Confronting abuse is not a partisan issue – everyone should be part of the solution. The election focused national attention on sexual harassment and assault in unexpected and painful ways. Many responded by speaking out and sharing personal experiences of victimization. Others navigated challenging conversations with children or with friends and neighbors. Still others are struggling to manage fear and uncertainty. The approaching Thanksgiving holiday brings with it mixed emotions – gratefulness for the opportunity to reconnect with family and friends and, perhaps, concern about conversations that the election may elicit at the dinner table. We who share a commitment to creating a safer world …
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Prevention-focused professionals, educators and youth workers will convene at Rodef Shalom Congregation on Dec. 15 for the Prevention Summit: Strengthening Our Work With Youth to End Domestic & Sexual Violence. This one-day conference will provide an opportunity to share knowledge across disciplines and discover ways to more effectively work with young men to prevent domestic and sexual violence. Nationally recognized researchers and practitioners will present the latest insights into breaking cycles of violence: Emerging research on helping boys think differently about manhood and masculinity Dr. Liz Miller, chief of adolescent medicine, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC What we can learn from adult batterers to prevent …
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On November 10, there will be a free, public screening of Audrie & Daisy at the University of Pittsburgh. This compelling documentary, which premiered at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival, examines the ripple effects when two underage women find out that sexual assault crimes against them have been filmed. Viewers will take a hard look at the experiences of teenagers who deal with high-tech harassment in the forms of sexting and social media bullying. The screening will be followed by a panel discussion highlighting student activists and providing opportunities to take action. When: Thursday, Nov. 10, 2016 at 7 p.m. Where: University of Pittsburgh Crawford Hall – Room …
Comments Off on Women Leaders Join Forces to End Violence in SWPA
On a recent afternoon, women leaders convened at Hotel Monaco downtown to hear about Southwest PA Says NO MORE’s new and ongoing initiatives. Coaching Boys Into Men, the Father’s Day Pledge to End Gender Violence, addressing partner violence in the workplace, and ending sexual harassment and assault in K-12 schools were all on the agenda for the first annual Women in Leadership Joining Forces to End Domestic and Sexual Violence gathering. Candi Castleberry Singleton, founder and CEO of Dignity & Respect Inc, kicked things off with a personal story and a passionate plea: “I ask you today to do one more thing, invite one more person…you …
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh–in partnership with FISA Foundation and the Heinz Endowments–has been pleased to offer Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), a leadership training program for men committed to integrating domestic and sexual violence prevention strategies into their organizations’ work. This post is part of a series of articles showcasing the members and their work in their communities. Jerry May, a middle school history and robotics teacher at St. Edmund’s Academy, has long been aware of the ways in which stereotypical gender norms can negatively impact kids. Eager to address these issues with his students, Jerry recently participated in the Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP) program …
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People with disabilities experience violent victimization at alarming rates—making them one of the most harmed groups in our country. These crimes, however, are not widely reported or addressed, and survivors are often unable to access appropriate supports and services. In an effort to address this hidden epidemic, we need to work to bridge the silos between disability serving providers and victim service organizations and to begin a community conversation on the issue. Recently, FISA Foundation sponsored a workshop with Nancy Smith, Director of the Center for Safety and Victimization at the Vera Institute of Justice. As one of the leading experts in the field, Ms. Smith shared …
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On Wednesday, August 10, a Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM) Advisory Summit will be held at Robert Morris University, the first university in the region to implement the CBIM program. Area athletic directors and superintendents are encouraged to attend. Coaching Boys Into Men, an evidence-based program, seeks to combat dating violence and other abusive behavior by giving high school and college coaches the tools to talk to their athletes about healthy relationships. The curriculum centers on the important role coaches play in the lives of many boys and young men, often acting as mentors to the kids they coach. Attendees will hear from athletes, coaches and school administrators who have embraced this cause …
Comments Off on Pitt News: Pittsburgh leaders sign pledge
On June 17, 2016 leaders from all across the region joined together in the Allegheny County Courthouse Courtyard to publicly sign their names to the Father’s Day Pledge. University of Pittsburgh Chancellor Patrick Gallagher gave the keynote address about ending campus sexual assault. Pitt News chronicled the event with an article and a photo gallery. Check out the coverage here.
By Greg Peaslee If you ask any dad, he will probably admit that the day his child was born was the day he really knew he was a grown up. Suddenly, you had the responsibility for this new life: to protect, to provide for, to teach. And there was so much I wanted to teach my son and daughter — how to safely cross the street, why they should eat their vegetables, how to tie their shoes. Every day brought a teachable moment. And I embraced the opportunities. I taught them to love baseball and football as much as I did so we could enjoy …
Corporate and civic leaders joined elected officials and supporters in the Allegheny County Courthouse Courtyard for the second annual Father’s Day Pledge to End Gender Violence Day on Friday, June 17. “It is a majority of people who believe in respect, equity and nonviolent relationships,” said Kristy Trautmann, executive director, FISA Foundation, “and seeing how many of us are willing to publicly commit to these values helps us to be bold.” Ms. Trautmann joined Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald, Pittsburgh Action Against Rape executive director Alison Hall, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania president and CEO Bob Nelkin, The Heinz Endowments president Grant Oliphant and others as …
University of Pittsburgh Chancellor, Patrick Gallagher addressed the Pitt community about his involvement with the Father’s Day Pledge. This year Chancellor Gallagher will be joined by government representatives, educators, religious leaders and executives when he signs the pledge for the second time. Join Gallagher and his fellow leaders when he delivers the keynote at the Father’s Day Pledge signing event at the Allegheny County Courthouse on Friday, June 17th. For more information and to RSVP visit the event page.
