Keeping Things Simple
Our number one task is to raise local awareness, and that may take some time. First we must get ourselves and our community to be more aware of domestic violence (sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of children, women, and also men), rape, and interpersonal violence. If everyone who reads our flyer tells other people to wear purple ribbons, some day everyone will be wearing purple ribbons. Lawmakers will hear our voices.
• Avoid all temptations to use the purple
ribbon symbol for other reasons, i.e. political violence.
• Groups or individuals may have various reasons for joining the
campaign. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse have different reasons
than parents whose child was killed in a school shooting incident, for
example. All should be welcomed.
• Following the kickoff event, meetings can be held infrequently.
Keep the focus on the display of ribbons. Individual members can join
any of the state or national organizations that more specifically address
their particular reason for displaying a purple
ribbon, but keep The International
Purple Ribbon Project focused on the awareness and the
ribbons.
Kickoff Events
Once you have had a few meetings, local political, business, religious
and civic leaders have been contacted, and an initial run of ribbons
and flyers has been assembled, you are ready to have a public event
to “kickoff” the campaign, i.e. a picnic or barbecue, a
press conference, or focus on civic or religious occasions to distribute
ribbons. Your first event should be POSITIVE and PUBLIC. The IPRP
is not just about focusing on past pain. It is also about preparing
a safe future.
Getting and Maintaining Support
Enthusiasm and commitment is essential in recruiting support, keeping
people informed and involved, and expanding the reach of the IPRP.
It is most important to stay focused on our local efforts. If we can’t
get people in our own town, state, or province to wear purple ribbons,
we can’t expect our nations to join us. Ask for help from small
businesses or schools. They can copy the flyers, buy their own ribbons,
display them, and answer the inevitable questions. The important thing
is to stick with it.
Individually you can write your congress persons or senators, join a
movement to reduce violence in the media, join a gun restriction group,
be a volunteer victims assistance counselor, become a child rights advocate,
or whatever else fits your desires, interests, strengths, and abilities.
The first step is AWARENESS. Once people have KNOWLEDGE, then they can
ACT.
GOOD LUCK IN ALL YOUR EFFORTS!
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