Submitted by the Bedford Police Department
On Thursday, December 6, 2012, Jane Doe Inc. will launch the 6th Annual Massachusetts White Ribbon Day Campaign to engage men in the solution of ending violence against women. Bedford Police Department is one of 65 Massachusetts White Ribbon Day Campaign Affiliates.
“The Bedford Police Department takes violence against women seriously and we will continue to work with our partners in the community to promote safety and respect in all relationships. United, we are taking a stand and participating in the White Ribbon Day”, said Chief Robert Bongiorno.
The Bedford Police Department, Bedford School Department, Bedford Youth and Family Services and Domestic Violence Service Network (DVSN) will continue to participate in the White Ribbon Campaign annually on Bedford Day. Together, we will build a resounding network of voices that will support and advance the White Ribbon Campaign initiative!
The campaign launch date bears special significance as December 6th marks both the 23rd anniversary of the Montreal Massacre and the 21st anniversary of the international White Ribbon Campaign. Mary R. Lauby, Executive Director of Jane Doe Inc. (JDI), explained, “Each year we remember these tragic and unnecessary deaths and recommit ourselves to eradicating the root causes that foster and perpetuate violence against women. We cannot end sexual and domestic violence without a broader social transformation that supports equality and justice.”
JDI’s Massachusetts White Ribbon Day Campaign aims to engage men who are ready to help take an active role in making a difference in their communities, their workplaces, and their families. Men are asked to help shift the conversation from being the protectors of women to engaging other men in ending men’s violence against women. This year’s co-chairs have demonstrated in their professional careers that protecting public safety also requires being prepared and working to prevent harm.
Since the campaign began, nearly 500 men have signed on as WRD Ambassadors. Craig Norberg-Bohm, the Massachusetts White Ribbon Campaign Coordinator, finds inspiration in the ways men are responding to this call, “Men are thirsty for ways to be part of the solution in ending the violence that affects them and the women and men in their lives. This is an opportunity for men to step in a positive way.”
JDI adopted the White Ribbon Campaign because while sexual and domestic violence affect everyone, men have a unique role to play in ending male violence against women. Lauby adds, “Men like District Attorney Conley, Mr. Barrios and the hundreds of Ambassadors across the Commonwealth are proof that men are expanding their understanding of what it means to be a man must include a commitment to healthy masculinity and non-violence.”
Background on The White Ribbon Campaign:
The Montreal Massacre took place on December 6, 1989, at 4:00 PM when, a 25 year old man who claimed that he was “fighting feminism” opened fire on the campus of École Polytechnique in Montreal, Quebec. In just under 20 minutes, the perpetrator shot 28 people. In total, 14 women were killed and 14 others were shot (including 4 men) before the perpetrator turned the gun on himself. Two years later the international White Ribbon Campaign was created to urge men to pledge not to be silent, condone or commit violence against women. Today, the White Ribbon Campaign takes place in over 60 countries.
On the first Thursday of March, JDI hosts a statewide Massachusetts White Ribbon Day (WRD) as the centerpiece of the campaign. Between now and March 7, 2013, JDI will engage its members and WRD Affiliates to reach men across the Commonwealth to take the WRD Pledge and join this campaign.
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