The Voices and Faces Project stands in solidarity with the women of Atenco, Mexico In Spring, 2010, members of The Voices and Faces Project will travel to Atenco, Mexico to meet with the women of Atenco, a courageous community of sexual violence survivors who are standing up and speaking out about the sexual violence that they have endured at the hands of police. Theirs is a case that our allies at Amnesty International have been closely involved in, one that reminds us of the importance of speaking truth to both power and perpetrator. When the women Atenco left their homes on a spring morning in May, 2006, they surely did not imagine what lay ahead of them. During a police operation in response to protests by a local peasant organization in San Salvador Atenco, more than 45 of these women were arrested without explanation. Dozens of them were subjected to physical, psychological and sexual violence by the police officers who made these arrests. Once at the "Santiaguito" prison near Toluca in Mexico State, the prison doctors who examined many of the women failed to document all of their physical injuries or to gather evidence of the sexual abuse they had suffered. More than three years later, the women of Atenco are still waiting for justice. None of the officials responsible for their abuse have been held accountable. Federal authorities conducted an investigation that resulted in a list of 34 names of police officers who were suspected of being responsible for the abuses, but concluded that these individuals should be prosecuted at the state level. Speaking out in the wake of sexual violence takes courage. Engaging in an ongoing struggle for justice takes tenacity. Our sisters in Atenco have shown both these qualities, and we are grateful for the example that their fight for justice sets. We at The Voices and Faces Project look forward to traveling to Atenco to stand in solidarity with these survivors, joining them in a call for social justice. Voices and Faces Project participant Jaclyn Friedman at the Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center Jaclyn Friedman, a founding member of our Voices and Faces Project CounterQuo initiative, will be giving the annual Distinguished Family Violence Lecture at DePaul University on February 10, 2010. Sponosored by the Schiller DuCanto & Fleck Family Law Center, this innovative lecture series brings unique voices on sexual violence issues to the Chicago community. Jacyln's lecture, "Can Rape Cases Be Prosecuted: The Effects of Rape Culture," will ask us to consider ways that media and cultural representations of violence impact legal outcomes, while challenging us to respond in new ways to the realities of sexual violence. Researcher Jody Raphael, also a member of our CounterQuo initiative, is the creator and organizer of the Distinguished Family Violence Lecture Series. We applaud Jody for her work on behalf of women and girls, and look forward to welcoming Jaclyn to Chicago. See you on the 10th! Event details: DePaul Center Conference Services 8th floor 333 S State St Chicago, IL 60604-3900 Wednesday, February 10, 2010, 2:15 – 4:45pm Building/Room: O'Malley Place Introducing The Angel Band Project: A CD benefiting The Voices and Faces Project When we introduced our first benefit cd (The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One) we did so with a simple goal: to marry the power of music to the issue of sexual violence, finding new ways to open minds and hearts to this human rights and social justice issue. Our second benefit cd, The Angel Band Project, was conceived in that same spirit. Co-produced by Jean Fox Robertson and Rachel Ebeling, it honors the memory of their friend Teresa Butz, who was raped and murdered in 2009. Teresa, who was attacked while at home with her partner, fought her assailant — an act that saved her partner’s life but cost Teresa hers. At Teresa’s funeral in St. Louis and a subsequent memorial service in Seattle, songs performed by Teresa’s ten brothers and sisters and her partner, all of whom are trained musicians, provided a starting point for coming to terms with their terrific sense of loss. The Angel Band Project will feature national recording artists, as well as Teresa’s partner and family (including her Tony Award-winning brother, singer and actor Norb Butz, Jr.). The cd will also feature a small number of artists from the first Voices and Faces Project Benefit album. 