lakes Naval Base in North Chicago has had an exhibit for several years? They used to borrow ours, but decided to create their own after one of the employees at their family service center, which does counseling for DV, was murdered by her husband, a retired military man.

The NCJW Exhibit has TWELVE dates this fall at high school, college, shelter, church & synagogue, and conference events. In addition, the exhibit is scheduled for high-profile events--a week at Chicago City Hall and a week at the Illinois government building in Chicago. In November, the Exhibit will be featured at a DV conference at McCormick Place.

*I'm so elated to hear about even more translations into different languages. This will make the exhibits so much more universal. And the Police involvement is amazing and so important.

And this message from Southern Illinois, from Debra Mize: First, on October 3rd I will be conducting "mini" sessions at a nursing home for employees informing them of the services that are available in our area

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