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Save the date of June 7th: You're invited to The Voices and Faces Project benefit party! We hope you'll join us at “Turn it Around: Uniting to Create Change,” a June 7th party benefiting The Voices and Faces Project and World Bicycle Relief, 8 - 10 pm at Lee Tracy Studio (855 West Blackhawk Street, Chicago). Fun, informal and full of surprises, "Turn It Around" will feature a silent auction of art and photography, limited edition"Certaintees" t-shirts, and special performances from "The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One," the benefit cd recently featured on Public Radio. Right-this-moment food designer Amanda Morrison will be creating a custom menu of treats for your eating pleasure. Suggested event donation: $40 per person. For details or questions, email media@voicesandfaces.org. | ||||
Cleveland Plain Dealer Runs Powerful Series on Rape The Cleveland Plain Dealer devoted 16 pages in its Sunday paper May 4 to an article by one of its reporters, who recounted quite powerfully the impact of her rape experience over time. The article itself is well worth reading. And we encourage you to write to the editors at the Plain Dealer with your thoughts. We believe that our feedback can encourage the paper to continue to tackle the subject of sexual violence and discuss survivors' truths that have been hidden for too long. To read the article: http://www.cleveland.com/beyondrape/index.ssf | ||||
Make your voice heard: Let Congress know that providing funeral honors to veterans convicted of rape dishonors other veterans, and trivializes crimes of sexual violence. "Jenny's Law" (U.S. House Resolution 5564) is named after Voices and Faces Project participant Jenny Bush. "Jenny's Law" will deny military honors burials to veterans convicted of the most violent sex crimes. The bill, which is currently in the hands of the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, needs your support to become law. The background: Jenny Bush and twelve other women and children across five western states were raped by serial predator James Allen Selby. Selby was eventually captured and convicted in 2005 on 27 counts including attempted murder. On the day Selby was to be sentenced, he hung himself in his jail cell. Despite his crimes, and in accordance with current US military burials policy, Selby was buried with full military honors in Fort Sill National Cemetery. What we need from you: You can help insure that this never happens again. Call Chairman Bob Filner of the House Veteran’s Affairs Committee at 202-225-8045. Ask Chairman Filner to schedule a hearing on HR 5564 and send it to the House floor. Your voice, and your phone calls, count. Please call today. To read Anne K. Ream's LA Times op ed on "Jenny's Law" visit: http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/la-oe-ream23jan23,0,5669391.story?coll=l | ||||
Anne K. Ream to receive Soroptimist International "Making a Difference for Women" Award in Taipei, Taiwan In July, 2008, Soroptimist International, a non-governmental organization at the United Nations that works to insure women's rights, human rights, peace, and international goodwill, will award our founder, Anne K. Ream, its "International Making a Difference for Women Award." With over 95,000 members and 2500 chapters in 120 countries and regions, Soroptimists are working to improve the lives of women and girls in our world's most vulnerable regions. We are honored that Anne has been selected to receive this award, and moved by the important work that this international organization is doing to improve the lives of women across the globe, and here at home. Citing Anne's essays and opinion pieces on women's issues, her work with "The Voices and Faces Project," and her role in co-producing, in partnership with Burn and Shiver Records, The Voices and Faces Project Volume I, an indie rock cd, the decision makers at Soroptimist said "Anne Ream has initiated a variety of innovative efforts to raise awareness of violence against women and girls. Her passion to change the cultural status quo continues to take new forms. She believes that in order to win battles on behalf of women we need to win the 'culture war' -- and change the nature of the dialogue on women's issues. Anne has worked in extraordinary ways to benefit women and girls, and for that we honor her." To find out more about Soroptimist International, visit: http://www.soroptimist.org | ||||
Author Jamie Kalven explores race, class and sexual violence for the Chicago Tribune At the invitation of Chicago Tribune columnist Dawn Trice, Jamie Kalven -- an author, activist and Voices and Faces Project adviser -- has contributed an essay to "Exploring Race," a new section on the Tribune's website. In his just-published Chicago Tribune piece, Jamie addresses issues of race, class and sexual violence, writing thoughtfully about the rape of his partner, Patricia Evans, and challenging us to re-think accepted male responses to sexual violence. To read more, click here. We urge you to visit the site and to engage with it by commenting on Jamie's piece. And we commend Dawn Trice, the creator of the "Exploring Race" series. As Jamie has stated, "Dawn and her colleagues at the Tribune are working to create the conditions for a robust conversation (on race). The vitality of that conversation will depend on the quality of our participation." With that, please log on and weigh in. Your thoughts and responses matter, and serve as an important reminder to the Tribune that initiatives like "Exploring Race" have the support of our community. | ||||
Anne K. Ream and R. Clifton Spargo on "Prostitution Chic" for the Chicago Tribune. Too often, people talk about prostitution as a "victimless" crime. We -- and most advocates for survivors of sexual violence -- disagree. In the Chicago Tribune's 4/27 Perspective cover story -- "Prostitution looks chic, but truth is ugly" -- writers Anne Ream and R. Clifton Spargo explore how the media glamorizes prostitution, moving it out of the oppression camp and into the "sexual self-expression" camp. They argue that this is part of a broader trend: the portrayal of women working in the sex trade as unharmed by, or benefiting from, this work. The reality is very different: prostitution is damaging to women working in the sex trade, and the men who hire them. The perception that women who enter into prostitution—most of them poor, under-aged, and victims of sexual or domestic violence—have as much agency as their "johns" is only one of the myths about prostitution that Anne and Cliff challenge in their Chicago Tribune story. To read the 4/27 Chicago Tribune Perspective cover story, click here. To share your thoughts on the article with the editors of the Chicago Tribune, email perspective@tribune.com. | ||||
April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month. A big "thank you" to TVFP members who are speaking out. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and members of TVFP are out in full force. Our survivor-participants are speaking out on campuses that include Georgetown University, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, and Wheaton College. And we're heading to cities and towns in a half dozen states to talk about why violence against women matters to all of us. "When survivors choose to go public it can make a real difference in how others see victims of sexual violence. Sharing our stories in a public forum is one way that we are telling the world what sexual assault and rape cost victims, families and communities. It takes tremendous courage to speak out in front of hundreds or even thousands of people, and we are proud of the survivors who have chosen to do so," notes Aimee Bravo-Noffsinger, our Director of Social Entrepreneurship. Special thanks to Kate Hnida, Erin Merryn, Karen Carroll, Tory Bowen, Nikki Albrecht, Tracey Stevens, and Katie Feifer, who are speaking out during Sexual Assault Awareness Month. To find out more about our speakers bureau, or to secure a speaker for your upcoming event, please contact Katie Feifer at speakers@voicesandfaces.org. | ||||
