The Empowerment Project Collection

Call for Submissions: The Empowerment Project Collection

The Program: The Empowerment Project is a unique and interactive three day program focusing on the realities of sexual assault and dating violence. The goal of The Empowerment Project is to give youth an in-depth understanding of these issues and help them to understand how to replace harassment and violence with healthy relationships and effective communication skills. On the final day of the workshop, students read narratives/look at visuals created by a variety of people who have been affected by these issues. The narratives utilized in the Empowerment Project are often utilized in DVSAS volunteer training and at some community events.

Who should submit: Anyone impacted by violence, and let’s face it, that’s all of us in one way or another. Individuals who have experienced violence directly, whether physical, emotional, and/or sexual, and the allies who struggle with watching our loved ones experience such trauma. Submissions can include instances where an attitude was shared through a comment, joke, or gesture, how that situation was dealt with (silence, confrontation, etc.), and explore the impact it had on those involved.

Men – there has been a request from program participants to hear more stories from men. Please help fulfill this request. Perhaps you have experienced or witnessed forms of abuse. This is more common than you would think as 1 in 6 men are sexually assaulted – any unwanted sexual contact - before the age of 18. Was there an instance where you were impacted by the abuse a partner experienced in a previous relationship? Have you struggled with the male gender construct to always pursue sexual activity although you didn’t want to? Maybe you stepped in when someone was being harassed, or told a joke that perpetuated the acceptance of violence or gender inequalities. Male participants would really like to hear examples of men standing up to other men.

Guidelines for inclusion: Written work has a maximum of 250 words. Please proofread your work as I am not comfortable censoring or altering one’s experience after it is submitted.
Narratives can briefly describe the situation/event(s) that occurred, but the focus should be the emotional/physical impact the event had on the individual’s life. Visual submissions should be two dimensional and approximately 24” x 40.”
How to submit: It is your choice whether or not to include your name with your piece. Some do, some don’t. It is entirely up to you. If you would like to submit anonymously, please send or drop off your submission at 1407 Commercial St. Bellingham, WA 98225 Attn: Zara Stevens If anonymity is not required, written narratives can be emailed to zstevens@dvsas.org or call 671-5714 to arrange to have your piece picked up. While I accept pieces on a continuous basis, I would like a new selection of pieces for the upcoming school year; therefore, the deadline for submissions is Wednesday, September 15, 2010.

Questions?: Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any questions or would like an example of a narrative that is currently used in the Empowerment Project. All communication is confidential. Participating in this creative process can bring forth some buried emotions or memories. I admire anyone with the courage and strength to speak about their experience and am here to support you through this process.