“There are times when the simple dignity of movement can fulfill the function of a volume of words,” said famed dancer Doris Humphrey. A packed Vertigo Theatre and a standing ovation for the Mpact dancers’ performance of “Something to Say-Make Poverty Personal,” earlier this month indeed spoke volumes about the shared struggles between the poor and wealthy. Both deface humanity and impoverish the soul.
          The show, produced by Connie Jakab, was sold-out every night. It raised $2,300 and helped to enlighten the possibilities of dance, art and conversation in bridging the divide between rich and poor.
          “Connie and her team of dancers did an extraordinary job communicating the sadness, hope, and different circumstances of those living in poverty,” says Raman Basi from Discovery House. “Through movement, the dancers brought emotion to the hearts of the audience.”
          Together with Mpact’s talented dancers and a host of giving organizations (see list below), the audience received a vivid reminder that everyone has the capacity to heal hearts and build bridges through kindness, creativity . . . and dance.

To learn more about Mpact go to: www.mpactdance.com
For pictures go to: culturerebel.com

Partners included: Discovery House, 3 Things for Calgary, Birthday Buddies Inc., Brown Bagging for Calgary’s Kids, Calgary Dream Centre, Calgary Homeless Foundation, Highbanks Society, Humanity In Practice, Inn from the Cold, NeighbourLink, Role Mothers, Salvation Army, Servants Anonymous Society, Sonshine Community Services, Alex Youth Health Centre, the Drop in Centre, United Way, The Victory Foundation, Simon House Recovery Centre, The Mustard Seed, YWCA Calgary, Decidedly Jazz Danceworks, COHR Health, and Legacy One.

Sensational newspaper headlines about domestic violence in Alberta have run globally in the past two weeks. “40 Per Cent of Men in Alberta Poll Say Women ‘Put Themselves at Risk For Rape’.”  “Survey finds nearly 10% of Alberta men OK with assault‎.”

The telephone survey, conducted by Leger Marketing on behalf of the Alberta Council of Women’s Shelters (ACWS), polled 1,000 adult men in Alberta. They were asked for their views on violence against women, gender equity, perceptions of domestic violence, and the role men can play in reducing and preventing it.

Beyond the headlines mentioned above, some of the more disconcerting results found that over half of those polled agreed that “a woman can leave a violent relationship if she really wants to” and that a quarter of them feel that domestic violence should not be considered a criminal offense, in certain instances.

 Answers make it clear that more education is needed but also show a lot of progress. Of those 1,000 men:99% agree that men can make a difference in promoting respectful, non-violent relationships;

• 96% don’t believe it’s acceptable to hurt a woman who withholds sex;
• 95% feel concerned by violence against women and girls;
• 91% say they would intervene if they knew someone was in a violent relationship;
• and 56% say they are more aware of domestic violence issues than five years ago.

Asked about prevention, most men agreed that speaking out against violence begins in the home. Most understand their possible role as change agents, like educating  their sons and daughters about respectful and healthy relationships. They also see schools, celebrities, athletes and community leaders as playing a role in the messaging. 

The results were released last week in Calgary at ACWS’ annual “Breakfast with the Guys” fundraiser, designed to encourage men and boys to take a stand against domestic violence. The breakfast featured a panel of experts from government, law enforcement, business, sport and social advocacy. The panel agreed that awareness and education are critical. Many Alberta shelters, including Discovery House, are strategizing about how to do just that. We’d like to hear your feedback. Please post your comments on this BLOG, or join the conversation on Twitter or Facebook below!

Yesterday was International Women’s Day and EPCOR Centre was the place to be in Calgary. There were impressive displays throughout with passionate volunteers on hand providing information and materials on themes such as Family Violence, Employment and Skills Building, Health and Wellness, Leadership, Poverty and Global Women’s Issues.

The event was hosted by Calgary Immigrant Women’s Association in partnership with Alberta Health Services,  Discovery House, University of Calgary Women’s Resource Centre, the Women’s Centre, YMCA and YWCA Calgary.

A very special thanks goes to Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Conoco Phillips Canada and United way of Calgary and Area for funding this extraordinary day.

The foyer of Jack Singer Concert Hall was filled with people who had come out to take in the displays, entertainment and learn more about the issues affecting women both locally and globally. Here is what some of the attendees had to say:

“I think it’s really great how many people have come out today. International Women’s Day is a day that has not gotten the recognition it deserves in Canada, and certainly around the world. And so I’m excited to see this happen in Calgary, and I hope this is just the beginning of bigger and better things to come.”

