The White Ribbon Foundation of Australia aims to eliminate violence against women by promoting culture-change around the issue.
The major strategies to achieve this are a national media campaign as well as education & male leadership programmes aimed at men and boys around Australia.
All funds received by the White Ribbon Foundation will support the implementation of these strategies.
White Ribbon Day - History White Ribbon Day was created by a handful of Canadian men in 1991 on the second anniversary of one man's massacre of fourteen women in Montreal. They began the White Ribbon Campaign to urge men to speak out against violence against women.
In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW) and the White Ribbon has become the symbol for the day.
From 2000, the Commonwealth Government Office for Women ran awareness activities on the International Day, and, in 2003, the Australian branch of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM, began a partnership with men and men's organisations to make this a national campaign. Ten thousand white ribbons were distributed in 2003.
Today hundreds of thousands of white ribbons are worn by men and women across Australia - men at work; men and women in all Australian police forces; men in national and local sporting matches and organisations; men in the media; men and women in politics; men in the defence forces; men and women in capital cities and in rural and regional Australia.
The campaign continues to go from strength to strength and now boasts more than 230 white ribbon Ambassadors Australia wide, including Prime Minister Rudd, as well as more events across the country and more organisations and individuals participating year upon year.
The major strategies to achieve this are a national media campaign as well as education & male leadership programmes aimed at men and boys around Australia.
All funds received by the White Ribbon Foundation will support the implementation of these strategies.
White Ribbon Day - History White Ribbon Day was created by a handful of Canadian men in 1991 on the second anniversary of one man's massacre of fourteen women in Montreal. They began the White Ribbon Campaign to urge men to speak out against violence against women.
In 1999, the United Nations General Assembly declared November 25 the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women (IDEVAW) and the White Ribbon has become the symbol for the day.
From 2000, the Commonwealth Government Office for Women ran awareness activities on the International Day, and, in 2003, the Australian branch of the United Nations Development Fund for Women, UNIFEM, began a partnership with men and men's organisations to make this a national campaign. Ten thousand white ribbons were distributed in 2003.
Today hundreds of thousands of white ribbons are worn by men and women across Australia - men at work; men and women in all Australian police forces; men in national and local sporting matches and organisations; men in the media; men and women in politics; men in the defence forces; men and women in capital cities and in rural and regional Australia.
The campaign continues to go from strength to strength and now boasts more than 230 white ribbon Ambassadors Australia wide, including Prime Minister Rudd, as well as more events across the country and more organisations and individuals participating year upon year.
(from the White Rbbon Day website)
The Moderator of the SA Uniting Church is also an Ambassador for White Ribbon Day and he writes:
An Open Letter to the Members and Friends of the Uniting Church in South Australia.
The most prevalent incidence of human rights abuse in the world today is violence against women. Recent ABS statistics show that over one third of Australian women will experience physical or sexual violence in their life time.
Our church at the November meeting of the Presbytery and Synod agreed to call upon its members to support the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by wearing a white ribbon on the 25th of November.
We write to inform you of this decision and to ask the men in our church to join us in becoming Ambassadors for White Ribbon Day.
As an Ambassador you will seek ways of furthering the message ‘Men – Not Violent – Not Silent’ as well as making a commitment to not be violent to women. Here are some examples of how Ambassadors personally get involved with the campaign:
Wearing a White Ribbon throughout November in the lead-up to White Ribbon Day and encouraging others to do the same.
Promoting public interest by talking with colleagues, parishioners and friends about the campaign i.e. about what the campaign involves, how important it is to change community behaviours and attitudes, etc.
Hosting meetings, social events, awareness raising activities to mark White Ribbon Day.
Approaching local councils, men’s organizations, sports and services clubs, etc. and offering to be a guest speaker and encourage them to buy and distribute White Ribbons.
You can become an Ambassador by going to http://www.whiteribbonday.org.au/ and clicking on the ‘Supporters’ menu. There you will find more information about becoming an Ambassador as well as how to nominate.
We encourage you to show your support for this Campaign and to join us in being ‘Men – Not Violent – Not Silent’ for the coming year.
Moderator Rod Dyson
The most prevalent incidence of human rights abuse in the world today is violence against women. Recent ABS statistics show that over one third of Australian women will experience physical or sexual violence in their life time.
Our church at the November meeting of the Presbytery and Synod agreed to call upon its members to support the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women by wearing a white ribbon on the 25th of November.
We write to inform you of this decision and to ask the men in our church to join us in becoming Ambassadors for White Ribbon Day.
As an Ambassador you will seek ways of furthering the message ‘Men – Not Violent – Not Silent’ as well as making a commitment to not be violent to women. Here are some examples of how Ambassadors personally get involved with the campaign:
Wearing a White Ribbon throughout November in the lead-up to White Ribbon Day and encouraging others to do the same.
Promoting public interest by talking with colleagues, parishioners and friends about the campaign i.e. about what the campaign involves, how important it is to change community behaviours and attitudes, etc.
Hosting meetings, social events, awareness raising activities to mark White Ribbon Day.
Approaching local councils, men’s organizations, sports and services clubs, etc. and offering to be a guest speaker and encourage them to buy and distribute White Ribbons.
You can become an Ambassador by going to http://www.whiteribbonday.org.au/ and clicking on the ‘Supporters’ menu. There you will find more information about becoming an Ambassador as well as how to nominate.
We encourage you to show your support for this Campaign and to join us in being ‘Men – Not Violent – Not Silent’ for the coming year.
Moderator Rod Dyson
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