White Ribbon Night

White Ribbon Night

https://www.advancediversity.org.au/video/white-ribbon-night/

“I am more than proud and humbled to participate in this highly significant White Ribbon Night program. As a White Ribbon Male Advocate, I believe that we have more serious responsibility to contribute to the overall success and good will of the campaign”

Raju Manandhar, White Ribbon Male Advocate

Raju Manandhar is one of the eight newly graduated White Ribbon Male Advocates in the St George and Sutherland region from Nepalese, Bangladeshi and Chinese backgrounds who became community role models to champion the prevention of violence against women at our White Ribbon Night on Thursday 28 July 2016 at St John’s Anglican Church, Rockdale.

With the objective of changing attitudes for women to live a life free of violence, increasing knowledge on supportive community and legal systems and a better appreciation of respectful family relationships, ADS conducted various information sessions for women and men including the recruitment of these White Ribbon Male Advocates and the development of a Domestic Violence Male Advocates Tool.

White Ribbon Night is an annual event on the last Friday of July to raise awareness and funds to support an end to men’s violence against women. On this night, Australians are encouraged to have a Night in to Get the Word Out about the seriousness of violence against women and its prevention. More than 100 people participated in the White Ribbon Night event and Peterson Opio, Executive for Ambassador & Advocates Program of White Ribbon Australia presented Certificates to the White Ribbon Male Advocates and led the White Ribbon Oath with the audience.

A Domestic Violence Male Advocates Tool designed by the advocates was also launched. This tool was supported with additional designing cost contributed by Georges River Council.Say No to Violence

This event marked a new beginning for the White Ribbon Male Advocates in St George and Sutherland as they committed to respectful family relationships and to make a difference in their communities by encouraging them to stand up, speak out and act to prevent men’s violence against women.

ADS’s Settlement Services Program has a strong focus on family relationships for newly arrived migrants and refugees in the region and supports White Ribbon Australia in its community campaign to Say NO to Violence.

WRNight-Advocates-ADS-28July2016

Left to Right: Nepalese community male advocates (Churamani Belbase, Raju Manandhar and Bulson Lamgade); Bangladeshi community male advocate (Abul Kalam Azad); Chinese community male advocate (Zhengfeng Ren); White Ribbon Australia (Peterson Opio, Executive for Ambassador and Advocates); Chinese community male advocates (Zhengfeng Ren, Binglong Duan, Zhengzhe Chen, and Aihua Ji – representing Guoming Xia); White Ribbon Australia (Sunila Kotwal, Diversity and Inclusion Manager); and Advance Diversity Services (Litsa Nossar, Chairperson).