Blog Against Sexual Violence Day 5 April 2007

Note: The 2008 event is scheduled for April 3. For details read the complete description.

On the national A Day To End Sexual Violence scheduled for April 5th, 2007, I will be coordinating a Blog Against Sexual Violence event. The goal is to get as many bloggers as we can to participate. It's not too late to join us.

The 2007 Sexual Assault Awareness Month campaign national slogan for this April is: Prevent Sexual Violence…in our communities.

This is an important area for survivors to participate in since for many people rape prevention equals lecturing victims or potential victims on what they did or are doing wrong.

Last year, Femivist hosted a Blog to raise awareness about sexual violence day on April 18, 2006. Even though that blog has now closed, having so many related posts on all those blogs on the same day shouldn't be a one-time event.

If you are willing to participate in the Blog Against Sexual Violence event on Thursday April 5, please write a post about this project on your blog with a link back here. That will help get the word out in the next month to those who don't normally post about sexual violence, but who do care about preventing sexual violence. (update: Your participating post with a link back here serves as your announcement.)

For those who don't know what to say, simply write a short post that tells rapists when they first should have made a different choice. Or give advice to those who witness a buddy edging dangerously close to rape or sexual exploitation. Or share your insight about red-flag behaviors from people who otherwise seem safe. Or post about some anti-violence event or service. Or review a book.

Sex crime victims and survivors have been bearing the greatest responsibility for rape prevention for far too long. If anyone needs to be educated on what they should do differently it is rapists and those who look the other way when someone near them steps over the line in their effort to make sexual contact.

If nothing else, you can post some resources such as:
RAINN
National Sexual Assault Hotline (US): 1.800.656.HOPE (1.800.656.4673)

As the date approaches, I will post more information and reminders about this event.

Update (4/5): Here is my post with the links to all the participants I know about. It's not to late to join this great list of bloggers. Just do a post and include a link to this post so I can find your entry and update the participant links.

To place the graphic above on your blog insert the following code:
<a href="http://abyss2hope.blogspot.com/2007/03/blog-against-sexual-violence-day-5.html"><img alt="Blog Against Sexual Violence logo" src="http://www.marcellachester.com/abyss2hope/basv2007.jpg" /></a>

Here's an alternate logo available for those who have been injured by sexual violence. (I took the idea of the purple heart and used teal which is the color used in the sexual assault awareness ribbons):


<a href="http://abyss2hope.blogspot.com/2007/03/blog-against-sexual-violence-day-5.html"><img src="http://www.marcellachester.com/abyss2hope/teal%20heart%20award.jpg" alt="Teal Heart Award logo" /></a>

Hat tip to Vegankid's efforts for the Blog Against Sexism Day on Thursday, March 8th, which reminded me of last year's rape awareness event.

Update: To help keep track of who has announced their participation, I'm including a couple of link searches. If you announce your participation and don't show up on either list, please contact me through a comment or private email (listed here on my profile) and I will add you to the blogroll I am creating which will include all known participants.

Technorati links to Blog Against Sexual Violence Day announcement

Google blog links to Blog Against Sexual Violence Day Announcement