100% of The Angel Band Project’s profits will support our work at The Voices and Faces Project. The search for healing in the wake of heartbreak is in some sense eternal. So, too, is the power of music. We are moved by the willingness of those who were closest to Teresa to use their voices to honor her, even as they speak and sing out to raise awareness of the damage done to victims of sexual violence. To find out more about The Angel Band Project click here. Join us at "Imagination and Catastrophe," a Center for Jewish History event featuring Voices and Faces Project adviser R. Clifton Spargo On Sunday, December 10th, join Atom Egoyan, director, writer, producer, and Academy Award ® nominee; Peter Balakian, award winning poet; Emily Duncan-Brown, soprano; Donna-Lee Frieze, scholar of genocide, philosophy and film studies, Marcie Hershman, novelist; Laura Leon, pianist, and R. Clifton Spargo, Voices and Faces Project literary adviser, at "Imagination and Catastrophe," a special Center for Jewish History event. These artists and critics will discuss how the imagination wrestles with historically catastrophic events. The program will include segments of films, readings of fiction and poetry and a musical presentation, “The Golden Peacock” by Hugo Weisgall. In the creation of art out of catastrophe, genocide and trauma can be understood in more complex ways. Our work at The Voices and Faces Project is grounded in the belief that artistic representations of trauma can be a force for social change. Exploring the complex ethical dimensions of such representations is critical to our mission. We encourage our supporters to attend "Imagination and Catastrophe," a public discussion that will challenge us to re-think the ways that art can change minds, hearts and public policy. Admission: $20 general, $15 CJH members To find our more about this event click here. Our literary advisor, R. Clifton Spargo, a finalist for the Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction. When we founded The Voices and Faces Project in 2004, we did so with a clear goal: to challenge attitudes about sexual violence by engaging artists, writers, and documentarians in our testimonial project. One such writer has been R. Clifton Spargo, recently selected as a finalist for the 2009 Flannery O'Connor Award for Short Fiction for "The Things She Has Stolen From Time to Time," an innovative sequence of stories centered on a woman who has lived through sexual violence. "The Things She Has Stolen From Time to Time" asks us to understand violence not as a single act but as an enduring event with long-lasting consequences. Stories from the collection have appeared in Glimmer Train Stories, SOMA, The Connecticut Review, North Atlantic Review, and The Kenyon Review (forthcoming). Cliff's fiction, praised by esteemed literary critic Harold Bloom as "marked for permanence," serves as a powerful reminder of the moral power inherent in artful representations of injustice. As the co-creator of our Voices and Faces Project Testimonial Writing Workshop and a 2010 Leon Milman Memorial Fellow at the United States Memorial Holocaust Museum, Cliff will continue to play an important role at The Voices and Faces Project as we expand our creative collaborations in the new year. To find out more about Cliff, click here. The Voices and Faces Project in Canada: A new global initiative funded by the Donner Canadian Foundation We are proud to announce our newest initiative in the fight to end sexual violence against women. Through generous funding provided by the Donner Canadian Foundation, The Voices and Faces Project (TVFP), along with our Canadian allies at Making A Difference Canada (MDC), will be working together to put voices and faces to the issue of sexual assault in Canada. Through a series of survivor driven presentations and workshops that we will co-host in Canada, TVFP seeks to explore how the media impacts public attitudes about sexual violence, what faith-based groups can do to better support those who have lived through rape and abuse, and how legal and cultural responses to violence are connected. Each workshop will be grounded in the testimony of survivors of sexual violence from the US, Canada and regions beyond our borders. In Canada, as in the US, the absence of the voices and faces of survivors serves to alienate and isolate those who have lived through abuse. Anne Ream, TVFP’s project founder notes, “At present in Canada, there are no nationally focused public education efforts designed to challenge how Canadians view and respond to sexual assault. In bringing our survivor-focused documentary project to the region, and partnering with our allies at MDC, we hope to raise awareness of how rape impacts victims, families and communities, while calling the public to a more compassionate and activist response to such violence.” Watch for details on our project efforts in the coming months. Special thanks to our Canadian project leadership team, which includes Ruth Montgomery, Katie Feifer, Janet Holmes and Anne K. Ream. Our research director, Katie Feifer, at the University of California - San Diego On October 26th, Katie Feifer, research director at The Voices and Faces Project, was a featured speaker on a UCSD panel discussion about the fight to end violence against women locally and globally. The panel was convened as part of a series of programs in support of "Off the Beaten Path," an international contemporary art exhibition. The San Diego leg of the exhibition, at