HUTCHINSON, Kan. - Dynamic collaboration and strategic approaches are vital in prevention and intervention advocacy in the areas of domestic and sexual violence.
Volunteer work and activism with the Sexual Assault/Domestic Violence Center in my city has given me perspective that values the unity of community advocates in fighting to protect the rights of every person.
Advocacy cannot be submerged or made secondary to the goals of careerism, territoriality, or to the effort of maintaining status quo. We define our commitment as advocates as being a part of a movement to end oppression. This definition constitutes solidarity with other movements to end oppression, such as oppression based on race, gender, sexual orientation/preference, social class, economic status or minority.
Advocates at the SA/DVC collaborate directly with a wide range of representatives from agencies and institutions at city, county, state and national levels to support victims of domestic and sexual violence. We provide accessible resources and information to our community and educate the public regarding the consequences of violence and the prevention of violence. The effects of domestic and sexual violence on children or minors, which can be at the hand of someone on whom they are dependent, legally or literally, is a major concern to advocates.
We must support social change that challenges the surrounding culture of domination which reinforces the violence of domestic and sexual perpetrators. This includes support of other movements which aim to end the many forms of oppression in our society.
The primary thrust of our efforts must be to support victims as we aim to eradicate oppression and be in solidarity with those for whom we advocate.
We must approach our work critically through diverse strategies, focusing clearly on ourselves and our environment, toward an integration of each individual's subjective needs. Collaboratively, we can confront the realities of how we are different from each other, what divides us and what can reconcile us, so that we can participate in a radical, ongoing transformation of our advocacy for each person -- each child, teenager, woman, man, partner, parent and guardian.
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