November 15, 2002

Dear Friends,
The Sheila's Shawls project (in honor of Sheila Wellstone--see Nov. 1 newsletter) is taking off. I already have 25 shawls committed in just a week. And Susan Petersen, the Silent Witness coordinator in MN is going to have an event in which they will introduce the Shawl project in Northfield town center, by putting a shawl around each of their Silent Witness. Luminaries will surround the exhibit accompanied by a choral tribute. Then the shawls would be given to women selected to receive them; mothers and sisters of victims, or survivors of domestic violence.

Friends, we could blanket our planet with wonderful healing shawls. Let's do it. Let's really get this wonderful healing memorial going around the world--for Sheila. The pattern is included as an attachment and also the card that could accompany each shawl. As soon as you see one of these beautiful shawls, you'll want everyone to have one. Be sure to let us know how many your state makes so we can keep the two Wellstone sons appraised of this wonderful tribute their mom.

REMEMBER when you go through our web site to buy Holiday gifts from Amazon.com we automatically get a donation from Amazon.com. It is a simple and painless way to help us raise money. To find the link go to our home page, then click on About Us. www.silentwitness.net

WELCOME NEW EMAIL CORRESPONDENTS:
Rachel Bobino (photographer, Layfayette, LA), Judi Gross (SW activist, Arizona, new email address), Mandy Kupietz (New SW exhibit, Viterbo College, WI), Louise McOrmond-Plummer (New SW exhibit, Australia)

NEWS FROM THE STATES/COUNTRIES:

California:
Marie De Santis, of the Women's Justice Center in Santa Rosa, CA writes us about An Online Guide for Social Workers, Counselors, Teachers, Clergy, and others in English and Spanish. It includes Tips for Working with Victims of Rape, Domestic Violence, and Child Abuse

Una Guia en Linea para Trabajadores, Consejeras, Maestros/as, y Otras Sugerencias para Ayudar a las Victimas de Violacion, Violencia Domestica, y Abuso Infantil http://www.justicewomen.com/help_tips_10_02.html

*Thanks, Marie, for this information. It will be invaluable for so many people involved with these important issues.

Canada:
This note from Leslie Monaghan, one of the coordinators of the new Silent Witness exhibit in New Brunswick, Canada. Get a load of their plans for next year!!

Thank you for your good wishes, Janet. We would have loved to have you with us, but I'm sure there will be other opportunities. Our plan is to have Silent Witness projects in every province in Canada and to have a national project launch in Ottawa. We are meeting this week to discuss our strategy for funding and connecting with other provinces. We also have to continue with our NB initiative to construct silhouettes of 15 more women in this province. We'd love to have you visit anytime and we'll be sure to keep you posted on our progress.

Susan and Wayland (from the Maine SW exhibit) have been great role models for us. We couldn't have realized the project without their support and assistance. They have traveled to NB twice (3 times for Wayland) to assist us in getting our project off the ground. (Not to mention numerous phone calls and e-mails) Often an issue will come up in our meetings and our first thoughts are: Let's call Susan and Wayland, or let's check with Janet on this. Thanks to all of you! We really feel the support of the whole Silent Witness network.

*Thank you Leslie and company for this incredible effort and for you plans for Canada. And thank you Susan and Wayland, for your untiring support. SW people are the most generous people I have ever met.

Massachusetts:
Here is a note sent by a medical student in MA. I wanted you to see how profoundly your work affects people. I get these notes regularly from all over the country.

My name is Albert Tsai, a second year medical student at the Boston University School of Medicine. I am a co-chair of the Domestic Violence Awareness Project at the school. I recently was studying in the Boston Public library when I came across the Silent Witness Exhibit in the library lobby. I would be interested in placing a similar exhibit at the lobby at my school so that my fellow classmates and future doctors would be more aware of the issue of domestic violence. Please contact me ASAP to let me know if such an exhibit would be possible. Thanks.

*Thanks, Albert, for mirroring to us what a great project we are involved with and how it touches people's hearts. May you and your friends, the future doctors, become aware of this issue so you can be proactive with your patients.

Nebraska:
Jennifer Landhuis, of the Crisis Center in Fremont, Nebraska, sends us this update on YOUR responses to her question:

I just wanted to write an over-due thank you for all your support with our Silent Witness project. I appreciate you asking other programs how they were contacting families. We took their letter, added stuff of our own and approached 2 families. Both said yes to dedicating a witness in honor of their loved one! One family, even brought a photo of their daughter which we laminated and attached to the figure's shoulder. It was very powerful to read Tessie's story and be looking at ther picture. What a great idea, why hadn't we thought of it sooner? Both famlies attended our Candlelight Vigil where we dedicated the witnesses and it was a very powerful night. It still gives me goosebumps. On another note, I was so saddened to hear about Senator Wellstone. He was such a strong supporter. Thanks again for everything you do!

*What a wonderful idea, to add photos to the SW figures for the families that want to do that. I've seen a few of these in MN and it is very powerful to see the face of the woman who is represented in the figure.

Rhode Island:
The Rhode Island Coalition sponsored a PR campaign this year targeting bystanders who hear or see domestic violence. It is a most compelling message and the materials are wonderful. They have posters and billboards in several different languages. They also developed support materials and training. If you are interested in seeing what they've done for possible use
next spring or fall, contact Karen Jeffreys at ricadv@ricadv.org

*Great work Karen and company. The material was compelling and informative.

