Stop child sexual abuse through global education

Well, it's report time!  I hope everyone is well and warm. While there's lots and lots going on, I'll be brief as I think most of you have a pretty good idea of where we've been focused and building. We do need your help as the upcoming Spring is our busiest time. So, as usual, I have a CHALLENGE for you, which is near the bottom of the report! 

1. "Kelpie" update:

• Bridgeport, W. Va. -- The Vintage Theatre Company, LLC is hosting a fundraising production of “To Kill a Kelpie”, an intensely captivating psychodrama, for Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse charity at the Bridgeport High School auditorium February 22, 23, and 24. Showtimes are set for 7 p.m., 7p.m., and 2 p.m. respectively. There is no cost for entry, and donations for the cause will be accepted at each performance. More to come on future locations of Kelpie from Vintage.
  
• Director Edward M. Smith is finalizing the film "To Kill A Kelpie" and we will soon be bringing it, our after-show production, and community-based programming to universities around the U.S. and overseas! Stay tuned. Contact me if you want to bring it to your university/town: ppine@stopcsa.org.

2.  Races and Walks to Stop the Silence updates:

• The 10th annual Race to Stop the Silence is set for Sunday is set for April 14, 2013. It's an 8K Race and Walk and 1K kids' fun run, with speakers, entertainment, booths, and more! Put it on your calendars! Our Race site is www.dcrace.org. I guarantee fun! The Washington Redskins Alumni Association is our primary partners for 2013. Mark Moseley of 'Skins and NFL fame is our national spokesperson. Various corporate and community groups will be partnering in the effort (Yeah!!).
• As a part of our awareness raising programming surround the Race, I and Mark Moseley and others will be doing lots of media with, for examples, Channel 9, ClearChannel Radio, WTOP, and many others in the U.S.; others are reaching out to their media in other countries.
• Other areas in the U.S. are also conducting the Race or Walk individually or as a part of global activities of The Innocence Revolution (e.g., Florida, California). Jeff Ruday is managing the event this year (Yeah!!).
• Race to Stop the Silence Kenya (Nairobi) will be conduced on April 14, 2013 in partnership with the Child Aid Organization Kenya, and also as a part of The Innocence Revolution.
• Starting in May of 2013, Matthew McVarish will be conducting the "10,000 Mile Walk to Stop the Silence," bringing information to EVERY EUROPEAN UNION (EU) CAPITAL (31 nations in all). The 10,000 Mile Walk to Stop the Silence will include media outreach, networking with relevant organizations, discussions with policymakers on age of consent and statute of limitations, development of networking products, and more.

We Continue to Need Your Help!!  Here's the Challenge... Help us raise $10,000 by the end of March - ask your friends, colleagues and family to help!

We're currently raising funds on three fronts in particular:

1. Race to Stop the Silence 2013
2. Matt's Big Walk
3. Overall community-based programming (in conjunction with university and community-based groups).

If you can see your way to making on-going, monthly donations of whatever you can afford, that sure would help! Ask your friends, colleagues and family to raise funds. All donations are tax-deductible through our safe Global Giving page. See our website (www.stopcsa.org) for other fundraising mechanisms.

We really need you. If we all do a little, we can do a lot!!

Thank you all!!

Very Sincerely,

Pamela Pine, PhD, MPH, Founder, Stop the Silence

Hello, everyone... As we do every quarter, Stop the Silence is bringing you the news of this past Fall. As I do in every report, I'll summarize what's been going on (lots as usual!!), and, as usual, I have a CHALLENGE for you!  Read on -- the Challenge info is toward the bottom. At this time of Thanksgiving, please contribute what you can - it goes a long way! And I hope it is/was a VERY happy Thanksgiving for those who celebrate it. For those who don't, let's all give thanks for all we are given and give!

Please do read this whole report - there is a lot of VERY important information and I want you to be as informed as possible - it won't take but a few moments of your time. Thanks!!

