Applications for the 2011 Lead On! For Peace and Equality conference, to be held Nov. 11-Nov. 13, 2011, in Anchorage, are now available.  Scroll down to view and print the application and please return it as soon as possible because space at  the mini-summit is limited. The Planning Committee will award spots on a first-come, first-served basis. All applications and letters of support must be returned no later than Sept. 10, 2011. If you are an Alaskan youth, age 13 to age 18, and you want to become a leader in your community, would like to work with youth from across the state, and would like to become a part of promoting peace and equality in your community, Lead On! is for you. Check out the video below to  learn more.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32nuUv0VWdw&feature=player_embedded#at=102

What Projects are Youth and Adults Working on in Alaska?

Youth completed projects that promoted individual, community, or relationship wellness.  Youth from across the state carried out mini-campaigns in their schools, raised funds, held awareness events, hosted poetry contests, or showed youth-created films or digital stories in their community.

What is the Lead On! Mini-summit?

Lead On! is a two and half day conference for youth leaders (age 13-18) and community partners across Alaska.  Participants come together to develop leadership skills for promoting peace and equality that can be used in home communities.

What Do Youth Leaders and Community Partners Do at the Mini-summit?

• Youth-led workshops, nationally recognized speakers, and major fun!
• See what youth and community partners are doing across the state.
• Use theatre, art, and media to improve their leadership skills
• Share information and projects from your community.
• Have fun with musicians, actors, activists, business leaders, and Alaska youth
• Develop ideas to promote peace and equality in your community
• Learn more about youth and adult project partnerships.
• Hiking, outdoor activities, networking, and much more!

http://www.andvsa.org/v2/wp-content/uploads/2009/06/lead-on-2011-application.pdf

A new DVD by Big Voice Pictures offers hope to men healing from child sexual abuse. Boys and Men Healing is a documentary about the epidemic of sexual abuse of boys, the impact on individuals, families and society, and the importance of male survivors healing and speaking out to end child sexual abuse. The film
features non-offending male survivors. Whether it was shame, intimacy problems, post-traumatic stress, substance abuse, or rage that led to violence, the effects plagued their lives.

The Pride Foundation out of Seattle, Washington chose to highlight ANDVSA’s “Think/Re-Think: Domestic Violence in Bi, Trans, Lesbian and Gay Relationships” advocacy curriculum on their blog.  Check out the full article below.

Did you know that domestic violence happens in same-sex relationships at about the same rate as in straight relationships?

Have you ever considered how homophobia and the lack of legal protection from discrimination might discourage an LGBTQ victim of domestic violence from getting help for fear of being “outed” or did you know that the most common type of male-to-male rape is the rape of a man who is perceived to be gay by a heterosexual man?

These and other facts are highlighted in the curriculum, “Think/Re-Think: Domestic Violence in Bi, Trans, Lesbian and Gay Relationships,” developed by past Pride Foundation grantee, the Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (ANDVSA).

In 2008, Pride Foundation awarded ANDVSA a grant to develop a curriculum to help Alaskan direct service workers provide effective care to LGBTQ survivors of domestic violence. Most people know that Alaska is in a state of emergency when it comes to domestic violence and sexual assault. We have the highest incidents of rape and intimate partner violence in the nation.

Last month, the UAA Justice Center reported that 47.6% of Alaskan women had been the victims of intimate partner violence according to their 2010 Alaskan Victimization Survey. And with the launch of his “Choose Respect,” campaign, Governor Sean Parnell has effectively pushed the issue to the center of public policy discussions.

But when it comes to ensuring that LGBTQ people are not excluded from efforts to end this violent epidemic, ANDVSA is on the cutting edge. Last week, ANDVSA’s Patti Bland and Lindsee Acton, took time out of their busy schedules to answer a few questions about their ongoing project:

What inspired you to create a curriculum to address domestic violence and sexual assault within the LGBTQ community?

Several of our direct-service member programs came to us with questions about work with victims from the LGBTQ community. While some national resources existed, we wanted to create something that would speak to the uniqueness of Alaska’s LGBTQ family and the barriers to safety people experience here in Alaska. Working with the Northwest Network in Seattle, WA and our Statewide Training Team, we created a curriculum that we think gives direct service workers an insight into the unique experience of LGBTQ people who come to us for services.

