The New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault is hosting a workshop called Speaking for Ourselves: A Storytelling Workshop for Rape Crisis Advocates as part of their preparations for SAY SO! (Sexual Assault Yearly Speak Out).
They invite all rape crisis advocates, past and present, to a workshop on finding your voice. The goal is to tell your stories, as individuals committed to helping survivors, as a community, as a movement with a history that needs to be told.

This workshop will be led by Alexis Caputo, a performance artist and writer familiar to many through her involvement in last year’s SAYSO! and Rockin the Mic Against Rape at the Bowery Poetry Club. We hope to inspire some of you to tell your story at this year’s SAYSO! in April.

*Another storytelling workshop for survivors and allies will be held March 21.*

FREE

Thursday, February 15, 2007, 6:30 pm to 8:00pm
Downstairs at the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault
27 Christopher Street
New York, NY 10014
Between Sixth and Seventh Avenues, subway: ACE, FVBD to W. Fourth Street; 1 to Christopher Street/Sheridan
RSVP to sayso@nycagainstrape.org by 5pm, February 8, 2007.

They’re here! You can now order SAFER t-shirts that speak out against college sexual assault AND support our work. Get an “I hate rape ” shirt or one of our t-shirts featuring another message, and know that you’re helping us help students.

The t-shirt message contest is still open, so send your ideas to us at organizers@safercampus.org.

You (and all your friends!) are invited to a happy hour fundraiser and silent auction to support the work of SAFER. Please join us at Mad River Bar and Grille in New York to show your support, meet new people, and hang out with your friends!

A $5 donation gets you unlimited draft beer, and $3 well drinks and wine for $4 will also be available. And great silent auction prizes will also be there to be won!

January 25, 2007
7-9pm
Mad River Bar and Grillle
1442 Third Ave at 82nd St.
New York, NY 10028

We will be launching SAFER’s new t-shirts at the happy hour with messages designed to challenge sexual assault. Maybe one of our t-shirts could feature your message! Enter our message contest by sending your suggestion to organizers@safercampus.org with “t-shirt contest” in the subject line for a chance to see your words on SAFER t-shirts. The winner will receive a free t-shirt of his or her choice.

The winning message will be one that best meets these criteria:

1. Addresses the problem: Universities and colleges that have a keep-it-quiet, cover-it-up response to the problem of campus rape. College environments that condone rape and do not support victims. The stereotype of campus sexual assault and sexual harassment policies as witch hunts, and campus sexual assault as an overblown issue that ruins young men’s lives. Asks the question, “why are students assaulting other students, and what are colleges doing about it?”

2. Speaks to the target audiences: Pressures administrators and encourages students and allies to act.

3. Suggests a solution. We want colleges to implement effective policies, with student input, and we want students to counter the culture of rape and shame by demanding their administration act. People should care because it could happen to them, a friend, or a loved one, or one of their friends or loved ones could be assaulting other people. Effective policies are those that address prevention, do not put the burden of prevention on potential victims, have fair disciplinary procedures, support and encourage people to come forward, and that don’t perpetuate racial stereotypes, or stereotypes about what a “real” rape is. For more about effective policies, please see https://safercampus.org/goodpolicy.php

4. Reflects our stance as progressive, young, strong, pro-sex and outspoken.

5. Is catchy, creative or otherwise memorable.