The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it. - Albert Einstein

Not too long ago, I posted a press release for Green Dot Week and, this Wednesday, I decided to attend a Green Dot talk at Innis to learn more.

I’d first like to mention how impressed I was with the presenter, Cheryl. Incorporating personal experiences with violence to show how the Green Dot may actually be applied to everyday life, she also illustrated that the person doing the hurting is not necessarily the only one with a choice to make.

If you didn’t read the press release, you’re probably wondering what the heck the Green Dot is. Here’s a brief summary:

The Green Dot initiative focuses on ending act of power-based personal violence – Red Dots – which include partner violence, sexual violence, or stalking, through the use of the three Ds. As written on the postcard I received at the talk, the three Ds are:
Direct: ’If you think someone you know could be in an abusive relationship, tell them you’re concerned.’
Distract: ‘If you see someone trying to isolate someone else who has been drinking heavily, find an excuse to get that person safely out of the situation.’
Delegate: ’If you’re concerned for someone’s safety, but it feels dangerous to intervene, get other people to help, including security or police if necessary.’
(Please note that not all Ds will be appropriate for every situation – it’s up to you to decide which one will work best.)
The Green Dot initiative also works to support survivors and create a culture less tolerant of violence.

There’s a certain stigma when it comes to talking about violence. Yes, violence can be difficult to talk about, but it needs to be addressed if we ever want to see a world without it. Cheryl noted that you may need to overcome some personal obstacles, social/peer pressure, and/or the bystander effect (assuming that another person is going to deal with the problem), in order to work up the courage to put the Green Dot initiative into action. But you know what? In putting the Green Dot to work, not only could you be protecting someone from a dangerous situation, you could also be letting them know that you care about their wellbeing. In doing so, the Green Dot makes violence more visible, and offers survivors a sense of hope that they don’t have to suffer in silence.

I fully support this initiative, and I wear my Green Dot button to serve as a constant reminder of my duty to put the Green Dot to work and put an end to violence.

Are you interested in learning more? Check out Green Dot’s official website or Facebook Page, or attend the talk on January 24. Also, Green Dot is offering Green Dot Bystander Training Days, which are taking place on the following days:
January 28, 2012 at UTM
February 4, 2012 at St. George
Reading Week – All Campuses
Each training days will offer a full day of skills development and, at the end of the day, participants will receive a certificate of completion.

So, what’s your Green Dot going to be?

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 21st, 2012 at 9:00 am and is filed under Events, Philanthropy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.