Friday, September 21, 2007

Great Rally, Great March!


Over a hundred people gathered at Marianne's Park last night for the 20th Annual Take Back the Night in Guelph. A group of women from many different age groups, riding bicycles, rolling on wheelchairs marched through Downtown Guelph. Participants called for safe streets, safe homes, and a safe Guelph community.

Check out the Guelph Mercury article today! Thank you to all our volunteers and community partners.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Workshop Photos






















We'd like to thank our sponsor, OPIRG and the many participants of our Silkscreening 101 workshop last night at the OPIRG office. Many creations were made with TBTN themes. In these pictures you can see participants working at their patches and t-shirts. Look out for TBTN gear at the rally and march tomorrow.

And be sure to come by the OPIRG office (1 Trent Lane, off of College Avenue, behind Creelman Hall) for our Take Back the Night Sign Making Party, tonight! 5:30 PM). Thanks to CUPE local 1334 for providing us with poster board for our signs.

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

Store Displays in the Take Back the Night Spirit

The Bookshelf and On the Verge are "taking back the night" in their store windows. Be sure to stop by their storefronts downtown to see their creative Take Back the Night-themed displays.
On the Verge is at 112 Wyndham Street North, Guelph.
The Bookshelf is at 41 Quebec Street, Guelph.

Photos of the window displays coming to this site soon!

Friday, September 14, 2007

New Time for Silkscreening 101 Event

Silkscreening 101 - Make Your Own Take Back the Night Patch or T-shirt NOW AT 5 PM

Tuesday, September 18th
NEW TIME: 5 pm
OPIRG Guelph Office, 1 Trent Lane (Trent Lane and College Ave. Behind Creelman Hall)

Learn basic silkscreening and create your very own patch or t-shirt for the Take Back the Night Rally and March. Bring your creativity and ideas. Silkscreening and patch-making materials will be provided. Bring your own cotton t-shirt you'd like to silkscreen (optional but not required). All are welcome!

And don't forget about our Super Amazing TBTN Sign-Making Party (with snacks!)

Wednesday, September 19th
5:30 pm
OPIRG Guelph Office, 1 Trent Lane (Trent Lane and College Ave. behind Creelman Hall)

Make your own Take Back the Night sign, placard or banner to bring to the Take Back the Night Rally and March on the 20th. Fun art supplies and snacks will be provided. All are welcome!

Advance Media Release for Take Back the Night

Guelph Marks 20 Years of Take Back the Night, But Sexualized Violence Persists In Community

Thursday, September 20th, at 6 pm, Guelphites will gather at Marianne’s Park, to take part in a rally and march to raise awareness about sexualized violence against women and children. Women in Belgium started Take Back the Night in 1976. At the International Tribunal on Crimes Against Women, they walked at night in a group to demonstrate against the violence that pervades women’s lives. In Guelph, Take Back the Night has been happening for over 20 years. “Every individual must realise that violence against women affects the entire community, and it must stop,” says Sly Castaldi, Executive Director of Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis. “The existence of violence against women undermines the ability of our community to evolve and grow in a positive manner”.

In 2006, a record 927 domestic violence incidents were reported to Guelph Police—an average of 2.5 incidents per day. Since 1997, Guelph Police recorded an average of 620 domestic violence incidents each year. Ontario university campuses are still reeling from high-profile sexual assaults at Carleton and York Universities. Over the last 10 years, Guelph Police have received an average of 66 sexual assault complaints each year—an average amount of more than one complaint a week. However, the vast majority of sexual assaults will never be reported to the police.

The Take Back the Night rally will feature activities for children, crafts, and face painting. Anishnabeg Outreach members will be drumming and singing for the opening of the event. The speaker is Mary Lou Smoke, a cultural counselor with the Sisters in Spirit Campaign to raise awareness about the high rates of violence against Aboriginal women in Canada. “We invited Mary Lou Smoke to speak for our 20th commemoration of Take Back the Night in Guelph, because since 1987, approximately 500 Aboriginal women have gone missing in Canada,” explains Zhaleh Afshar, Public Educator at Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis. “The Sisters In Spirit Campaign and other groups like Amnesty International have noticed how little attention has been paid to these vanished women”.

