FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION:
Can men be raped? |
Newsletter: Summer 2004: Quarterly Meeting ReviewThe Alliance’s April and June quarterly meetings were particularly productive and stimulating. At the meetings, we focused on understanding and building coalition, and making the most of our partnerships.What’s in it for Me? The April meeting was facilitated by Bernard Moore, a former union member and long-time staff member of the Service Employee Union International who has 18 years of experience as an organizer and educator specializing in leadership development, and understanding power and privilege. Bernard led the group as we outlined the importance of coalition-building for the rape crisis community by imagining a “snapshot” of what our movement could look like in twenty years and drawing pictures of what we envisioned, which included more resources for quality medical and mental health care, a broader range of counseling services, inclusivity and support for all survivors, stronger activism, and connections to other local and global movements. This creative exercise was followed by a productive discussion of what it means to work in coalition: the good and the bad that comes from sharing the triumphs and pitfalls of working for social change. In the end, we had a wish list of resources, collaborations and policies that we would need to achieve our vision. Are We There Yet? The June meeting followed up on this wish list for the future by looking at today’s ongoing projects to see which groups or projects were already working towards our goals, what goals had yet to be addressed, and what venues might be utilized to affect change. The Alliance invited representatives from committees and taskforces throughout the city to report on their purpose and priorities. Downstate Coalition for Crime Victims – over 90 organizations including grassroots and government agencies that advocates with legislators on behalf of victims of sexual assault, domestic violence, gun violence, fraud and other crimes, and the programs that serve them. Current priorities include housing discrimination against sexual assault and domestic violence survivors. Organizes annual Legislative Awareness Days for Domestic Violence (February), and Sexual Assault (April). Hospital Committee – hospital-based rape crisis programs whose primary focus is the common issues faced by New York State Department of Health (DOH) grantees. Discusses DOH policies and shares program information. Bronx Sexual Assault Task Force – enhances delivery of services and criminal justice outcomes by promoting excellent care for survivors and first-rate evidence collection. Their recent work focused on the successful creation of the borough’s first Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). Coalition of Child Advocacy Centers – a statewide group of specialized centers providing coordinated response to child sexual abuse victims and their families. Presently, they are grappling with issues surrounding the designation of these specialized clinics. Manhattan Sexual Assault Task Force – a multidisciplinary taskforce to promote programs’ involvement in criminal justice and healthcare issues. Recently evaluated the uses of digital versus Polaroid photography for evidence collection, and will release recommended protocol this fall. Criminal Justice Collaboration Project and Operations, Standards and Training Committee – the Alliance’s Forensic Healthcare Program facilitates these committees to address citywide forensic healthcare and criminal justice issues. Alliance Policy Committee – focuses on city legislation and policy that affects survivors and service providers. The committee identifies topics on which to focus the Alliance’s advocacy efforts, and assists the development of strategies to address them. Sexual Assault Awareness Month Planning Committee – organizes and promotes increased activity during SAAM in April. Organized “Listen: 24 Hours of Stories,” a public reading of survivors’ stories this April. Continues to plan annual 24 hour event, in addition to other publicc awareness efforts. The next meeting will be on September 14th. Please join us! If you do not receive quarterly meeting announcements and would like to, call (212)523-4344 to sign up.
(Read
other articles in this series.)
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Voices and Faces:
Bonnie Quillin 
"I was raped thirty years ago. There was so much shame then, and there still is now. But when I started to talk about it, it freed me."
Read more about Bonnie at The Voices and Faces Project »
Declaration: Survivor O’Brien Dennis reads from his book, The Cries of Men
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