“I’m very happy to have brought my students here today because for some of them it is the first time they have had a chance to be exposed to a variety of information that is available to women. Some of them had no idea what to expect so this was a huge learning experience.”

 “My hope is that it will not be too long to see that women have total equal rights to men in every country and every society on the planet—and hopefully that is not too far away.”

March 8^th is recognized as International Women’s Day in 96 countries throughout the world.   This year more than 190 events were held across Canada. The first International Women’s Day took place in 1911, and in some nations it is now an official holiday.

Sarah* arrived here from Mexico in 2003 looking forward to a bright future. She soon met a wonderful man she believed was her soul mate. They married very quickly and it was not long before he became abusive and began to control her life.

He made good money, wore expensive clothes but forced her to ask him for any of her necessities.  When she became pregnant he made offensive comments about her weight so immediately after her daughter was born she started a crash diet. Stress and anxiety increased and it wasn’t long before she gained it back, and more, so his demeaning nature got worse. The verbal abuse escalated, he was having an affair, and became physically abusive. “I still have a hard time admitting he was hitting me,” Sarah tells us.

He was away most nights. He would come home to get his clothes and other items for work; she would hear his keys in the door and become afraid. She didn’t know where to go and was unsure about her rights in Canada. Her husband always told her if she called the police she would wind up in the streets or be deported to Mexico and lose her daughter. However, the relationship was getting so much worse that she had lost all hope.

A neighbour told her to go to a shelter. Fearfully she did and it was the first good night’s sleep Sarah had had in a long time. She was happy there; it was peaceful and the counsellors were caring and helpful. During her first sessions all she could do was cry but it was such a relief to finally let it out.

Sarah was quickly connected to Discovery House and was helped to find an apartment for herself and her daughter. As part of our Community Housing program, case managers gave her the support she needed. “It helped me a lot to have them over to visit because my family is in Mexico and my parents couldn’t come see me because my mom was sick. This program really helped save my life.”

While upgrading her English, Sarah noticed the other students on campus working hard in their programs which inspired her to explore her own possibilities. Now Sarah is enrolled in full time education, with the help of a scholarship from Discovery House.. She has applied for programs in nursing and social work and can finally look forward to the bright future she had always hoped for.

Sarah would encourage any woman to go to a shelter rather than live with abuse. When some women hear the word shelter they think of it as a scary place, but there she found peace and love. “As women we are so capable to do many things, to be strong and fight for our kids,” she says.

She is tremendously grateful to everyone who helped get her to where she is now, and works hard in her studies to prove it. She also wants to set an example for her daughter. “I want her to go to university. Even though she is four, I say you are going to be a teacher or a doctor… and I let her know she can do it.”

*name changed to protect the identity of the client

Last Tuesday’s Globe and Mail featured Erin Anderssen’s blog posting Really, Angry Brides? Is this domestic violence “awareness”?

Anderssen highlights Angry brides, a game in which you hurl objects at potential grooms to whittle down the brides dowry. The makers of the game claim it is meant to raise awareness of violence connected to dowries.

This is a distinctive form of domestic violence as often people other than the fiancé/groom are perpetrators, and is most common in some South Asian countries. 

Angry brides poses another question; what constitutes effective awareness raising?

A poorly played round of Angry brides reveals that from a pure game standpoint it is rather unremarkable. As the bride you throw objects (in the first round one of four varieties of shoes) at one of the grooms. When a hit is scored there is a quick flash of a small cartoon explosion followed by the cliché dizzy clouds around his head.

What the game doesn’t show is the lasting physical and emotional damage caused by violence. The violence portrayed isn’t of a graphic nature and that raises the question; does this lack of consequences trivialize dowry-related violence?

Anderssen uses her past blog posting Is this Glee star glamorizing domestic abuse? to provide another example of questionable awareness raising. In a photo shoot, Heather Morris displays a bruised eye with the caption “Even Barbie Bruises”. Other photos show her in provocative poses where the shiner is almost an accessory. The shot where she is getting revenge on her husband is more corny than shocking.

Another photo was used in a salon ad showing the Glee star with another black eye and the caption “Look Good In All That You Do”.

Would the photos better raise awareness with a more somber tone and different captions?
Would a video game help raise awareness for a different issue than dowry-related violence?

You can raise awareness in many ways. Shock has often been effective but is it the best way to get a message understood? A medium can help raise awareness if it accurately portrays the problem, if it is factual, and if the depiction of consequences is based in reality.

Awareness is largely about starting discussions. What constitutes effective awareness raising is starting the right discussions.

What do you think? We would like to hear from you.