1. Our 2012 Fall Activities:

• With the Kickstarter on-line fundraising through which we raised $10,000 in about 5 weeks, "Kelpie," which is at the hub of our Art as Advocacy Program and helps us generate community outreach, organizing, awareness-raising, education, and ACTION, came back to the U.S., to San Diego, to the 17th annual Institute for Violence Abuse and Trauma  Conference (IVAT) Conference. This play has been shown time and again to raise awareness and knowledge, and catalyze an intent to act as a result of opening both hearts an minds. As usual, the play in San Diego was a grand success, with our many colleagues raving about both the performances as well as the ability of the play to raise awareness and knowledge. This was our kick-off for the use of the play by others across the U.S. and internationally, through the stage or film (see further below) versions. As a result of the performance at the IVAT Conference, the play (or film) has been tentatively invited to Hawaii, as well as Australia, Iceland, and Japan, and there are on-going discussions about some European Isles. Watch the trailer. 
• Others are now gearing up for performing the play themselves. Stop the Silence is entering into an agreement with a university film group in West Virginia that will be touring the play with their own cast and the after-show performance, as well as the community organizing piece. This is a very exciting development for Stop the Silence, and begins to help others bring empowerment to many, many others around the nation and the world. If you or someone you know might be interested in working with us in this way, please contact me (Pamela Pine, ppine@stopcsa.org)
• As I reported last August, Matthew McVarish, playwright and actor, was working with award-winning director Edward M. Smith (and Matthew's brother) to bring Kelpie to the silver screen! We brought the film in pre-final edit to four university campuses over this past month (Indiana University, George Washington University, Emory University, and Cornell University) as the pilot for the expanding program (and then closed the tour by tabling at the Male Survivor Conference in NYC). As is true for the stage version, the film version with after-show presentation, talk-back, and Q-A session was hailed by all who saw it (we're just crunching the evaluation info now, but audience comments and a preliminary review of the evaluations identified enormous appreciation as well as learning).
• As a result of our involvements with universities, formal and informal "chapters" of Stop the Silence are forming (e.g., Stop the Silence at Indiana University). We are working with universities and community-based groups to raise awareness, and provide prevention and healing efforts through a community organization model.

2.  Upcoming work - continuing to Stop the Silence.

• The 10th annual Race to Stop the Silence is set for Sunday is set for April 14, 2013 (put it on your calendars), and is presenting with a shiny new image! Registration is open through Active.com. Other areas in the U.S. are also conducting the Race or Walk individually or as a part of the Innocence Revolution (e.g., Florida, California). Jeff Ruday is managing the event this year (Yeah!!) and Anni Dori PR is providing PR assistance (Yeah!!). Various corporate and community groups will be partnering in the effort (Yeah!!)
• AND, the Race to Stop the Silence this year will also be in Kenya (Nairobi) in partnership with the Child Aid Organization Kenya.
• The "Kelpie" is in final edit and will be done by January 2013 (and the film with subtitles in various languages will also be available soon) at which time there are already plans to take it and the after-show and community organizing effort to specific campuses in the U.S. as well as universities abroad, and through other organization's programming. If you or someone you know might be interested in bringing it to your campus, please contact me and Alan Horn (basicbus@gmail.com).
• Starting in May of 2013, Matthew McVarish will be conducting the "10,000 Mile Walk to Stop the Silence," bringing information to EVERY EUROPEAN UNION (EU) CAPITAL, plus Geneva and the three countries of the UK (31 nations in all).  The 10,000 Mile Walk to Stop the Silence will include media outreach, networking with relevant organizations, discussions with policymakers on age of consent and statute of limitations, development of networking products. 

3. Partnerships 

• Stop the Silence has entered into various partnerships in the past few months and additional ones are soon expected. The ones already established are with:
•      The Washington Redskins Alumni Association (more news on this coming soon - get ready to meet star football players at the Race and lot of other places, too!). If you'd like to be present at an upcoming Awards ceremony on Nov. 27, where the partnership will be acknowledged and meet a bunch of very famous Redskins while hearing the partnership announced, contact Alan Horn (basicbus@gmail.com) and me (ppine@stopcsa.org). Their Spring golf tournament will benefit Stop the Silence. If you want to play golf with some Redskins, contact me and Alan.
•      National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse of the National District Attorney's Association (NDAA), with which we are working both nationally and internationally to bring wrap-around programming, i.e., outreach and education, policy/advocacy work, training.
•      The Innocence Revolution. See www.theinnocencerevolution.org
•      Various universities and non-profit groups around the country to push forward wrap-around programming.

We Continue to Need Your Help!!  Here's the Challenge...

We're currently raising funds on three fronts in particular:

1. Race to Stop the Silence 2013
2. Matt's Big Walk
3. Overall community-based programming (in conjunction with university and community-basd groups).

We are looking to raise more than $500,000 over the next two quarters. If you can see your way to making on-going, monthly donations of whatever you can afford, that sure would help! All donations are tax-deductible through our safe  Global Giving page.

We really need you. If we all do a little, we can do a lot!!