Our partners at The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation present the play "Body and Sold." See you on opening night! The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE) and the Center on Halsted will be presenting the play "Body and Sold" April 27th - May 1st at the Center on Halsted. Each year, thousands of children run away from home, many fleeing abusive situations. Often they become trapped in the cycle of drugs, prostitution and violence. "Body and Sold" tells their stories, and serves as an important reminder that poverty, prostitution and sexual violence are often linked. "Supporting artists who confront violence against women is an important part of our mission at The Voices and Faces Project," notes TVFP founder Anne Ream. "'Body and Sold' is creatively compelling, socially important and an important reminder that artists have the power to open our eyes to the injustices around us. We applaud our friends at CAASE and the actors, writers and survivors engaged in this project." For more information, or to make reservations, contact the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation at reservations@caase.org. To find out more about The Voices and Faces Project and the other creative initiatives we support, email: outreach@voicesandfaces.org. | ||||
Not a victimless crime: Join us for a May 7 discussion about why prostitutiton is harmful for those selling sex, and those buying it. In the current debate about the sex trade, two communities have been largely silent: the young women working in prostitution and the men who hire them. A new Chicago-area study, funded by the Chicago Foundation for Women and developed in collaboration with the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority, was directed by DePaul University scholar (and Voices and Faces Project research adviser) Jody Raphael. A second study, in which male customers who purchased sex were interviewed, was completed by The Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CASE). The results of these two studies, which will be presented and discussed on May 7th, are an important reminder that prostitution is not a victimless crime, but one that is dangerous and damaging to all involved. These studies also reinforce a truth too often ignored: almost all women working in the sex trade have a history of sexual or domestic abuse. We at The Voices and Faces Project commend Jody and our allies at CASE for their work, and encourage our supporters to attend the panel discussion from 9:30 - 11:30 am on Wednesday, May 7 at the DePaul Club at DePaul Center. The DePaul Club is located on 333 South State Street, on the 11th Floor. The event is free. | ||||
TVFP and its faith-based outreach program heads to Wheaton College on April 17th The Voices and Faces Project (TVFP) is a non-partisan organization committed to speaking out about violence against women, and reaching out to diverse communities. This includes communities of faith. According to Katie Feifer, who directs TVFP's research efforts and administers our interactive survivor survey, victims of sexual violence often turn to their churches, synagogues and mosques for help. TVFP founder Anne Ream notes: "Engaging in a dialogue with faith-based communities is an important way that we further our goal of supporting survivors of sexual violence. Those of us engaged in TVFP's faith-based outreach project believe that we can challenge the cultural and religious attitudes that sometimes contribute to violence against women, while recognizing that religious communities play an important role in the healing of individual survivors. Faith-based communities have long been engaged in the human right and social justice struggle. It's time for us to more effectively engage religious leaders and laypeople in the fight to end violence against women." As part of our faith-based outreach program, Anne Ream will be speaking to the Wheaton College Christian Feminists Club on April 17th, 2008. To find out more about Anne's talk, or to secure a speaker for your own faith-based organization, email speakers@voicesandfaces.org. | ||||
Help us make a difference: The Voices and Faces Project is seeking Chicago-area volunteers. The Chicago-based Voices and Faces Project team is looking for volunteers for our events and development committee. If you have experience in marketing, media or development -- or if you are simply someone willing to roll up your sleeves and work hard -- we want to hear from you. The Voices and Faces Project is a volunteer-driven organization so this is your chance to make a real difference for survivors (and to work with some terrific women and men). We will begin planning our summer benefit in April. Send us your volunteer application and we will get back to you asap. To meet our team, visit: http://www.voicesandfaces.org/about_team.asp If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, click here to fill out a volunteer application and send it to xiomy@voicesandfaces.org | ||||
TVFP's Katie Feifer and Anne Ream to speak at 2008 End Violence Against Women International Conference From March 31st - April 2nd, End Violence Against Women International will bring together law enforcement, policymakers, prosecutors, victim advocates, medical personnel and members of faith-based communities for "The Good, the Bad, and How to Make it Better: Exploring Media Coverage of Sexual Assault." This three day conference, which will be held in New Orleans, will provide a forum for exploring the ways that paid and unpaid media, both mainstream and new, shape attitudes about violence against women. Our founder, Anne K Ream, and our research director, Katie Feifer, will both be speaking. We believe that the media is a driving force in our culture. Finding ways to bring survivor testimony to the attention of the public is important, and advocates must work more effectively with those in the mainstream and 'new' media to do so. This is a critical part of our mission at TVFP, so we are pleased that Katie and Anne will be representing us at the conference. Here's to a great three days of dialogue! To register for EVAW's three day conference, visit: evawintl.org | ||||
"Jenny's Law" introduced in the House of Representatives. We salute TVFP participant Jenny Bush, and thank our public policy team for their work. The Voices and Faces Project (TVFP) public policy team recently traveled to Washington, DC to lobby for "Jenny's Law," a bill that will prevent Veterans convicted of serious sex crimes from receiving military honors at burial. In partnership with RAINN, End Violence Against Women International, and Steve Bush -- the father of TVFP participant Jenny Bush -- our team made the case for a change in federal policy -- and we were heard! "Jenny's Law" was introduced in the US House of Representatives by Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) on March 12. US Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) will introduce "Jenny's Law" in the Senate in the weeks ahead. We salute Jenny for her courage, thank her father Steve for his action, and encourage you to call or email your representative in support of "Jenny's Law." To read TVFP Founder Anne Ream's Los Angeles Times column on military-based sexual assault and the need for "Jenny's Law," visit: latimes.com | ||||
Jody Raphael on the false reporting of rape: A journal of Violence Against Women feature In the March 2008 issue of the journal of Violence Against Women, Jody Raphael -- a Senior Research Fellow at the DePaul University College of Law, and an adviser to TVFP -- reviews Until Proven Innocent: Political Correctness and the Shameful Injustices of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case, a book authored by K.C. Johnson and Stuart Taylor. In "The Duke Lacrosse Case: Exploiting the Issue of False Rape Accusations," Raphael does not question Johnson and Taylor's indictment of the prosecution of the case. Instead she challenges the broader conclusions the authors draw about false rape claims. In a careful review of the data used by Taylor and Johnson to support their assertion that up to 50% of rape claims are false, Raphael identifies inaccuracies, inconsistencies and a reliance on inconclusive studies. She also makes a compelling case that police inaction in rape cases poses a greater threat to public safety and individual rights than do false rape accusations. Those who care about civil liberties and social justice must look closely at the events in North Carolina, while challenging the broader conclusions about false reporting drawn by Johnson and Taylor. US Department of Justice Studies show that rape remains our most underreported, as opposed to falsely reported, crime. Many prosecutors remain hesitant to take on rape cases, even when presented with compelling evidence. Fueling myths about the prevalence of false reporting will do much to silence victims. Raphael's reasoned review of Until Proven Innocent is an important reminder of that. To read "The Duke Lacrosse Case: Exploiting the Issue of False Rape Accusations," click here. | ||||
Dr. Charlotte Pierce-Baker, founding member of TVFP, gives keynote address at DePaul University Law School.
