New Business: VPI

The Gender Relations Center has started a Violence Prevention Initiative(VPI) this year that has put together several events throughout the semester.

The goals of VPI are to:

1) raise awareness about violence in the local community,
2) increase understanding about global violence,
3) promote the healing of survivors of violence,
4) raise funds for local non-profit agencies invested in violence prevention and service to survivors, and
5) serve as a flagship for violence prevention at other Catholic colleges and universities.

I am a member of on a subcommittee within VPI responsible for planning a VPI festival that we are going to have at the end of the year.  What that means for me is weekly meetings at the GRC with the rest of my committee to brainstorm, plan, and organize for the festival. Right now, I’m not really able to give away any more information, but hopefully the festival will turn out to be a great event.

Other events VPI has put together include a dinner featuring a panel of students and faculty to discuss sexual assault, and a writing workshop for writers to explore issues of gender and violence.