Thank you all!!

Very Sincerely,

Pamela Pine, PhD, MPH, Founder, Stop the Silence

Hello, everyone... Time for a Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse update!  As usual, there's a lot that has happened in the last three months, and also a lot brewing. As I did in the last report, I'll summarize it, and also invite you to check out the links below as there's lots of additional, really interesting info within those. And, as I did formerly, I have a CHALLENGE for you!  Read on -- the Challenge info is toward the bottom.

1. Here are some of the activities that we've been up to this Summer - and what's happening over the next few months!:

• The Kickstarter on-line fundraising was a great success -- we raised $10,000 in about 5 weeks (thanks to all who helped make that happen!) and, as a result, in just a little over three weeks, "Kelpie" returns to the U.S., this time going to San Diego, at the 17th annual Institute for Violence Abuse and Trauma  Conference (IVAT) Conference. This will will be our national kick-off for the use of the play by others across the U.S. and internationally, through the stage or movie (see directly below) versions. Tickets are available for San Diego. Click here.  Show are on Sept. 8 and 9. Watch the trailer. 
• Over the past couple of months, we have been working on booking the brand new "To Kill A Kelpie" MOVIE (!!) and after-show discussions with Matthew McVarish (playwright and actor) and me at 3-5 universities in the U.S., to raise awareness and help catalyze action on university campuses. We are in final arrangements for three universities for the end of October and in November. If you would like to bring Kelpie to YOUR area university or college or to your alma mater, get in touch with me (ppine@stopcsa.org).
• The "Kelpie" film has been accepted into the Reel Affirmations Film Festival in November in D.C. If you're in the area, do try to catch it. Scheduling information should be available soon.  
• The 9th annual Race to Stop the Silence is set for Sunday is set for April 14, 2013 (put it on your calendars)!
• Our training and education programming have been gaining steam in the U.S., through churches, schools and other groups.
• Paul Zeitz, Special Advisor to Stop the Silence, and I are and others at Stop the Silence are moving forward with additional international programming through coordination with groups in other parts of the world. We're currently working on the development of programming in Kenya, Ghana, throughout the United Kingdom (and, indeed, the European Union), and other areas, too. We are also working with The Innocence Revolution to bring programming internationally. We'll keep you posted.

2. As I reported last time, Stop the Silence is heavily involved with the Stop Abuse Campaign. Read about the Campaign and take the pledge -- we will all benefit!

3. Some future work of Stop the Silence.

• We are planning LOTS more showings of the "Kelpie" movie in 2012 and beyond with after-screening discussions with each audience. Awareness raising and community mobilization efforts before and as a part of the program are a part of this effort. Planning is going on now. Contact George Zeigler at george@thehand.co
• Starting in May of 2013, Matthew McVarish will be conducting the "10,000 Mile Walk to Stop the Silence" to EVERY EUROPEAN UNION (EU) CITY. The 10,000 Mile Walk to Stop the Silence will include media outreach, networking with relevant organizations, discussions with policymakers on specific points of policy and policy change, and more. (Matt raised nearly $3,000 for Stop the Silence and the Moira Anderson Foundation in 2011 by walking from France to Spain. You can read all about his  harrowing and hysterically-told tale from the 2011 walk in his blog.)
• We are planning to expand our international presence -- as well as our national presence. We intend to increase awareness, training, and community education efforts. Get on the bus with us. We'll take you places (well, figuratively, in any case).
• In 2016, it's time for a ROAD TRIP!  Stop the Silence is planning a 50-state tour to bring messages of Awareness, Prevention, and Healing to all 50 states. We'll be reaching out to organizations present in each state, and looking for a couple of highly motivated and skilled individuals ("Sparks") in each state to help us plan and catalyze action. We'll keep you posted!

We Continue to Need Your Help!!  Here's the Challenge...

We're currently raising funds on two fronts in particular: for the next Race to Stop the Silence and for Matt's Big Walk in 2013. In the next six months, we need to raise at least $50,000. If you can see your way to making on-going, monthly donations of whatever you can afford, that sure would help! All donations are tax-deductible through our safe  Global Giving page.

We really need you. If we all do a little, we can do a lot!!

Thank you all!!

Very Sincerely,

Pamela Pine, PhD, MPH, Founder, Stop the Silence

Links:

• Ticket link to San Diego performances in Sept. 2012

Hello, everyone... Time for a Stop the Silence: Stop Child Sexual Abuse update!  There's SOOO much that's been going on as we focus on Awareness, Prevention and Healing!  I'll summarize it, and also invite you to check out the the links below as there's lots of additional, really interesting within those. Also, I have a CHALLENGE for you -- an important one!  Read on -- the Challenge info is toward the bottom.