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Anne Ream in the LA Times, our public policy team on Capitol Hill, and More The 1/23 edition of the Los Angeles Times features an essay by our founder, Anne K. Ream. In "Conduct Unbecoming" Anne explores how the United States military responds to the violence against women committed by men in its ranks. An excerpt: "It is tempting, and far too easy, to maintain that the military exists in a realm separate from — and at times unaccountable to — the civilian world. We tell ourselves that the actions of the warrior, and the moral ambiguities demonstrated by soldiers who have gone to battle on our behalf, cannot be understood by, or subject to the laws that govern, the rest of us. But the policies our military establishes to respond to violence against women are not merely abstractions. They are expressions of the military’s values, and our own." To read the full article, log onto: www.latimes.com In other news, our public policy team traveled to Washington, DC last week to lobby for "Jenny's Law," a bill that will prevent Veterans convicted of the most serious sex crimes from receiving military honors at burial. Rep. John Shadegg (R-Ariz.) and Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) will introduce "Jenny's Law" in the House and Senate in the weeks ahead. The bill is named for Jenny Bush, a participant in The Voices and Faces Project. We salute Jenny for her courage, and encourage you to call or email your representative in support of the bill. | ||||
Join Us at an Important Lecture: "Secrecy, Shame and Stigmatization: Ending the Silence About Violence Against Women" Charlotte Pierce-Baker, a founding member of The Voices and Faces Project, and a highly acclaimed author and expert on violence against women, will be delivering the 5th annual Valentine's Day Distinguished Family Violence Lecture on February 14 at 2:15 pm at the DePaul Center in Chicago. The event is free. Charlotte Pierce-Baker is a professor of Women's & Gender Studies and English at Vanderbilt University. She is the author of the highly acclaimed book "Surviving the Silence: Black Women's Stories of Rape". Toread more about Charlotte, read her survivor story. Following the lecture, a reactor panel, including The Voices and Faces Project founder Anne Ream, will lead a discussion on how to encourage women and girls in Chicago to come forward to end the silence. The event will conclude with a reception and book signing. For more information about this informative and thought-provoking event, click here. | ||||
Speakers Available During April's Sexual Assault Awareness Month The Voices and Faces Project Speakers Bureau has presentations, talks and speakers to fit a variety of events on campuses and in communities. We invite you to contact us to find out how our national network of survivors and advocates can contribute to an upcoming event. Click "About Us" and "Speakers Bureau" to get started. | ||||
Speaker's Bureau Member Named to Board of Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault Melva Luker, a member of The Voices and Faces Project's Speakers Bureau, has recently been named to the board of directors of ACASA, a statewide coalition of individuals and organizations working together toward the elimination of sexual violence and advocating for sexual assault victims’ rights and services. Melva Luker is an educator and lecturer who most recently taught in the department of education at the University of California, Santa-Barbara. Melva received her rape crisis training at the Santa Barbara Rape Crisis Center, and has been active in The Voices and Faces Project since 2003. Since retiring to Eureka Springs, AR, Melva has become an outspoken advocate for rape victims and their families. "This is an issue that impacts all of us. I never thought it would happen to my daughter, and when it did it changed her life, and our lives, too. I am speaking out so that other parents understand that this is happening to too many of our daughters. If we break the silence, I believe we can change that." says Melva. We salute and congratulate Melva on her tireless efforts on behalf of sexual violence survivors in Arkansas and around the country. | ||||
Katie Hnida, Project Participant, Speaks Out About Speaking Up Katie Hnida is the first woman to play Division One college football. She is a trailblazing pioneer who has written eloquently about following her dreams through the world of athletics while enduring sexual harassment, rape and depression in an inspiring book, "Still Kicking: My Dramatic Journey as the First Woman to Play Division One Football". Katie recently posted a guest blog on mariska.com about the power of writing her experiences, and then sharing them with others. As Katie concludes, "I hope you'll decide to write your story - whether it's in a journal for yourself or in a memoir for the world to read. Either way, your story is important..." Thanks, Katie, for sharing your journey with us. | ||||
Little Angel Foundation Awards Grant to The Voices and Faces Project We are honored to be included among the newest grantees of Little Angel Foundation, a prominent philanthrophic presence in the greater Chicago area. Little Angel Foundation "strives to identify the very best non-profit organizations that have expertise, compassion, integrity and a dedication to work with their clients and empower them with the tools they need..." within their focus of abused women and children, and youth at risk. We are looking forward to using this grant to further our efforts to end violence against women, and to support survivors of sexual violence. | ||||
"Suffering Through Silence: Rape on College Campuses" We'd like to bring your attention to the December 2 Chicago Tribune, where Kathryn Masterson has a terrific Perspective section cover story: "Suffering Through Silence: Rape On College Campuses." One of the survivors in our network -- Stacy Bogart -- came forward to share her story with the Tribune as part of that effort. We are proud of Stacy, one of the many survivors of campus rape who've told their stories to us in our Survivor Survey. We're also encouraged that the Tribune is taking a hard look at what we believe is an epidemic on college campuses. National Institute of Justice statistics from a study published in 2000 indicate that nearly 3 percent of women on a college campus will experience rape or attempted rape in any given academic year. If those figures are projected out over a 5-year college career, NIJ estimates that as many as one quarter of women who attend college will experience rape during their college career. Even more troubling is the fact that over half of college women who described an incident of "completed rape" to researchers did not consider that they had been raped. We hope that articles such as this will help bring more needed attention to the problems of sexual assault on college campuses. Read the story here. We are strongly encouraging letters to the editor in response to this piece. Please consider sharing your thoughts with the Tribune at Perspective@tribune.com. And do forward the link to this article. It is a powerful and important reminder that rape on college campuses effects far too many young women. | ||||
The Voices and Faces Project will sponsor a testimonial writing workshop with author R. Clifton Spargo in March 2008. Testimonial writing--using your own experience or witness of injustice to write fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, or memoir--can be powerful and socially important. The Voices and Faces Project is proud to sponsor an 3-week testimonial writing seminar in March 2008. The course will encompass a wide array of genres, and participants can focus on the genre of their choice. Special emphasis will be given to writing focused on violence against women. The workshop will be run by our literary advisor, R. Clifton Spargo. Dr. Spargo has taught creative writing at Yale University, currently teaches American literature at Marquette University, and was formerly the Pearl Resnick Fellow at the U.S. Memorial Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. Spargo's short stories, including several on the subject of sexual assault, have been praised by esteemed literary critic Harold Bloom as "marked for permanence" and he is currently completing his first novel, "The World Will Do As It Is Required." A member of The Voices and Faces Project Speakers Bureau, Spargo has also published a wide range of non-fiction books and articles on subjects including the Holocaust, mourning and ethics, and the poor. For details on the course, which will be offered in Chicago in Spring or Fall 2008, email info@voicesandfaces.org. To find out more about Cliff, visit: http://www.voicesandfaces.org/about_team_cliftons.asp | ||||
