Giant White Ribbon

The Ribbon was signed by all age groups

The Giant Ribbon Project was born of a desire to weave together the many voices supporting White Ribbon throughout the country, and present them in a unique way – as a collective outcry for change.

Sixty panels measuring 0.5 metres by 2 metres were sent to all corners of the mōtu. Each panel was then taken on a journey – through schools, police stations, boardrooms, council chambers, rugby games, work places, parliament, on the back of Harleys…and more. Thousands signed their name under the words ‘we’re against violence towards women’.

Media throughout the country took the opportunity to create stories showcasing the commitment of their communities to end violence against women. The images of local men and women signing the pledge appeared all over the country, helping the campaign to spread the anti violence message through both words and images.

The panels were returned after the climax of White Ribbon Day 2010, full of signatures, handprints and messages of support for the kaupapa. In a moment of enthusiasm, Assistant Campaign Manager Vanessa stuck her hand up to act as weaver and sew the panels together. Unsurprisingly, she learnt that attempting to wrangle 30 metres of fabric is a very cumbersome task, and she regretted not leaving it to the professionals! [image]

In the end, the finished project emerged and it was a truly impressive sight to behold. The Giant Ribbon was whisked up to Auckland DHB to be installed in its first home – the atrium of Auckland Hospital. Maintenance staff at the hospital had a challenging task arranging the cloth into a perfect ribbon shape – but if you can organise a hospital, you can hang a ribbon and the result was an impressive tribute to all the White Ribbon supporters across New Zealand.  [image]

The campaign team received so much positive feedback, that the project was rolled out again in 2011. This time we encouraged participants to write the names of their town boldly – to highlight just how wide the support for change really is. This resulted in a very colourful Giant White Ribbon which has most recently been displayed in Paul’s Church in Kaikoura. [image]

If you’d like to host one of the two Giant Ribbons, contact us now.

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