1. Here are some of the activities that we've been up to this Spring - and what's happening over the next few months!:

• We not only brought To Kill a Kelpie back to the U.S., but brought it to none other than Off-Broadway in NYC (OMG!) with support from the prestigious organization of Creative Scotland, which, like our National Endowment for the Arts, is the government entity that funds a large body of highly promising and creative programs of merit. The experience was wonderful and invaluable and the feedback from the audience was excellent.
• The eighth annual international Race to Stop the Silence followed on the heals of Kelpie in NYC, and, as usual, the Race was INCREDIBLE, with about 1,000 registered, a picture-perfect day, wonderful prizes, great food, great press, etc. etc. etc. Pics of the Race are here (if you open up this as soon as you get it, not all the pics will be up yet, but a lot are and the rest will be soon): The 9th annual Race is set for Sunday, April 14, 2013 (put it on your calendars)!
• This coming September 2012, "Kelpie" returns to San Diego, at the 17th annual Institute for Violence Abuse and Trauma Conference (IVAT) Conference, which will be our national kick-off for the use of the play by others across the U.S. and internationally, through the stage or movie (see directly below) versions. 
• Since Matthew McVarish (the "Kelpie" playwright and actor) will here anyhoo in September 2012, over the next few months, we're going to be working on booking the brand new To Kill A Kelpie MOVIE (currently in the works and completed by July 2012) and after-show discussions with Matt and me at 5 universities in the U.S., to raise awareness and help catalyze action on university campuses. If you want to be the first on YOUR block (so to speak) to have the movie shown at university or alma mater, get in touch with me (ppine@stopcsa.org) 
• Paul Zeitz, Special Advisor to Stop the Silence, and I wrote and are moving forward with an internationally-oriented Child Sex Abuse (CSA) Free Zone Campaign (CSA Free Zone Campaign), which intends to catalyze and help sustain positive outcomes through a comprehensive approach that accelerates public awareness and education programs and simultaneously pushes forward reform and systemic change to address the factors that contribute to child sexual abuse, as well as the pervasive impact of violence on individuals and on communities. You'll be hearing more and more about this and the tactics that we'll use as a part of it as the months go by.

2. Teacher Training Petition. In response to the Penn State and Syracuse, and other, recent (and not-so-recent scandals, Stop the Silence took up a petition to urge the U.S. Congress to mandate training for teachers and other school related personnel so that they can understand and recognize child sexual abuse. We had set the goal originally at 10,000 signatures, but that was so quickly obtained that we raised the goal and then raised it and raised it again. A this writing, there are just under 80,000 signatures and the names of all those from the U.S. continue to be sent to Congress this coming week. We invite you to add your names to the list.

3. As I reported last time, Stop the Silence is heavily involved with the Stop Abuse Campaign. Read about the Campaign and take the pledge -- we will all benefit! 

Some plans for the upcoming years:

• Starting in the summer of 2013, Matthew McVarish will be conducting the "10,000 Mile Walk to Stop the Silence" to EVERY EUROPEAN UNION (EU) CITY. The 10,000 Mile Walk to Stop the Silence will include media outreach, networking with relevant organizations, discussions with policymakers on specific points of policy and policy change, and more. (Matt raised nearly $3,000 for Stop the Silence and the Moira Anderson Foundation in 2011 by walking from France to Spain. You can read all about his harrowing and hysterically-told tale from the 2011 walk in his blog.)
• We are planning LOTS more showings of the "Kelpie" movie in 2012 and beyond with after-screening discussions with each audience. Awareness raising and community mobilization efforts before and as a part of the program are a part of this effort.
• In 2016, it's time for a ROAD TRIP!  Stop the Silence is planning a 50-state tour to bring messages of Awareness, Prevention, and Healing to all 50 states. We'll be reaching out to organizations present in each state, and looking for a couple of highly motivated and skilled individuals ("Sparks") in each state to help us plan and catalyze action. We'll keep you posted!

We Continue to Need Your Help!!  Here's the Challenge...

We're currently raising funds to make sure all costs associated with the international kickoff for "Kelpie" in San Diego are covered. In the next four months, we need to raise $30,000. I'm asking for your help in raising $10,000 between now and August 31, 2012 -- and more if you can help us swing it (give whatever you can each month, ask your friends and family to donate, etc.)  All donations are tax-deductible through our safe Global Giving page.

