CUNY-wide Sexual-Assault Policy Public Forum

We need YOUR help

Wednesday, April 29, 1pm – 3pm, HW 603
To view the policy visit: http://cunypolicy.blogspot.com/


Direction to Hunter College: 695 Park Avenue | Take 6 train to 68th Street/the West building is on the southwest corner


If you cannot make the forum, email comments to the blog, contact wrc-usg@hunter.cuny.edu or
stop by The Women’s Rights Coalition clubroom at TH 309

*****ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT, IF NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT PROJECT THE WOMEN'S RIGHTS COALITION & YOU WILL BE INVOLVED WITH IN COLLEGE.****

Did you know CUNY does not have a university-wide sexual assault policy?
You can help change that. We are in a historical time because a task force has been assembled with CUNY faculty, staff, administration, Public Safety & students to create this policy, which WILL go into effect next year for all 450,000 students.

****1/4 WOMEN IN COLLEGE WILL BE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED AT LEAST ONCE. PLEASE COME AND SHOW THE TASKFORCE STUDENTS CARE ABOUT THIS IMPORTANT TOPIC****

Make it a policy that reflects YOUR voice. Come to a public forum & tell the taskforce what you want to see on the policy. In attendance: Vice Chancellor of Legal Affairs for all of CUNY & other taskforce members, including women's rights coalition pres. Jerin Alam. FREE Food!

****WHAT WE WILL BE ADVOCATING FOR********
1. Mandatory prevention education, without which the policy will be uselss
(not having mandatory education, and only holding voluntary workshops will attract the people who probably don't need those workshops to begin with. Most people will not think of this until it's too late.)
2. anonymous reporting, found in the good campus policies in other schools

Posted by,
Jerin Alam
National NOW Young Feminist Task Force
National Organization for Women (NOW)

Radio Show about our recent event

Hi everyone,

I will be on the radio tomorrow to discuss the recent anti-violence workshop we organized, called bringing in the bystander, in which public safety trainers from CUNY Central - as well as rape crisis counselors from around the city - were trained in violence prevention. There will be a taped interview with the facilitator of the training, but the show will be live. You can call in and ask questions if you like on 866 472 5787. Hope you can tune in to this important topic. Thank you.

http://www.modavox.com/voiceamerica/vepisode.aspx?aid=37678
CrimePrevention 101
Bringing in the Bystander: Everyone has a Role to Play in Preventing Violence
In 1964, the gruesome sexual assault and murder of 28-year old Kitty Genovese was committed right outside her apartment building in a suburb of NYC. What made this crime even more horrific was that the attack lasted over a half hour (with the assailant coming back three times to stab the victim) AND that it was witnessed by 37 of her neighbors who shut their eyes and ears and did nothing to intervene—not even calling the police. The slaying of Kitty Genovese has become a metaphor for what is known as the Bystander Effect—the tendency of observers of a crime to remain uninvolved. This week, Crime Prevention Specialist Susan Bartelstone talks with Professor Robert Eckstein, from the University of New Hampshire, who teaches college students how, as bystanders, they can safely engage in sexual violence prevention on college campuses, and with Hunter College student Jerin Alam, who’s trying to bring this curriculum to all the schools in the City University system of New York.


Sincerely,
Jerin Alam
NOW National Young Feminist Task Force

President
Hunter Women’s Rights Coalition (HWRC)

Help Free American woman wrongly imprisoned in Peru

Please spend 2 minutes of your time and call to free this woman, wrongly imprisoned for 14 years in Peru. There are many reasons we should care for her release. Aside from the human rights issues, Lori is a feminist who helped imprisoned Peruvia women behind bars. Her mother, Rhoda Berenson, was an adjunct at Hunter College. Please call.

From Mark and Rhoda Berenson – Now that President Obama has settled into office, it is time for us to put a concerted effort into enlisting his help in securing Loris release.

Wrongfully imprisoned in Peruvian hellholes, Lori has now served 13 years and five months of her 20-year sentence. She has been a model prisoner, and she is eligible for conditional liberty in November, 2010. However, given the precarious nature of her health and the forthcoming birth of her baby, we will be urging President Obama and Secretary of State Clinton to secure Lori’s immediate release.

Background.

Lori is in her eighth month of pregnancy and very excited and busy preparing for the birth. Unfortunately the pregnancy has exacerbated her back pain and she expects to have back surgery as soon as appropriate after the baby is born.

1-Please call the White House hotline operator, 202-456-1111. Tell the hotline operator that you would like President Obama to secure the release of Lori Berenson who has been wrongfully imprisoned in Peru for more than 13 years and whose health is precarious.

2-Please contact Secretary of State Clinton. For your convenience a letter for you to print and sign appears on the recently updated www.freelori.org website.

Send your letter to:

The Honorable Hillary Rodham Clinton
Secretary of State
US Department of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20510
202-647-4000
202-647-6575

Mark and Rhoda Berenson
berenson@freelori.org

English Website: www.freelori.org
Spanish Website: www.lorilibre.org

Posted by:
Jerin Alam
National NOW Young Feminist Task Force
President, Hunter Women’s Rights Coalition (HWRC)

Charity Comedy Event to benefit Indian Women

I hope you will please attend the following charity event. Have a fun time while helping Indian women.


The event is on Friday April 3rd at 8pm.
Contact:
Tina Sawaya
Assistant Director of Marketing and Sales
Times Square Arts Center
669 8th Ave
New York, NY 10036
Cell: 949-533-9196
tina.sawaya@yahoo.com
www.timessquareartscenter.com

From Times Square Arts Center:

We have a benefit comedy show on Friday at the Times Square Arts Center where the proceeds of the ticket sales are benefiting a Non-Profit Organization called 1Well. Their website is www.1well.org. Their mission is provding basic human rights to people worldwide. The basic rights they focus on is: food, water, housing, sanitation and education. The proceeds of this event will go to Nonka, India and will provide a water well for the village. It will allow the women of that village to not have to travel 3-4 hours a day just to get drinking water.

Posted by: Jerin Alam NOW National Young Feminist Task Force President Hunter Women’s Rights Coalition (HWRC)

Victory: City Council Passes Clinic Access Bill!!

On this gloomy day, I thought I would give you some good news to cheer you up.


From Planned Parenthood NYC:

Great News! Yesterday, the New York City Council passed Introduction 826-A, legislation to protect women's access to reproductive health care facilities. As health care providers and advocates, we were proud to stand with Speaker Quinn and the New York City Council in support of this bill.

Intoduction 826-A (aka "the Clinic Access Bill") strengthens current law to better safeguard women who are faced with harassment and other hostile acts as they enter and exit local reproductive health care centers.

To learn more about why the Clinic Access Bill is so important to PPNYC read this opinion piece by Haydee Morales, Vice President of Education and Training at Planned Parenthood of New York City.

Questions? Feel free to contact us at activists@ppnyc.org.

Keep up the good fight in 2009!

Melissa

Posted by:
Jerin Alam,
NOW National Young Feminist Task Force

President
Hunter Women’s Rights Coalition (HWRC)

THF: Quick Hit - Good News from Iowa!

Iowa Court Says Gay Marriage Ban is Unconstitutional

Any more reasons to party, and we're holding a week-long carnival.

via NYTimes