“Living in fear of being emotionally, verbally, financially or physically intimidated or abused is neither acceptable nor inevitable,” writes Rabbi Aaron Bisno of Rodef Shalom Congregation in an op-ed for The Jewish Chronicle. His piece discusses the invisible wounds suffered by women who are emotionally abused every day and what the Torah teaches about relationships and abuse. Read it here: The Jewish Chronicle—Tending to the invisible wound.
By Grant Oliphant I had the pleasure of attending a conference on ending gender-based violence. The featured presenter was Jackson Katz, whose presentations on this subject have become an online sensation. Katz’s basic contention is that it is up to men to stop dismissing domestic and other gender-based violence as a “women’s issue” and to embrace it for what it is: a man’s issue. That bothers some people who want to take the discomfort out of the subject by arguing that men can be victims of gender violence, too. That’s true, but as Katz points out, while men are often the target of gender violence, …
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh–in partnership with FISA Foundation and the Heinz Endowments–has been pleased to offer Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), a leadership training program for men committed to integrating domestic and sexual violence prevention strategies into their organizations’ work. This post is part of a series of articles showcasing the members and their work in their communities. Frederick Douglass wrote that “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.” Those words inspire Bob Brinker every day as he works to strengthen young men in our region. As a coordinator for the ParentWISE Program of Family Services of Western PA, Bob engages groups …
Comments Off on A Case Study in Audacious Leadership
In 1976, the women and men who collaborated to found Blackburn Center Against Domestic & Sexual Violence figured their rape crisis center wouldn’t be around very long. In the midst of the momentum for women’s rights at the time, the founders thought the problem of violence against women would be solved in a few years. But the need for services did not diminish. The Center grew over the next two decades to include a broad range of high quality services to victims of sexual and domestic violence. It was in planning the organization’s 25th anniversary that the leadership of the agency committed to refocusing on …
We just concluded a year of progress and are excited to share our achievements. Please take a moment to view our yearend report flipbook. Over the past year, we have been working to fundamentally change the conversation about domestic and sexual violence and the culture in our region. We are fostering a sustained and powerful movement of individuals and organizations working on effective approaches to prevention built on a foundation of believing and supporting victims and taking these crimes seriously. Ultimately we envision healthier, more just communities where individuals and families thrive. None of this would have been possible without the dedication of those in our region who …
In March, prominent Pittsburghers assembled at the Duquesne Club for the second annual Corporate Leadership Breakfast on Ending Gender Violence. Bob Nelkin, CEO of United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, led the conversation, which touched on topics from partner violence in the workplace to an evidence-based prevention program that trains high school coaches to talk to their teams about healthy relationships and respect for women. “No other community in the country has shown this level of cross-sector commitment” to preventing domestic violence and sexual assault, said Kristy Trautmann, executive director of FISA Foundation. Allegheny County Chief Executive Rich Fitzgerald restated the County’s dedication to ending gender …
In February, nearly 75 coaches from across the region gathered at PNC Park for Coaching Boys Into Men (CBIM), an evidence-based training program that enables coaches to lead discussions with their athletes about healthy relationships and respect for women. Hosted by Pirates Charities, FISA Foundation and the United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the program featured hands-on activities and powerful remarks from former NFL players Joe Ehrmann and Charlie Batch and Woodland Hills High School football coach George Novak that inspired the coaches to step up to the plate and take action. Check out some photos from the event below. To learn more about Coaching Boys Into …
The Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh–in partnership with FISA Foundation and the Heinz Endowments–has been pleased to offer Mentors in Violence Prevention (MVP), a leadership training program for men committed to integrating domestic and sexual violence prevention strategies into their organizations’ work. This post is one in a series of short articles intended to showcase members of the MVP Men’s Leadership Cohort and the work they are doing in their communities. Jerry McMeekin knows that men need to be proactive about violence prevention. Through his work as an educator at Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR), Jerry meets with men of all ages to deliver this …
By Kristy Trautmann The best part of running a small grant-making foundation is that I meet people every day who are doing extraordinary, brave things that they believe from their guts are the right things to do. And my job is to figure out if we can help them. As you can imagine, there are a lot of great days, and every so often, there is a day that changes everything. December 1, 2011 was one of those days for me. It was the day I heard Dr. Elizabeth Miller, Chief of Adolescent Medicine at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, present some preliminary research findings on …