TVFP Founder Anne Ream has written an article featured in the 11/18 edition of the Chicago Tribune. Read it here, and let us know your thoughts. The 11/18 edition of the Chicago Tribune features an article by our founder, Anne K. Ream. In her latest Tribune piece ("What T-Shirt Would Che Wear?") Anne explores how trendy statement tee-shirts co-opt and dumb down social movements, degrading and objectifying women and girls along the way. An excerpt from Anne's article: "Some of these T-shirts are funny. They may even be, in the wearer's case, true. But the only thing more disturbing than the fact that marketers are selling "Dumb Blonde" tees is the fact that we're buying them. It's dismaying enough that women and girls are so often objectified. But to see them become accomplices in their own degradation is a heartbreaking new low." To read Anne's full 11/18 Chicago Tribune article, visit: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-t-shirts_thinknov18,0,4529267.story To share your thoughts on the piece with the editors of the Chicago Tribune, send them an email at: Perspective@Tribune.com | ||||
TVFP co-sponsors DePaul University Law School roundtable on women, poverty and violence  In partnership with the Chicago Foundation for Women, the Mayor's Office on Domestic Violence, The Women's Center at DePaul University Law School, and several other advocacy organizations, The Voices and Faces Project was pleased to co-sponsor a 9/19 roundtable discussion featuring Dr. Jody Raphael, author of an acclaimed trilogy of books on women, poverty and violence. Our founder, Anne K. Ream, moderated the discussion, which included moving testimony from Tammy Johnson, a survivor-participant in The Voices and Faces Project and the subject of Dr. Raphael's latest book, "Freeing Tammy: Women, Drugs and Incarceration."In her introduction, Anne Ream noted: "Conventional wisdom holds that the personal is political. But too often, in the cultural moment we find ourselves in, the personal serves as mass-market entertainment. We bear witness to heartbreaking stories of the reality TV variety, but our storytellers do not often connect the dots, linking the individual suffering we see to the public policies that represent, sometimes damningly, our will as a people. Jody Raphael's book about Tammy Johnson is different. One cannot know Tammy, as you will know her through this book, without knowing that our public policies – particularly our incarceration policies – must be challenged. The beauty of Jody's work is that it illuminates problems, and calls us to act upon them. The wonder of Jody’s work is that it would not exist, at least not in this form, were it not for Tammy Johnson's courageous decision to share her story with Jody, and by extension, with all of us." To read opening comments from the round table discussion, click here. To buy "Freeing Tammy" click here. | ||||
Join TVFP at the CFW Symposium "Violence in Language, Art and Culture" Join us on September 11 at Chicago's Hyatt Regency Chicago for a morning of stimulating discussion and networking sponsored by the Chicago Foundation for Women. This important symposium features a panel discussion from 9-11 am with distinguished and provocative experts from Duke University, Brandeis University, the Jane Adams Hull House Museum of Chicago, and Females United for Action. The morning events are all free. Events begin with a continental breakfast, and the symposium is followed by a networking reception. For more details, and to register, click here. | ||||
TVFP Adviser Mary Simmerling's poetry featured in International Museum of Women's Newest Exhibit  We encourage you to visit the beautiful and powerful online museum exhibit, "Imagining Ourselves", by the International Museum of Women. To visit the online exhibit click here. The museum tells us "The project began in 2001 with an international call for artistic submissions from women in their twenties and thirties to answer the question 'What defines your generation of women?' Imagining Ourselves creates a public platform in which young leaders and creative thinkers articulate their view of the world they live in and the world they are passionately working to create." The resulting virtual multi-media, interactive exhibit was launched in March 2006 and covers various themes from Motherhood, to Money, to Culture and Conflict. From September 1-15 the featured topic is "Body Parts", within the Image and Identity theme. To read Mary Simmerling's poem click here. | ||||
Stunning New CertainTees Available. Buy the shirt that supports The Voices and Faces Project!  CertainTees, an exclusive line of tee shirts that are socially and environmentally responsible, introduces its new line of tee shirts. Your purchase of a tee from the "Women Series" will support The Voices and Faces Project. Lee Tracy, the artist and force behind Certaintees, has combined her passion for social justice, living green, beauty and fashion into amazing fashion/art. When you wear a CertainTee, you will look good and feel good in your soft bamboo/organic cotton shirt. You'll be a conversation starter, an agent for social justice, and a supporter of a wonderful cause... all at the same time. Check out these fabulous designs at www.certaintees.com and buy a bunch for yourself and friends! | ||||
TVFP Adviser Jody Raphael discusses poverty, prostitution and sexual violence on Chicago Public Radio. Click here to listen in. Dr. Jody Raphael, a senior research fellow at the DePaul College of Law, and an adviser to The Voices and Faces Project, was interviewed by Steve Edwards on Chicago Public Radio's "848" show on 7/13. Jody and Steve discussed her trilogy of books on women, poverty and violence. They also explored our cultural responses to those working in the sex trades, most of whom are sexual assault survivors. Jody's meticulously researched work challenges the idea of prostitution as a "choice," and reminds us to think more critically about the link between sexual violence and other forms of oppression. Jody's latest book, "Freeing Tammy: Women, Drugs, and Incarceration," is an important read, and the "Tammy" of the book's title is a survivor-participant in The Voices and Faces Project. To listen to Jody's interview with Steve Edwards click here. To find out more about Jody's groundbreaking work in the Voices and Faces Reading Room click here. To purchase Jody's latest book click here. | ||||
The Voices and Faces Project heads to Santa Barbara, CA, to reach out to a new community Our Project is committed to reaching as many people as possible with an important message: sexual violence is a human rights and public health issue that impacts victims, families and communities. With this in mind, we are reaching out to those survivors often turn to first for help: their faith-based communities. On June 10, Anne Ream shared our survivors' stories and Patrica Evan's photographs in an interactive slide presentation at Ocean Hills Church in Santa Barbara, CA. The presentation was followed by a lively public conversation between Anne and Pastor Jon Ireland, a conversation that explored communal responses to sexual assault, social injustice, faith, and forgiveness. Over 500 members of the Ocean Hills congregation and the Santa Barbara community were there to take part in this unique outreach initiative. Pastor Dr. Jon Ireland told us "Anne brought a clear, fresh, and much needed voice to our church on this very sensitive subject of sexual violence and injustice. Her message raised awareness for some, reached gently in a hurtful place for others, and removed the fear to speak out for a handful of others. Her warm, authentic, and very dynamic presence had our people “leaning in” and listening with open hearts! The impact is difficult to measure-let’s just say that for one hour on that Sunday morning the reality of sexual violence that, we believe, breaks the heart of God, reached in and broke the hearts of hundreds of people in our church. I pray that the impact is visible and seen in the way we live our lives and listen with more compassion to the survivors courageous enough to share their story." Click here to listen to discussion To discuss scheduling a speaker from The Voices and Faces Project for your group, please email speakersbureau@voicesandfaces.org. | ||||
