Event Ideas

LOW COST/ NO COST IDEAS FOR CELEBRATING WHITE RIBBON DAY

• Start with your own organisation or workplace:
  • Hold a lunch time panel discussion
  • Put posters up in staff rooms and bathrooms
  • Organise a morning tea or bake off and have a collection for a local women’s support service
  • Write something about preventing violence against women for your organisation’s newsletter or intranet
  • Put ribbons on every desk and talk about WRD in the staff room
  • Have a competition amongst groups within your organisation to come up with the best way of highlighting WRD
• If you are part of a family violence network – talk to all the members to encourage them all to do something within their own organisation for WRD
• Have a BBQ at the local shops and give out ribbons (ask local supermarkets or butchers to donate sausages)
• Ask local businesses to put up posters and wear ribbons
• Challenge local shops to mark WRD by having a “white out” – an all white window display encompassing ribbons
• Drop ribbons and safety plans at your GP clinic
• Organise to give a talk at the local rugby/cricket/football/karate club about what men can do to stop violence against women
• Talk to church leaders about including violence prevention messages in their sermons and public talks during WRD
• Hand out ribbons at the mall, supermarket, train and bus stations wherever a lot of people are
• Make contact with actors (amateur or professional) and see if they are interested in performing small pieces on family violence in public places on Nov 25
• Include the WRD Facebook page in your email signature encouraging people become a friend
• Ask your radio station/ local paper to do a piece on violence against women and WRD
• Write an article or letter to the editor with a local angle- local statistics on violence against women; local activities; stories from local women who have survived violence
• Send ribbons and a little bit of information to your friends and ask them to be champions in their workplaces, churches and community groups (especially those working outside social and health services)
• Ring up talk-back radio and start a discussion about how men can help stop violence against women
• Get as many people as possible to be part of a human white ribbon – get the local paper along
• Ask the library, sports centre, supermarket, or local council if you can put up a WRD display
• At universities, polytechs and schools:
  • Write an article for the student paper
  • Have an event in the quad or common space
  • Put posters and safety information in bathrooms
  • Ask lecturers to include a focus on violence against women or WRD
• Talk to Rotary and other service clubs before November and see how they could get involved
• Drop ribbons to your vet clinic – vets often see signs of family violence
• Organise a peaceful demonstration or memorial for women who have been killed

A variety of events were held in support of White Ribbon Day 2010, both on the day itself and during the leadup to it.

There are many ideas that can form the basis of a White Ribbon event. Here are a few examples which might inspire new or replicated events.

• In Wellington a White Ribbon race was held with 200 men from 20 businesses racing through the CBD at lunchtime in teams of 10 carrying large white ribbons
• Community groups in Porirua put on free music, MC’d by a local radio DJ and held a sausage sizzle. They encouraged people to place their handprints on a banner to pledge “These hands will never be used in violence”
• In Greymouth local businesses were invited to “white-out” their windows to raise awareness about the campaign
• In Palmerston North 300 white balloons were released from The Square, representing the number of domestic violence incidents Manawatu Police attend every two months
• A whole week of events was held in Gisborne, including a march with school buses displaying pictures created by Gisborne school children of their peers – representing the number of children who had witnessed domestic violence in the past year – on average about 160. Also the White Ribbon Ride was met by the “Super Gizzy Fullas”, who together launched the Tarawhiti Men Against Violence photo competition to find the best pictures of men and their families in harmonious, non-violent situations.
• A fun run was held on Orewa Beach along with a sausage sizzle, music, while stalls provided information about local support services. Community workers were on hand to answer questions about family violence. Participants were encouraged to come in fancy dress.
• In Waitakere five family passes to West Wave Aquatic centre were up for grabs for entrants in a banner making competition. Banners had to feature a white ribbon and be carried during the White Ribbon Day march by at least two people. Entrants were judged on visual impact and strength of message. Examples included “speak out”, “you can help” or “you can make a difference”.
• An all day White Ribbon event in Masterton included an art mural competition, a men’s photo shoot, spot prizes and a sausage sizzle.
• In Auckland a model was transformed into a human butterfly to support action against violence towards women.
• Men@Work of Taupo and the Family Violence Focus Group of Invercargill invited key members of their communities to a White Ribbon breakfast to raise awareness about family violence
• The White Ribbon Ride was welcomed to Waipukurau by Mayor Trish Giddens with a wholesome country barbeque lunch provided by the Waipukurau Rotary Club and students from Terrace Primary School performed a musical item and school haka. The community was invited to come along not only to show support for White Ribbon, but also to check out the amazing array of motorcycles on display.