United Nations: Excerpts of the Secretary Generals statement (sent to us by Lois Herman)
SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN¹S STATEMENT TO SECURITY COUNCIL ON WOMEN, PEACE AND SECURITY

Two years ago, the Security Council adopted resolution 1325, a landmark step in raising awareness of the impact of armed conflict on women and girls, and of the vital role of women in conflict resolution and peacebuilding. My report on women, peace and security, called for in resolution 1325, is now before you. I would like to draw your attention to a few issues. The report stresses that while many of the experiences of women and girls in armed conflict are similar to those of men and boys, there are important differences. Existing inequalities between women and men, and patterns of discrimination against women and girls, tend to be exacerbated in armed conflict. Women and girls become particularly vulnerable to sexual violence and exploitation. Women and children make up the majority of the world's refugees and internally displaced persons. Even in refugee camps, which are meant to be safe havens, the vulnerability of women and girls may continue, especially if there is a proliferation of small arms. And some women may be forced to follow camps of armed forces, providing domestic services and/or being used as sexual slaves.

But if women suffer the impact of conflict disproportionately, they are also the key to the solution of conflict. Women¹s groups and networks at grassroots level have provided many examples of the imaginative strategies and flexible approaches required for effective conflict prevention. They have worked tirelessly and courageously in preserving social order in the midst of chaos, and promoting reconciliation through informal processes that receive very little support. However, with few exceptions, women are not present at the formal negotiating tables and at formal peace negotiations.

The report calls for greater representation of women in formal peace negotiations, and for the incorporation of gender perspectives in conflict-prevention activities, and in mandates for peacebuilding and peacekeeping operations, including those set in motion by this Council. It also stresses the need to increase the appointment of women at the highest levels of decision-making, including as Special Representative, Deputy Special Representative and Special Envoy.

NEWS FROM WORLDWIDE HEADQUARTERS:

Memorial Ideas for Senator Paul Wellstone and Sheila Wellstone:

1. Paul and Shela Wellstone annual award given by Silent Witness (for energetic and courageous behavior in the DV field). Nominations by anyone and honorees listed on our web site.

2. Sheila's Healing Shawls, a hand knit shawl to be given to family members of DV homicide victims or others within the SW community. We can enlist large groups of creative people to make these shawls for comfort, love and healing. Sheila would have loved it. Pattern attached.

3. Special section of our web site as a memorial to Paul and Sheila. We are collecting materials for this already. One of the SW originators has already written a poem and we will have several photos. If you would like to write your experiences or feelings, just send them to me.

4. The Wellstone Memorial Fund for Silent Witness in honor of Paul and Sheila. They did not take their senate raises each year for personal income so they gave all of the money away to domestic violence groups that they supported. Each year they made a generous contribution to Silent Witness.

If you would like to keep up that tradition you may send a check to 20 N.E. Second St. Suite 1101, Mpls, MN 55413 or donate on line on our web site home page www.silentwitness.net All donations are tax deductible. Proceeds will go to projects that Paul and Sheila held close to their hearts. Thank you to those of you who have sent contributions this week in Sheila's honor.

Other ideas are in the works. Any other ideas would be appreciated. Please email them to me at jhagberg@mn.rr.com

Sheila's Shawls:
We already have commitments from women to make 25 shawls. This is going to be a wonderful project in which everyone associated with it is warmed and comforted. The women who are knitting say it is great to knit in love and comfort and they enjoy being part of this project already. When we give a shawl, we will include a note that says the name of the knitter and the reason it is called Sheila's Shawl. I've attached an announcement so you can print them out and start passing them along. Feel free to substitute your contact numbers at the bottom of the announcement. And let's start collecting those shawls.

A Special Thank You to SW Volunteers and Support People
We want to thank all of you volunteers for the thousands of hours you put in with Silent Witness each year. We love you for it. And a special thanks to Dorothy Lemmey and partner for their computer work, to Marcia McKenzie for her October event recruitment efforts, to Nancy Rafi and Cindy Wolfson for their regional coordination efforts, to Melanie Martin and Monica for their college coordination, to George and Susan Abbott for their work on our web site homicide data, to Judy Miller for our expert bookkeeping, to George at the Sowles Company for patiently housing the MN Witnesses, to Patricia Francisco for coordinating the original exhibit, to Lori Reece for setting up the exhibit at the Wellstone Memorial, for Fay Choban our wonderful web master, for our board members and Susan Mundale, our board chair and for anyone else who I've inadvertently omitted. You are angels and deserve the highest honors imaginable.

Personal Stories For New Book Needed
Dr. Mic Hunter, author of Abused Boys: The Neglected Victims Of Sexual Abuse, is seeking the true stories of men and women who were sexually assaulted while in the military, either in combat or from comrades. He also seeks stories of hazing and sexual harassment of military personnel by other military personnel. These will be included in a book on sexual abuse in the military. Authors may remain anonymous or use their actual names. I also seek treatment professionals who are interested in contributing one or more chapters on these topics. I have already edited four published books (Adult Survivors of Sexual Abuse: Treatment Innovations, Child Perpetrators and Victims Of Sexual Abuse, and The Sexually Abused Male: Volumes I & II). Contributors will be required to sign a release granting publication rights.