June 17th Chicago Tribune Features an Op-Ed Piece by TVFP Founder Anne Ream. Read it here, and let us know your thoughts. Anne Ream, founder of The Voices and Faces Project, has written an editorial piece appearing in the June 17 issue of the Sunday Chicago Tribune. Anne wrote the article in response to the cultural silence she has observed around aspects of the events at Duke University, and the desire to explore the moral, as opposed to legal, questions raised by the case. An excerpt from Anne's piece: “Every public rape case exists in two spaces: in the practical, ‘law and order’ world where it works its way through an imperfect system, and in the public imagination, where it exists symbolically, a Rorschach test of our values and beliefs. It is not only the specifics, but also the symbolics of the Duke case that remain troubling. They serve to remind those who come forward with rape charges that they may pay a steep and very public price for the chance to be heard.” Click here to view a copy We believe that this article will encourage a more thoughtful dialogue on the broader implications of how our culture responds to high profile rape cases. We encourage you to share your thoughts on the piece with the Chicago Tribune. You may e-mail the Tribune Editor at perspective@tribune.com. | ||||
The Voices and Faces Project recognized by the Chicago Foundation for Women and the Illinois Governor's Office. We are proud to announce that the Chicago Foundation for Women has chosen The Voices and Faces Project as a "What Will It Take?" grantee, in recognition of our ongoing efforts to respond to and shape media representation of women and girls. In partnership with the Illinois Governor's Office, CFW awarded 34 carefully selected organizations special grants. Chosen from a pool of hundreds of outstanding non-profits from across the state, the 34 groups selected were chosen because of their visionary strategies for addressing violence against women and girls. Phil Chang, media advisor to The Voices and Faces Project, says, "We are grateful to be recognized by the Chicago Foundation for Women. This grant allows us to continue our work shifting the local, national and international discourse on rape and abuse by engaging the media in new and strategic ways. It also supports our own powerful media vehicle: voicesandfaces.org." To learn more about Chicago Foundation for Women "What Will It Take?" grant, visit cfw.org. | ||||
Our founder, Anne Ream, to receive End Violence Against Women International Visionary Award. On April 16th, The Voices and Faces Project founder Anne Ream will receive the End Violence Against Women International Visionary Award. EVAW presents this annual award to an individual who has raised awareness of violence against women and proposed innovative ideas to end it. "This is an award that recognizes Anne’s vision, innovation, and willingness to challenge conventional wisdom in creating The Voices and Faces Project," notes Joanne Archambault, President of EVAW. "We honor those who see gaps in existing services, and design programs that address those gaps. This sort of vision can have its detractors, so this award also recognizes Anne's willingness to assume personal and professional risk in building this unique documentary project.” Past winners include Delaware Senator Joseph Biden, California Attorney General William Lockyer, and Dr. David Lisak, director of the Boston-based Sexual Trauma Research Center. Anne will receive the Visionary Award at the End Violence Against Women International Conference held in Houston, Texas on April 16-18. She will also be giving a keynote address on how creative and documentary initiatives like The Voices and Faces Project can change hearts, minds, and public policy. Click here for more information on End Violence Against Women International, or the upcoming conference. | ||||
The Voices and Faces Project Founder receives “Making a Difference for Women Award" On March 19, Anne Ream was the guest speaker at the 2007 Soroptimist International of Chicago Awards Evening at the University of Illinois-Circle Campus. Soroptimist International of Chicago also presented Anne with its “Making a Difference for Women Award" in recognition of Anne's work with The Voices and Faces Project and her role as "chief creative girl" at Girl360, the tween-focused cause marketing initiative that Anne co-founded. The "Making a Difference for Women Award" is given to someone who has made an extraordinary difference in the lives of other women and girls. Soroptimist is an international volunteer service organization for professional women. The name, Soroptimist, means “best for women,” and that’s what the organization strives to achieve. Through its work with the United Nations, its partnerships with dozens of international women's organizations, and the efforts of its individual members, Soroptimist is making a difference on a global scale. We at The Voices and Faces Project are proud that they have recognized the difference we are making, too. | ||||
Gen Art and The Voices and Faces Project present "A Rock Shock to the Status Quo" – A CD launch party benefiting survivors of sexual violence.  On March 7, 2007, The Voices and Faces Project was excited to partner with Gen Art to celebrate the release of The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One CD at “A Rock Shock to the Status Quo.” The CD is a compilation that Virgin Records calls a “who’s who of hot indie artists” and was named one of the top 25 releases of 2006 by Amoeba Records (the largest independent record seller in the world).The event was held at Reserve on 858 W. Lake Street, Chicago from 6-9pm where attendees enjoyed music, complimentary cocktails, a special guest performance by Martha Berner, and the unveiling of our limited edition “Rock Shock to the Status Quo” concert t-shirts and silk screens. The evening was a wonderful success -- we thank all those who joined us and for your continued support of our cause. 100% of proceeds from the CD and launch party benefit survivors of sexual violence. | ||||
Hear the public radio piece on music, social movements and our benefit cd: The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One! On December 12, The Voices and Faces Project founder (and benefit cd co-producer) Anne Ream sat down with public radio's Steve Edwards to discuss music, social movements, and our just-released benefit cd. Recently named one of the music industry's top 25 releases by Amoeba (the largest independent record seller in the country) and called "an amazing who's who of indie voices" by Virgin Records, "The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One" features 17 powerful tracks -- eight of them new -- from a roster of hot artists that includes Neko Case, Motion City Soundtrack, Joseph Arthur, Nora O'Connor, The New Pornographers, and more. 100% of the profits from the sale of the cd support our work on behalf of sexual violence survivors. To hear Anne's interview with Steve Edwards, log on to the link below and scroll down to the bottom to click on Anne's name. chicagopublicradio.org/audio_library/848_radec06.asp#12 To purchase the cd, log on to canasongsavetheworld.com | ||||
Our founder, Anne Ream, Named One of “Chicago’s Top 40”  In the May 30, 2006 issue of the Chicago Tribune RedEye, Anne Ream, founder of The Voices and Faces Project, was named one of “Chicago’s Top 40.” The article highlighted 40 leaders, opinion shapers and trendsetters who "make our city great" while doing work that has a broad impact on the culture. Anne was listed in the category of “leaders,” alongside influential Chicagoans such as Mayor Richard M. Daley, Senator Barack Obama, Cardinal Francis George and immigrants’ rights advocate Claudia Lucero. Other categories included entertainers, personalities and sports figures. The profile cited Anne as someone who has put a voice and face on the issue of sexual violence, mentioning her forthcoming book and our national non-profit, The Voices and Faces Project, as a force for change in our city, and beyond. | ||||
We are available to speak at your next event: Introducing The Voices and Faces Project Speakers Bureau. The Voices and Faces Project has recently partnered with CreativeWell, Inc., one of the country's foremost lecture, literary and creative management companies, and our speaking team is now available. George Greenfield, founder and president of CreativeWell, Inc. says: "We're excited to represent The Voices and Faces Project. This extraordinary group of women and men are speaking out about an important human rights issue in ways that will surely, finally, change the way our society deals with the epidemic of sexual violence." CreativeWell is dedicated to representing people "whose exemplary dedication and creative vision in their respective fields contribute to expanding the social, personal, creative and/or political horizon..." Other outstanding and visionary individuals CreativeWell represents are: author Barbara Ehrenreich ("Nickel and Dimed": On (Not) Getting By in America"); Nobel Peace Prize winner Bobby Muller, who is co-founder of the International Campaign to Ban Land Mines; and writer Rob Siegel, former editor-in-chief of The Onion. The Voices and Faces Project founder Anne Ream notes, "It's exciting to be in the company of other groups that share our focus on identifying creative ways to address pressing human rights issues. With CreativeWell's help, we will be able to reach diverse communities of women and men, addressing the issue of sexual violence in political as well as personal terms." If you would like to engage a speaker from The Voices and Faces Project, contact CreativeWell, Inc. Email: info@creativewell.com or phone 973.783.7575.  | ||||
