Violence Prevention Initiatives with Youth and Men

In our commitment to ending violence against girls and women, Battered Women’s Support Services has violence prevention programming.  Our prevention work includes dozens of years delivering “Healthy Relationships” and “Relationship Violence Prevention” workshops to youth in high schools and  BWSS Men Ending Violence initiative which uses social media, workshops, cultural events and fundraising activities to urge men to own their role in ending violence against girls and women. Our work has included involving men who are ending violence activists to collaborate in joint initiatives. 

Youth Engagement in Violence Prevention – Youth Speaking to Youth

We have been delivering violence prevention to youth for 21 years and our new initiative Youth Engagement in Violence Prevention is underway.  In consultation with an international and local advisory consisting of youth and adults, we are eagerly rewriting our tried and true curricula to deepen the key components for young women and young men.  The re-write grows from our engagement with young men and men over the past five years including focus groups, consultations and workshops where we sought feedback and insights into the most effective ways to bring powerful ending violence teachings with a solid gender lens.  Significantly, BWSS Youth Engagement in Violence Prevention involves training youth facilitators in mixed gender teams to deliver the new curricula to high school students in BC beginning Fall 2011.  This is in full recognition that youth speaking to youth is empowerment and transformative. To learn more about our Youth Engagement in Violence Prevention Initiative please email us at endingviolence@bwss.org 

Men Ending Violence with Byron Hurt

In 2008, Battered Women’s Support Services collaborated with Byron Hurt, activist and documentary filmmaker and Chuck D, front man of Public Enemy to hold Battered Women’s Support Services Emerge Vancouver.  Emerge Vancouver, a cultural engagement event to prevent violence against girls and women saw over 1,000 girls, boys, women & men assembled at Vancity Theatre for four sold out shows of Byron Hurt’s film Hip-hop: Beyond Beats & Rhymes followed by panel discussions focused on youth experiences, male violence against girls and women & feminist leadership with engagement from men to end violence against women.  More about: Emerge Vancouver. 

In 2009, Byron Hurt wrote an article for BWSS Women Making Waves titled My First Time that discusses his experiences holding conversations with men about violence against women and some of the challenges and rewards therein.   Battered Women’s Support Services frequently quotes Byron and has appreciated his insights reflected in Byron Hurt’s Top Ten.

Byron Hurt is an activist and documentary filmmaker based in the US.  Instrumental in forming Mentors in Violence Prevention program with the purpose of educating young men about gender and sexual violence.  Through this work Byron proceeded with producing and directing the documentary I am a Man:  Black Masculinity in America.  Later he created Hip-Hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes,   a deep exploration of issues of economic, masculinity, sexism, violence, homophobia in hip-hop culture that has been featured on PBS Independent Lens.

Canadian Council of Refugees – Spring Consultation 2011

This May 26th, 2011, Battered Women’s Support Services will present at Canadian Council of Refugees – Spring Consultation in Hamilton, Ontario as part of a joint presentation with two men representing Toronto and Montreal.  In a special session, on May 27th, 2011, Byron Hurt and Angela Marie MacDougall, Executive Director at Battered Women’s Support Services will co-present at Canadian Council of Refugees – Spring Consultation in Hamilton, Ontario.  Both sessions are titled The Role of Men in Ending Violence Against Women will feature an exploration of the dynamics of power and control, the factors that contribute to men’s use of violence against women, and what we know about what works to engage men to own their role in ending violence against women.  The presentation will be grounded in relevant research and a strong theoretical framework and will include practical strategies to enhance skill development of participants. 

The Canadian Council of Refugees is a non-profit umbrella organization committed to the rights and protection of refugees in Canada and around the world and to the settlement of refugees and immigrants in Canada.  The membership is made up of organizations involved in the settlement, sponsorship and protection of refugees and immigrants.  The Council serves the networking, information-exchange and advocacy needs of its membership.  The Canadian Council of Refugees Consultations address issues of refugee protection and immigrant and refugee settlement.  Bringing together 300 or more people from across Canada and beyond twice a year, the consultations offer key opportunities for information exchange, networking, strategy development and discussion.  Battered Women’s Support Services has had the opportunity to present on violence against women previously at Fall Consultation 2010 and it was remarkable the interest and commitment demonstrated by the participants in furthering the work to end violence against girls and women. 

The Canadian Council of Refugees Youth Network will be present at the Spring Consultations. The Youth Network gives youth and youth allies a voice to address challenges faced by newcomer youth and a space to share ideas on how to meet these challenges. 

Battered Women’s Support Services is committed to ending violence against girls and women and we are urging men to own their role in ending violence.  Here’s more about Men Ending Violence and here’s how to donate to support prevention and intervention work at Battered Women’s Support Services.