[Wamvan] BC LIONS - Be More than a Bystander

[Meenakshi Mannoe]

Hey everyone at WAM!

I heard about this new initiative on CBC Radio today, and although I
have my "qualms" about corporate sports, I gotta say I am pretty into
this awareness campaign upon first glance. The BC Lions "Be More than
a Bystander" campaign is connecting with fabulous people like Jackson
Katz to make violence against women everybody's issue.

Cheers
Meenakshi

New campaign to break the silence on violence against women

Jul 7, 2011 2:10:00 PM
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VANCOUVER, July 7, 2011 /CNW/ - The "Be More Than a Bystander" project
focused on breaking the silence on violence against women was launched
today at the BC Lions training facility in Surrey.

The program will break the silence surrounding violence against women
and girls by providing tools, language and practical ideas about how
to be more than a bystander, how to speak up and how to not allow
violence and abuse to continue.

The announcement was made by the Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of
Public Works and Government Services and Minister for Status of Women,
and Mary McNeil, B.C.'s Minister of Children and Family Development,
in association with Wally Buono, general manager and head coach of the
BC Lions Football Club and Tracy Porteous, executive director of EVA
BC (Ending Violence Association of BC), the project's lead
organization.

"Our government is proud to support projects that call on all
Canadians - women and men, girls and boys - to work collaboratively to
end all forms of violence against women," said Minister Ambrose. "That
is why we are pleased to be working with organizations like EVA BC and
the BC Lions, who are committed to making a direct impact on the lives
of girls and women."

"I'm very pleased to support this project that will help adults and
youth understand what an important role they have in changing
attitudes that allow violence against women and girls," said Minister
McNeil. "Through the interactive, school-based workshops, I hope that
this valuable program will really reach out to our young people, to
build awareness around violence against women - and break the
silence."

EVA BC and the BC Lions teamed up to create this groundbreaking
three-year project aimed at helping people understand that everyone
has a role in breaking the silence that surrounds violence against
women. With support from the Government of Canada and B.C.'s Ministry
of Children and Family Development, the two organizations will work
together to develop and deliver a series of interactive workshops,
training activities and a film and viewer's guide directed at youth.

This comprehensive project features professional athletes from the BC
Lions Football Club appearing in radio and TV public service
announcements, in the stadium on the big screen and in the game day
program during BC Lions home games. And, over the next two years,
players will be visiting 40 high schools and talking to students in
grades 8-12 about healthy, respectful relationships and how to be more
than a bystander. Workshop materials on how to talk to youth about
these topics will also be created for coaches of amateur football
teams.

"Violence against women is not just a women's issue, because men
commit the vast majority of violence against women in society. It is
also a men's issue and men need to get involved," said Buono.

A legacy educational film will also be developed and distributed to
schools in the final year, coinciding with a provincewide symposium to
review the progress made thus far and to consider next steps in the
movement to stop violence against women and girls.

"We want to encourage an examination of the attitudes and behaviours
that allow violence against women to happen in our society and provide
information and tools that will help youth and adults alike break the
silence," said Porteous. "We couldn't do it without our partners who
also feel strongly about this cause."

The Government of Canada provided $541,900 in funding and the Ministry
of Children and Family Development provided $320,000 in support of the
project.