Voices and Faces Project Founder Anne Ream receives Susan Estrich Courage Award  The Boston based Victim Rights Law Center recognized Anne Ream, founder of The Voices and Faces Project, with the Susan Estrich Courage Award on September 14 at their "Shining Star" Gala. The Susan Estrich Courage Award is given to a survivor who, like Susan Estrich (author, law professor, legal and political analyst for Fox News) has gone on to vigorously champion the rights and interests of sexual assault survivors. In selecting Anne for this award, Susan Vickers, founding director of the Victim Rights Law Center said "By giving our nation real survivors’ stories, in a media savvy way, we believe The Voices and Faces Project will help shift our cultural values about rape victims, and for that we honor Anne. Instead of portraying victims according to old stereotypes, her project is portraying rape survivors as they are: our daughters, our mothers, our sons, our fathers, our sisters." The Victim Rights Law Center is the first in the nation dedicated solely to protecting the legal rights of sexual assault victims within the civil, academic and criminal justice systems. The attorneys and staff of the VRLC work to make sure rape doesn't ruin a survivor's social and economic life. Whether encouraging a university to allow a survivor to apply her tuition to the next semester rather than forfeit it because she needs time off, or convincing an employer to separate survivor and perpetrator in different work locations for the physical and emotional safety of a survivor, the VRLC helps ensure that a survivor is not further victimized by unfair and antiquated policy. To find our more about VRLC, log onto www.victimrights.org. | ||||
Hear. Now. The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One. The Voices and Faces Project Benefit CD, Volume One, features an exceptional lineup of artists, including indie faves Neko Case (who was recently featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno), Jesse Sykes, Joseph Arthur, Motion City Soundtrack, Strays Don't Sleep featuring Matthew Ryan, Kelly Hogan, and Sally Timms to name but a few. "Best Song" Academy Award nominee Bird York has also contributed a track. The CD is released through Burn and Shiver Records. Record producer Tim Van Metter says, “After meeting Anne Ream in Los Angeles, and hearing her talk about ways that music and other creative ideas can change how people think about social issues, I was compelled to help her spread the mission of The Voices and Faces Project. As a man who has known and comforted victims in my own life, I know that sexual violence is an issue that impacts all of us. We need to begin having an honest discussion about how we can change things, and doing that through a record of powerful songs is something we are passionate about.” The Executive Producers of the CD are Kenny Schnurstein, Tim Van Metter and Anne Ream. The CD is mixed and mastered by recording veteran Barry Goldberg. Get a free download from this benefit CD when you make a donation to The Voices and Faces Project! Donate now. | ||||
Voices and Faces Recognized by Arie Crown Foundation, Chicago Community Trust and U.S. Department of Justice The Voices and Faces Project recently was awarded grants from three prestigious organizations: the Ida and Arie Crown Memorial Foundation, the Chicago Community Trust, and the United States Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime, as part of its Helping Outreach Programs to Expand (HOPE) program. Courtney Comer, director of communications and development for The Voices and Faces Project, notes, “We are honored that our work on behalf of sexual assault survivors has been acknowledged by these three outstanding groups. Each is committed to funding innovative programs that help meet the needs of victims of violence, and we thank them for their generous support.” The Arie and Ida Crown Memorial supports programs that offer opportunities to the disadvantaged, strengthens the bond of families, and improves the quality of people’s lives, funding organizations that serve the greater Chicago area as well the broader Jewish community. Through partnerships with local philanthropists, The Chicago Community Trust awards more than $62 million in grants annually to organizations that promote the well-being of Chicago’s community. The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime provides funding to grassroots community- and faith-based victim service organizations and coalitions to improve outreach and services to crime victims. | ||||
Buy your CertainTEE now. Proceeds support The Voices and Faces Project.  CertainTEES, an exclusive line of tee shirts with innovative messages and designs from fine art is now available for sale on line at www.certaintees.com. Ten dollars from each purchase of the "Flower Series" collection of tee shirts will go directly to The Voices and Faces Project. At the CertainTEES launch party in June 2006, Chicago's stylish and socially conscious came together to celebrate the launch of this handcrafted, high-end line of shirts. "Our partnership with CertainTEES allows us to raise awareness of sexual violence while raising funds for the work we do. These are shirts that make a statement, while making it possible for us to help survivors," notes Xiomy Rodriguez, a member of The Voices and Faces Project leadership team. Lee Tracy, the artist behind CertainTEES says "I am a longtime supporter of The Voices and Faces Project and other social justice organizations. To help these groups, I've created a line of shirts that melds art, cause, and action. I believe that any purchase made has the potential to benefit others. If we all chose to only buy products that will circulate our money to improve our world, imagine what that could mean." With that ... go shopping! | ||||
Voices and Faces Founder Anne Ream Served as Keynote Speaker at LaCASA's Annual Luncheon On Friday, June 23, Lake County Council Against Sexual Assault (LaCASA) hosted its fourth annual “Women Helping Women Luncheon” at the LaCASA/Zacharias Center in Gurnee, IL. Anne Ream -- activist, communications expert and founder of The Voices and Faces Project -- served as the event’s special keynote speaker. The mission of LaCASA is to provide a place where survivors of sexual assault and abuse can heal, and to mobilize the community toward action to end sexual violence. LaCASA seeks to offer quality, comprehensive, client-centered services to survivors. These services are provided in partnership with the survivor in the spirit of equality, free from judgment or oppression. The LaCASA/Zacharias Center creates an environment that is safe, nurturing, inviting, and accessible. The new facility is a testament to LaCASA’s commitment to the power of healing. "LaCASA is a visionary, creative organization with a truly wonderful staff, and it's an honor to have been chosen as a speaker for this annual event,” says Ream. The fundraiser was hosted by news anchor Anita Padilla of Chicago’s NBC5 News and featured a silent auction, raffle, and live music. To learn more about LaCASA, click on the following link: www.LaCASAStopRape.org | ||||
Artist Michele Anthony and Aimee Bravo talk about music, social movements, and our upcoming benefit CD on Chicago Tonight. On May 17th, WTTW's "Chicago Tonight" evening's program featured Burn and Shiver Records artist Michele Anthony and Voices and Faces Project Team Member Aimee Bravo talking about music, social movements, and the power of song to change the world. Anthony performed "White Lies", one of the tracks off The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One, the upcoming benefit CD that features an exceptional lineup of artists, including indie faves Neko Case (who was recently featured on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno), Jesse Sykes, Joseph Arthur, Motion City Soundtrack, Strays Don't Sleep featuring Matthew Ryan, Kelly Hogan, Sally Timms and Garrison Starr, to name but a few. "Best Song" Academy Award nominee Bird York has also contributed a track for the album, recorded exclusively for The Voices and Faces Project. The CD is being produced by Burn and Shiver Records' Kenny Schnurstein, Tim Van Metter and Anne Ream and will be mixed and mastered by recording veteran Barry Goldberg. Watch for it in Fall 2006. | ||||