Take Back the Night is coordinated by Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis, and several community partners and volunteer members, including the Ontario Public Interest Research Group, the Care and Treatment Centre for Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence of the Guelph General Hospital, and the Human Rights Office of the Central Students Association of the University of Guelph. For more information, please visit the Take Back the Night Guelph Blog at takebackthenightguelph.blogspot.com

Media Contact:
Zhaleh Afshar
Public Educator, Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis
(519) 826-4771 or (519) 836-1110
wiceducator@gwwomenincrisis.org Website: takebackthenightguelph.blogspot.com

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Silkscreening 101 and Sign Making Party!


New Events for Take Back the Night:

Silkscreening 101 - Make Your Own Take Back the Night Patch or T-shirt


Tuesday, September 18th
NEW TIME: 5 pm
OPIRG Guelph Office, 1 Trent Lane (Trent Lane and College Ave. Behind Creelman Hall)

Learn basic silkscreening and create your very own patch or t-shirt for the Take Back the Night Rally and March. Bring your creativity and ideas. Silkscreening and patch-making materials will be provided. Bring your own cotton t-shirt you'd like to silkscreen (optional but not required). All are welcome!


TBTN Sign-Making Party (with snacks!)


Wednesday, September 19th
5:30 pm
OPIRG Guelph Office, 1 Trent Lane (Trent Lane and College Ave. behind Creelman Hall)

Make your own Take Back the Night sign, placard or banner to bring to the Take Back the Night Rally and March on the 20th. Fun art supplies and snacks will be provided. All are welcome!

Friday, August 31, 2007

Why Marianne's Park?

Marianne's Park has been the site of Take Back the Night rallies and December 6th vigils for the past 14 years. Marianne's Park is on the Speed River, on busy Gordon Street in Guelph. In 1993, the park was dedicated to Marianne Goulden. Who was Marianne Goulden, and why was the park named after her?

Check out this article by Christine McDowell on the CitizenShift website. Sly Castaldi is now the Executive Director of Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis.

Calling All Volunteers


Take Back the Night Needs You!


Send an e-mail to wiceducator [AT] gwwomenincrisis [DOT] org with your name, phone number and what volunteer positions you are interested in. We welcome volunteers of all genders.

We are still looking for people to fill the following positions:

Before the event:

  • Postering
Day of September 20th:
  • Setup (arrive on site at Marianne's Park at 5 pm)
  • Take Down (help to clean up after the march, from approximately 8-9 pm)
  • Helping with crafts, sign-making and other fun activities, like Facepainting during the rally
  • Marshalls for the march (we need at least 10 of you to help guide people on the march route, a short training will be provided)
  • Handing out Glowsticks and Candles during the rally and the march
  • Chant Leaders for the rally and march
Let us know what interests you, or if you have any ideas for activities or skills that you'd like to put into Take Back the Night.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

It's Here! The Take Back the Night Poster!


You will be seeing Take Back the Night 2007 posters on the streets very soon. Posters are available for you to post in your organization, workplace, neighborhood or school.
To get copies of the poster or the Take Back the Night flyer (available in different sizes, black and white, and colour), please call (519) 826-4771.


Thank you to Candace Sepulis of www.ballyhoomedia.com for so generously donating her time for this project. Candace designed the poster and its illustration. Please visit her website for more examples of her work.


Monday, August 27, 2007

Getting Ready for September 20th

Take Back the Night is just around the corner. We hope you can join us!

20th Annual Take Back the Night
Thursday, September 20th

Rally at 6 pm
March begins at 7 pm
Marianne's Park
(Gordon Street, across the river from the Boathouse)

Everyone is welcome to participate in the rally.
Women and children are invited to participate in the march.
This is a trans-positive event.
Some parking is available nearby. Marianne's Park is accessible by public transit (#51 and #52 buses).

Our definition of "woman" is broad and inclusive. It embraces women who reject traditional notions of gender in their self-identity, including transgender women.

The march has a focus on women and children only, to demonstrate women's safety achieved only in numbers, and to look towards a future where women and children can feel safe walking the streets and in their own homes. Men are invited to attend the rally and other events in solidarity, to walk outside, alongside the march or assist with childcare and supporting other efforts (financial or otherwise) to help end violence against women.

For more information about the event, volunteering opportunities or if you are interested in helping out with planning, please call (519) 826-4771

Watch this blog for more details...