We really need you. If we all do a little, we can do a lot!!

Thank you all!! 

Very Sincerely,

Pamela Pine, PhD, MPH, Founder, Stop the Silence

Hello, everyone!  I wanted to wish you all a very happy New Year!!  We are always happy about the work moving forward, and yet, this year, I'm sensing a real change afloat with regard to child sexual abuse awareness and our programming. We expect to be able to share some very exciting news with you all soon.

I also want to send you all an update now about the activities of Stop the Silence so that you're kept "in the loop." 

1. Primary Programming News. There is lots happening, as usual. Of course, there is the on-going work on some up-and-coming activities:

• Bringing To Kill a Kelpie back to the U.S. we expect to bring the play back in April to NYC (Off-Broadway) -- just waiting on that grant! -- and then, in September 2012, to San Diego (our national kick-off for the use of the play by others across the U.S. - at the Institute for Violence Abuse and Trauma Conference),
• We are reaching out to various universities and community-based groups in the U.S. and abroad to develop relationships and work with others so that they can adapt the play for their local communities and support CSA awareness, prevention, and healing efforts,
• Getting together the details for the Eighth Annual (can you believe it!?) Race to Stop the Silence on April 29, 2012 in Washington, D.C.

2. Teacher Training Petition. In response to the Penn State and Syracuse, and other, recent (and not-so-recent scandals, Stop the Silence took up a petition to urge the U.S. Congress to mandate training for teachers and other school related personnel so that they can understand and recognize child sexual abuse. We had set the goal originally at 10,000 signatures, but that was so quickly obtained that we raised the goal to 15,000. A this writing, there are 15,399 signatures and the names -- from people all over the world! -- are going to Congress this coming week. We invite you to add your names to the list.

3. Stop the Silence and its involvement in Major National Coalitions. We have been a part and also recently joined and are working with a few coalitions of organizations that are addressing the issue of child sexual abuse (CSA) together in the aftermath of the abuse scandals at Penn State, Syracuse University, and elsewhere, with a focus on comprehensive programming on CSA and other types of interpersonal violence. These coalitions include:

• The National Collaborative to Protect America’s Children
• The Stop Abuse Campaign, and
• The National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence

4.Matthew McVarish's Walk from Spain to France. Matthew McVarish, the playwright who wrote "Kelpie" (who also plays one of the brothers in the U.S. performances) walked for a week in October 2011 from Spain to France -- about 120 miles -- to raise awareness about CSA and raise funds for Stop the Silence and the Moira Anderson Foundation. In the process, Matt helped raise about $3,000!  You can read all about his harrowing and hysterically-told tale in his blog. He is planning a really long walk for 2012 all around the UK for the same purpose.

5. Report out on Awareness and Education Activities. Certainly, we continue to work to bring awareness and education through the media (e.g., ClearChannel Radio, Channel 9, through newspapers like the LA Times and various articles in The Washington Times (three articles - click on the words "The," (for the first article), "Washington" for Part 1, and "Times" for Part 2, for two other articles, which highlight general info and info about Kelpie and the Race), and through schools, houses of worship, and health fairs, like the upcoming NBC4 Health Fair in DC.

6. Board Report. I should add that our Board continues to grow with important expertise as a result...  In addition to individuals with important skills that we need, and representation from survivors, we have been diligently recruiting representation of those with major foundation and corporate experience and reach to help put Stop the Silence on even firmer footing.  All of the Board information is up on the Web site, www.stopcsa.org. A shout out to Mark Williams, Chair, for his tireless work on the organization's behalf!! 

And, while you're on the site, check out the beautiful and updated Survivors section!  There has definitively been a change over the past year or two; survivors -- men and women -- are speaking out in unprecedented numbers. We applaud and celebrate their bravery and healing!

We Continue to Need Your Help!! 

Unless societies throughout the world can face and address CSA, it will not be stopped. This year, we've continued to provide information to prevent CSA through classrooms, and community venues and events, and offer survivors and supporters a means to share information and healing directly through safe, creative and accessible venues. We bring CSA out of the shadows and into the light worldwide by providing a safe way for survivors to share their thoughts and experiences and reach others with such important information. Please help us continue to do this important work by making a tax-deductible donation now through our safe Global Giving page.

We really need you. If we all do a little, we can do a lot!!

Thank you all!! 

Very Sincerely,

Pamela Pine, PhD, MPH, Founder, Stop the Silence