People magazine names The Voices and Faces Project Founder Anne Ream one of its "Heroes Among Us" In its March 20, 2006 issue, People magazine covered The Voices and Faces Project in a 3-page article that ran in the feature section “Heroes Among Us.” Entitled “Faces of Rape,” the profile included photographs and interviews with project participants Lesley Barton, Karen Carroll, Katie Feifer, and Voices and Faces Founder Anne Ream. The survivors shared how rape has impacted their lives and how they have dealt with the trauma in their healing process. With a weekly readership of 30 million, the People magazine exposure will help more survivors realize that they are not alone, as well as raise awareness with the media, policymakers and key influencers in the anti-rape movement. Click here to read the article. Also, please remember to share your reactions with us through the Contact Us option. | ||||
The Voices and Faces Project will sponsor a writing workshop with author R. Clifton Spargo in Spring 2007 Testimonial writing--using your own experience or witness of injustice to write fiction, poetry, creative non-fiction, or memoir--can be powerful and socially important. The Voices and Faces Project is proud to sponsor an 8-week testimonial writing seminar. The course will encompass a wide array of genres, and participants can focus on the genre of their choice. Special emphasis will be given to writing focused on violence against women. The workshop will be run by R. Clifton Spargo, who has taught creative writing at Yale University, currently teaches American literature at Marquette University, and was formerly the Pearl Resnick Fellow at the U.S. Memorial Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. Spargo's short stories, including several on the subject of sexual assault, have been praised by esteemed literary critic Harold Bloom as "marked for permanence" and he is currently completing his first novel, "The World Will Do As It Is Required." A member of The Voices and Faces Project Speakers Bureau, Spargo has also published a wide range of non-fiction books and articles on subjects including the Holocaust, mourning and ethics, and the poor. For details on the course, which will be offered in Chicago in Spring or Fall 2007, email info@voicesandfaces.org. | ||||
Stand in solidarity with the victim in the Burr Ridge rape case. Contact Cook County Chief Judge Tim Evans today. On March 3rd, after viewing a videotape that captured the gang rape of a 16-year-old girl, a jury acquitted a Burr Ridge, Illinois, man of sexual assault and child pornography charges. The defense lawyer for the perpetrator went frame-by-frame through the video of the rape, pointing to the gestures he claimed might indicate the victim's "consent". The Circuit Court Judge on this case, Kerry Kennedy, angered civil and human rights groups, including The Voices and Faces Project, when he threatened to jail the victim for not watching a videotape of the rape during her testimony, a request that health care providers and counselors agreed would have done great damage to her. Under intense pressure, Kennedy reversed himself. The Voices and Faces Project founder, Anne K. Ream, states, "Judge Kennedy's decision to ask the victim, who had already testified that she had no memory of the incident, to watch the video (and serve jail time if she refused to do so) was cruel and irresponsible, sending a broader message to victims—that seeking justice for crimes of sexual assault will result in further humiliation. and pain. Even though he reversed his ruling the next day and decided not to force the victim to view videotape of her own violation, much of the damage had already been done, not just to the victim’s psyche but also to the jury’s understanding of the issues involved in this case. There is a final, horrible irony. The act of taping this assault, inflicted as a further humiliation on the victim, ended up being the means of setting her rapist free. For those of us in the anti-violence movement, it is at times tempting to believe that if only our fellow citizens could "see" the crimes that have been committed against us, the world might respond differently. The judge and jury in the Burr Ridge case have disabused us of this notion" Let your voice be heard: Click here today to Contact Cook County Circuit Chief Judge Tim Evans and tell him how you feel about this case -- and why we need to do better moving forward. | ||||
The Voices and Faces Project speaks at the Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Program's 7th Annual "Ending Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence Conference, December 6-8." The Voices and Faces Project was selected to lead a workshop at this important conference that brings together professionals from law enforcement, the legal system, victim advocates, correction officers, counselors and therapists, domestic violence shelter and rape crisis center staff to learn more about how to treat and help heal survivors of sexual violence and domestic abuse. Anne Ream and Katie Feifer of The Voices and Faces Project shared the Project's newest presentation titled "From the Inside: What We Can Learn From Rape Survivors". This powerful presentation, featuring the moving words of many survivors who answered our surveys and the beautiful, strong survivor faces photographed by Patricia Evans, provides a seldom-heard perspective on what sexual violence is, how it affects us. We hope those who read or hear this presentation will be moved to speak up about sexual violence and change attitudes, policies and laws. | ||||
In the wake of Hurricane Katrina, sexual assault and domestic violence victims in the region are at great risk. Please help us help them. The Louisiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (LCADV) states that all direct services for survivors of domestic violence have been suspended due to the devastation of the hurricane. LCADV has received reports of women being battered by their partners in the emergency shelters set up since the hurricane, and many women are afraid to register with the Red Cross for fear of being found by their abusive partners. Thousands of displaced women and children who were seeking refuge in now demolished shelters require urgent assistance. There are thirty-six rape crisis centers in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama that need our support. In addition, thousands of women and children fleeing domestic violence have been evacuated from shelters in the gulf coast region. Several domestic violence shelters have been completely destroyed. You can help by making a tax-deductible donation to sexual assault and domestic violence survivors in New Orleans through the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA). CALCASA's Hurricane Relief Fund will be distributed to sexual assault and domestic violence coalitions and centers in areas most impacted by the hurricane. To donate now, click here or log onto www.calcasa.org. | ||||
The Voices and Faces Project supports the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). Please join us! Senators Joseph Biden (D-DE), Arlen Specter (R-PA), and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) have introduced legislation to reauthorize and expand the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). While VAWA has historically focused almost exclusively on family violence, the new legislation broadens its focus to address sexual violence as well, establishing direct support for victim service programs, providing for new or expanded sexual assault prevention and early intervention efforts, and establishing training for judges, police and others involved in the criminal justice process. VAWA will also provide increased funding for the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. "The reauthorization and expansion of this legislation is critical for survivors, and all who care for them", notes Anne Ream, Founder of The Voices and Faces Project. "Without the social services established by this act, many survivors will not receive the help they need -- or be treated with the dignity they deserve. We are urging our participants to not only support the reauthorization of this act, but to actively lobby for it by contacting their representatives." The current VAWA expires on September 30. A reauthorization bill must be passed by that date for VAWA programs to remain in effect. To send a message to your Representatives now, log onto http://ga3.org/campaign/vawa2005 | ||||
Author Studs Terkel honors Voices and Faces Project Speakers Bureau member Jamie Kalven Pulitzer Prize-winning author Studs Terkel honored Voices and Faces Project Speakers Bureau member Jamie Kalven at the annual Rape Victim Advocates Visionary Awards on April 21st at the Carrie Secrist Gallery in Chicago. Terkel hailed Kalven as a fellow guerilla journalist, and noted the rarity of honoring a man for working against sexual violence. Kalven, a regular contributor to Chicago Public Radio, is the author of "Working with Available Light", a memoir of his family's experience after his wife was sexually assaulted. "Sexual violence is inflicted on the bodies and souls of individual human beings, but it also happens in the context of friendships, marriages, families, communities and the larger society", said Kalven in accepting the award. "Jamie has been a powerful advocate for rape victims and an early supporter of The Voices and Faces Project. Men's voices are critical to the anti-violence movement, and his is a particularly eloquent and compassionate one" noted Voices and Faces Project founder Anne Ream. Click here to see photos from the event! Click here to read Jamie's remarks from the event. | ||||