I was most struck by how the curriculum simultaneously shatters myths among LGBTQ people about the prevalence of domestic violence as well as challenges the hetero-centric framework through which most direct-service providers understand how to respond to intimacy partner violence. How have those respective audiences responded to the curriculum?

All of the evaluations that we’ve received have been overwhelmingly positive! Advocates are grateful to add dimension to their perspective on direct service work, while clients appreciate that fact that the advocates they met with are prepared to understand their situation and provide them with appropriate resources. Most importantly, an anti-oppression framework empowers us to challenge the roots of oppression that perpetuate domestic violence and sexual assault.

Where would you like to take this project as a next step?

The curriculum was only the beginning of this project! We plan to continue to incorporate LGBTQ information and resources into all of our training sessions as well as provide resources to our advocates and programs. Currently, we have seen significant strides in community response and would like to provide more technical assistance and advanced training to further mentor our program staff.

What has the Pride Foundation grant meant to you and the work that you have accomplished?

Our Pride Foundation grant made it possible to create the LGBTQ curriculum and enabled us to provide our advocates with Alaska-specific resources. Pride Foundation helped us develop and implement a formal response to domestic and sexual violence within the LGBTQ community and helped us link advocates and people we serve to sources of safety and empowerment. For that, all of us here in Alaska are truly grateful.

To learn more about Pride Foundation’s grants program visit www.pridefoundation.org/grants. For more information about all of ANDVSA’s efforts to end violence and oppression in Alaska, please visit their website at www.andvsa.org.

Tiffany McClain is Pride Foundation’s Regional Development Organizer in Alaska. You can reach her at tiffany@pridefoundation.org

Carlos Boozer Chooses Respect video from Alaska Network on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault

Back Row L-R: Kathy O’Rear – secretary, Carey Case – codirector, Marlene Cushing – treasurer, Tara Alcock – vice director, George Meintel.

Front Row L-R: Kathy Bracken, Sunny Rice – codirector.

 Staff 2011:

Sarah Wagstaff

WISH Board Representative:

Ramona Brooks

Pro Bono Attorney:

John Hoag

KFSK radio reporter attended the event and talked to some of the kids and adults involved. Here’s an audio post card.

http://kfsk.org/modules/local_news/index.php?op=centerBlock&ID=979

These people also spoke at the rally, with the exception of the Trooper.
Also speaking was our own Carrie Case, WAVE volunteer, delivering WAVE’s message.

During the week WAVE volunteers gave awesome presentations in the Elementary and Middle Schools, and wrote a commentary to be read on KFSK.  This commentary was read by Ross Nannauck III, an Alaska native.  You can listen to it on kfsk.org , on the top left side is a box that says “commentaries”, and you have to scroll down the list to  March 30.

Our local radio station, KFSK had a news article on Friday about the rally, linked here: http://kfsk.org/modules/local_news/index.php?op=centerBlock&ID=942

Traumatic Brain Injury

Reference Information

Rosalie, Michele, Kiana, Rebecca, Julie, Mary, Sierra, Andrea, Carin, and Sarah met in the WAVE office on Friday night Feb 18th to be trained by Ati from AWARE in Juneau to be Girls on the Run coaches (GOTR) this upcoming season starting March 3. 

Girls on the Run is a life-changing, experiential learning program for girls age 8 to 13 years old. The program combines training for a 3.1 mile running event with self-esteem enhancing, uplifting workouts. The goals of the program are to encourage positive emotional, social, mental, spiritual and physical development.  The objective of Girls on the Run is to educate and empower girls at an early age in order to prevent the display of at-risk activities in the future. Lessons provide girls with the tools to make positive decisions and to avoid risky adolescent behaviors.

Practice begins March 3 upstairs in the High School & meets Thursdays 3:45-5:00pm & Saturdays 10:00-11:15am.  Dress in comfortable running clothes.  If you’re interested in volunteering, coaching, and/or running please call Ginger Evens at 772-3861.