Survivors at City Hall

Updated 7:43am 11/25

PRESS RELEASE – November 25, 2007 - City Talks about Violence

Lansing Officials Talk with Survivors and Advocates to Prevent Violence Against Women

Upcoming Lansing City Council Committees are scheduled to discuss preventing violence against women with survivors and advocates at City Hall's tenth-floor conference room. Public comment is scheduled at the beginning of these committee meetings, and individuals may speak up to three minutes.

On Thursday November 29, at 1:30pm, Committee of the Whole meets with survivors Andy Field, community activist and Eastside resident; and Deena Tyler, a former self-defense trainer and an invited artist at EVE's domestic violence candlelight vigil in 2006 and 2007.

On Wednesday, December 5, at 2pm, the Public Safety Committee meets with Cindie Alwood from the Women's Center of Greater Lansing; and Chris Singer, a survivor currently working for the Michigan Peace Team, and formerly with Sexual Assault Services of Calhoun County and the Prostitution Round Table of Grand Rapids.

For details about these events, visit The Women Writers blog or email deyofthephoenix[at]hotmail.com.

WHY ARE THESE TALKS HAPPENING?

Great question! And there are a couple of answers...

#1 City Council Members suggested to schedule this kind of discussion format back in September as we spoke about safety and preventing violence against women. Specifically, Cm. Bill Matt (Ward 3) suggested Public Safety, and Cm. Wood (At-Large) suggested Committee of the Whole.

#2 From my conversations with Council Members in September, I learned that at least three Cms. had not sought out survivors of violence for input about safety policy making. So the survivors are coming to City Hall to share perspectives informed by firsthand experiences about how to prevent other women from being violated by violence.

#3 Generating public awareness about preventing violence against women is recommended by the Michigan Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence through their publication A Vision for Prevention: Key Issues and Statewide Recommendations for the Primary Prevention of Violence Against Women in Michigan (2003).