San Diego's Center for Community Solutions honors Katie Feifer, Voices and Faces Project participant Center for Community Solutions, a non-profit agency that provides a complete range of sexual assault and domestic violence prevention and intervention services to San Diegans is honoring Voices and Faces participant Katie Feifer as "Survivor of the Year" at its 6th annual "Tea on the Town" event May 19. The event raises community awareness for the agency, founded in 1969, that operates the only rape crisis center in the City of San Diego and one of just two in all of San Diego County. "Tea on the Town" also recognizes volunteers and organizations that have donated time and resources to help San Diegans affected by sexual assault and relationship violence. Katie is a CCS volunteer and strong advocate for others who have been sexually assaulted. Since September of 2003, she has volunteered more than 500 hours as a victim advocate of San Diego County’s Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), providing support during highly sensitive hospital forensic-rape exams. "I know first hand how important it is that the first people you come into contact with after you've been raped are compassionate, helpful, and good listeners. I want to be there for other rape survivors as so many people were there for me" she says. | ||||
The Chicago Foundation for Women recognizes the work of The Voices and Faces Project. On February 12, 2005, The Voices and Faces Project was awarded an Executive Director Discretionary grant from the Chicago Foundation for Women. CFW Program Director Linda J. Harlan, speaking on behalf of the Board of Directors of CFW, notes, "We applaud The Voices and Faces Project for promoting the visibility and perspectives of women and girls and are proud to support its efforts. Together, we are moving toward a society in which the voices and potential of all women and girls are fully realized." Anne Ream, The Voices and Faces Project founder, notes, "Our team and volunteers are thrilled to be recognized by an organization that has such an impressive history of addressing women's human rights. CFW, like our project, is all about giving voice to women, so it's a natural fit and a terrific honor." The Chicago Foundation for Women, one of the largest women's funds in the world, roots its work in three principles of women's human rights: economic self-sufficiency; freedom from violence; and access to health services and information. The Foundation envisions a community in which the voices and potential of all women and girls are fully realized and is dedicated to effecting social justice by providing opportunities and promoting solutions for women and girls across metropolitan Chicago. To find out more about the Chicago Foundation for Women, please visit www.cfw.org. | ||||
January 11th HBO Documentary features The Voices and Faces Project participant Florence Holway. "A Rape in a Small Town: The Florence Holway Story" aired on Jan. 11 and Jan 15 on HBO. This documentary about the rape of Florence Holway - a woman in her eighties who has shared her story with The Voices and Faces Project - is a heartbreaking reminder of the the inadequate sentences rapists often receive, and the long-term consequences of the violence done to victims. Florence Holway, who at age 76 was raped in her New Hampshire farmhouse by a 25-year-old intruder, is articulate, angry and forceful: a passionate advocate for the rights of sexual assault survivors. Although her 25 year-old rapist was captured in Florence's bed, the New Hampshire District Attorney, citing a lack of physical evidence, offered him a plea bargain under the state's 1991 rape laws. After an unsuccessful fight to prevent her rapist's plea bargain, Florence began a crusade for increased victim's rights that culminated in the rewriting of the those laws. Now, twelve years later, the 88-year-old Florence continues her struggle as she attempts to gather enough support to keep her rapist off parole. | ||||
The Voices and Faces Project a finalist for the Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize. In recognition of the creative collaboration between Patricia Evans and Anne Ream, The Voices and Faces Project was a finalist for the 2004 Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor documentary prize. Alexa Dilworth of the Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize Committee noted that "The quality of the Lange-Taylor applications is impressive. We congratulate (The Voices and Faces Project) on its superior writing and photography." The Dorothea Lange-Paul Taylor Prize was created by the Center for Documentary Studies to encourage collaboration between documentary writers and photographers in the tradition of the acclaimed photographer Dorothea Lange and writer and social scientist Paul Taylor. In 1941 Lange and Taylor published American Exodus, a book that renders human experience eloquently in text and images and remains a seminal work in documentary studies. The Lange-Taylor Prize honors their important collaborative work. Past winners have included Keith Carter, Donna DeCesare, Luis Rodriguez, Reagan Louie, River Houston, Ernesto Bazan, Deborah Luster, Rob Amberg, C. D. Wright, Jason Eskenazi, Dona Ann McAdams, Brad Kessler, Misty Keasler, and Charles D'Ambrosio. | ||||
The Voices and Faces Project launches new website, voicesandfaces.org. Recognizing our need to reach as many survivors as possible in a unique, interactive and personal medium, The Voices and Faces Project launched its website on December 15, 2004. "We have been working to bring our series of written and photographic survivor profiles to life in book form - a project that is due to be completed in 2006. But as we met with survivors, and those who care for them, we realized that bringing this project to life in a format that will allow us to showcase their stories as we develop them has a power all its own. Voicesandfaces.org allows us to do that," says Aimee Noffsinger, The Voices and Faces Project Administrative and Development Director. Enter 15 letters, a Chicago-based interactive and design agency with an impressive corporate and non-profit client roster that welcomed the opportunity to work with The Voices and Faces Project. "Helping non-profit organizations that are deeply committed to their cause is a wonderful way for our team at 15 letters to use our creativity and design talent to give back to the community," explains 15 letters' President and Creative Director Mark Rattin. "When we first spoke with Anne Ream, we were struck by her passion for The Voices and Faces Project. We quickly identified the significant impact that a smart, easy-to-use website would have on communicating the importance of this cause. Voicesandfaces.org will be the first site of its kind where rape survivors will actually have a voice and face in sharing their experiences - and knowing that we could help make a difference is both professionally and personally gratifying." | ||||
The Voices and Faces Project founder speaks at anti-violence rally at Federal Plaza in Chicago. On October 1, The Voices and Faces Project founder Anne Ream spoke at an anti-violence rally at Federal Plaza in Chicago. The rally, which concluded "A Week Without Rape," a seven day series of presentations, talks and events, brought together leaders from a long list of anti-violence groups, including Rape Victim Advocates, the YWCA of Chicago-Harris Women's Services, Pillars Community Services, Mujeres Latinas en Accion, and Chicago NOW. Cook County Commissioner Mike Quigley also spoke at the rally. Ream noted in her speech that "I am often asked to describe the 'average' rape survivor. That is as difficult as describing the average woman, man or child. While there are certainly many stereotypes, there is not, in fact, a type. This point was brought home for me when I spoke with two rape survivors, one ninety, the other in her mid forties, who had been raped by the same man. Rape is not a women's issue. It is a human rights issue that needs to be addressed by changing minds, changing laws and changing the ways we deal with survivors in the aftermath of this violent crime." To find out more about The Voices and Faces Project speakers bureau - a national network of survivors available to speak to churches, community centers, law enforcement, and other groups, click here to contact us. |
