Category: Transformative-approaches

1/3/2015

Transformative Approaches to Ending IPV: The Power of a Photo Booth

By Allison Crowe, See the Triumph Co-Founder

As we bring in the New Year, Christine and I wanted to focus on transformative ideas, approaches, and projects related to abuse and intimate partner violence as a way to highlight innovation, energy, and creativity as we think about continuing to challenge IPV in 2015. We are both firm believers that it takes all of these elements (and much more!) to combat the stigma that still surrounds IPV, and provide survivors with the resources they need to overcome abuse.

One of the main ways that we at See the Triumph have worked to assist survivors is by using social media as a tool. Typically, as professors, we are encouraged to share our work in more scholarly and traditional sources such as books, articles, and book chapters for other academics. While we believe this is important, we also care very deeply about reaching a wider audience, especially survivors out there who might not have access to academic sources. As we enter into Year 3 of the See the Triumph project, I feel very fortunate to have learned so much about the powerful ways that social media can reach others. I am grateful every day for the opportunity to have our voices heard.

As I thought about what sort of transformative project to highlight for this month’s series, I stumbled across an award-winning project called be smart. be well. Life stories, education, and ideas are offered about a variety of health topics that are related to staying healthy and well – things like bullying, addiction, STDs, and pregnancy to name a few. Many of the videos highlight teens sharing messages and information, which I think is an incredible way to increase the chances that today’s young people are hearing these messages in a way that perhaps is easier to receive -- from each other. One of the topics the project covers is abuse and teen dating violence. Their short video on dating violence is an excellent example of innovation – middle, high school, and college students give personal stories, education, and advice to other teens out there. And the best part - all of it happens inside a photo booth! The video can be found here http://besmartbewell.com/domestic-violence/is-it-love.htm and I encourage everyone to take a look.

Messages can be delivered in many ways. As we think about transformation and innovation as ways to continue our fight against IPV, I think we can all challenge ourselves to think outside of the box, bring in new voices, deliver a message in a different way, take risks, or collaborate. The be smart. be well project is just one example of some folks who are doing this. As we continue this month, I urge all of you in our StT community to share ideas, examples, or initiatives with us so that we can see more innovation and transformation as it relates to IPV. Just imagine what you could do with a photo booth!

1/1/2015

Transformative Approaches to Ending Domestic Violence and Abuse: Series Introduction

By Christine Murray, See the Triumph Co-Founder

“And now let us believe in a long year that is given to us, new, untouched, full of things that have never been, full of work that has never been done, full of tasks, claims, and demands; and let us see that we learn to take it without letting fall too much of what it has to bestow upon those who demand of it necessary, serious and great things.”
~ Rainer Maria Rilke

I love the start of a new year. Every year, I spend a good bit of time thinking of one or more meaningful resolutions to focus on throughout the coming year. Although I’m like many people and some of my resolutions don’t make it too far into the year, I do try to keep a focus throughout the year and truly work on the changes I hope to make in my life. The start of each new year feels like a fresh start--an opportunity to begin anew and make changes in my life that will keep me continually in the process of transforming my life for the better.

This month at See the Triumph, we’re also focusing on fresh starts, transformation, and new approaches to challenges we face. We’re thinking “big picture” here--the question on our minds is: What are the changes we really need to make in our society to transform the pervasive epidemic of violence in our society?

Of course, we know that ending violence once and for all is a huge undertaking that will take generations to complete, if ever. The intergenerational patterns of violence and abuse, the social forces that promote violence as normative, and the deeply entrenched issues like poverty contribute to the challenges that we face in ending violence, and so we must undertake the mission of ending violence a day at time and celebrate the small steps we make along the way.

This month, though, we want to highlight and celebrate initiatives that truly have the potential to transform the ways that we as a society prevent, respond to, and ultimately work toward ending domestic violence and other forms of abuse.

Like the changes we make in our personal lives when we make New Year’s Resolutions, these transformative approaches build upon our past experiences and lessons we’ve learned over time. Sometimes, transformative approaches represent radically new ideas, and other times they represent smaller-scale shifts that become tipping points that set off ripple effects of broader changes. Momentum is key. Transformative approaches are those that gain strength as they build over time and become ingrained in the ways we do things.

Although it can seem like progress toward ending violence happens slowly, consider how large-scale changes can happen in a relatively short period of time in the grand scheme of things. Consider, for example, the rapid spread of shelters for victims of domestic violence. Today, shelters are found in many communities across the country, and they have become one of the main resources that are used to support survivors as they leave abusive relationships. However, formal shelters didn’t really begin to exist until as recently as the 1960s and 1970s (see the following web-sites for more information: http://www.thebusinessofme.com/a-brief-early-history-of-womens-shelters-and-the-movement-against-domestic-violence/; http://www.icadvinc.org/what-is-domestic-violence/history-of-battered-womens-movement/; and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_shelter). What was only about 50 years ago a fledgling movement to build shelters has grown to a national network of shelters and domestic violence agencies that are supported by federal funding and community supporters across the country.

What are the efforts happening today that we will look back upon 50 years from now and realize the transformative impacts they have had, but that began now as new and innovative ideas? We don’t have a crystal ball, of course, so time will provide the answers to this question. But, we can look to new and innovative ideas that are growing and gaining momentum now for hints to what transformations may be in store in the decades to come.

When we make New Year’s Resolutions, we’re often advised to make small, attainable goals. But it’s also important to dream big and imagine the possibilities that are in store for our lives. We hope you’ll join us in dreaming big this month as we look to the inspiration and transformations that are possible in creating positive changes at the societal level with the end goal in mind: ending violence once and for all and ensuring that all people have the opportunity to live in safe, healthy relationships, families, and communities.

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Transformative Approaches to Ending IPV: The Power of a Photo Booth

Transformative Approaches to Ending Domestic Violence and Abuse: Series Introduction

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