the UCSD art gallery, features work from twenty-one artists from nineteen countries, each piece exploring the global ramifications of gender-based violence. The exhibition is open to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays, 11am to 5pm. Admission is free. The UCSD gallery is located in the Mandeville Center, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA. The Voices and Faces Project is an "Off the Beaten Path" partner and work by our TVFP photographer, founder and literary advisor is featured in the show. We commend the UCSD Art Gallery, 5 Women Who Care and curator Randy Jayne Rosenberg from Art Works for Change for their work bringing this important show - and corresponding programming - to San Diego. For more information on "Off the Beaten Path" in San Diego, please contact: Isabelle Lutterodt at: ilutterodt@ucsd.edu "Making the Workplace Safer For Women," a Loyola University discussion panel featuring TVFP founder Anne K. Ream On Tuesday, November 3rd, Loyola University will host a public panel discussion on the problem of sexual assault in the workplace, violence against female immigrants, and sexual exploitation in general. The event, which is being co-hosted by Hunger Week and Women in Leadership at Loyola University, features three guest panelists: Anne K. Ream (The Voices and Faces Project), Maritza Reyes (Mujeres Latinas in Acción), and Vittoria Incandela (The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission). Our allies at the Southern Poverty Law Center are co-sponsoring. This public discussion promises to be a lively one that considers how immigrant and farmworker women are uniquely susceptible to sexual violence or harassment in the workplace. We commend Loyola alum (and Voices and Faces Project ally) Mónica Ramirez for organizing an event that will educate students and the community about this issue and encourage participants to stand in solidarity with immigrant women and all women experiencing workplace sexual violence. See you there! WHEN: Tuesday November 3, 2009 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm program 5:00 pm: Bandana Decorating, 7:30 pm: Panel WHERE: Loyola University Chicago 1125 Loyola Ave. Centennial Forum Student Union "PERFECT 8," a magazine and exhibition challenging representations of women, features The Voices and Faces Project Issue Four of PERFECT 8 magazine, a new publication and multi-media arts exhibition dedicated to the de-objectification of people, features an essay by Voices and Faces Project founder Anne Ream, one that challenges us to consider how the contemporary beauty ideal contributes to a world in which women and girls are treated as objects (and inevitably less safe because of it). Anne's essay, "Desperately Seeking the Female Beauty Ideal," originally ran in shorter form in The Chicago Tribune. PERFECT 8, which is funded by the Norther Manhattan Arts Council, works to deconstruct a myth perpetrated in our society that people are objects and obtainable products -- a myth that can contribute to a world in which sexual violence and exploitation are tolerated and even encouraged. We commend our allies at Perfect 8 for their work, and are honored to be a part of their efforts in print, online and art world. "Off the Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art," an international contemporary art exhibition, travels to San Diego "Off the Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art," an international contemporary art exhibition that features the work of Marina Abramovic, Louise Bourgeois, Yoko Ono, Susan Plum and 28 other visionary artists, including Voices and Faces Project photographer Patricia Evans, is traveling to San Diego to make its US debut this month. Our Voices and Faces Project founder, Anne K. Ream, and our literary adviser, R. Clifton Spargo, co-authored the exhibition's introductory essay on violence. The exhibit will run from October 23 - December 12 at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) before it moves on to Mexico. Katie Feifer, Director of Research for The Voices and Faces Project, will be speaking at an October 26th exhibition-sponsored panel discussion on the subject of "Issues Facing Women: Sexual Assault/Rape, Human Trafficking, and Domestic Violence." We encourage you to attend the talk and view the exhibition, which is a powerful call-to-action in a world that too often ignores violence against women. See the exhibit and learn more about it here. Friedman on Polanski for The Huffington Post; Goswami and Ream on trafficking for Womens ENews Sexual violence and trafficking have been in the news quite a lot lately. Two recent pieces, authored by members of The Voices and Faces Project, provide what we believe are much-needed perspectives on the exploitation and violation of women. In "We Are All Polanski's Victims And We All Deserve Justice," Voices and Faces Project member Jaclyn Friedman reminds us that seeking justice in the Polanski case is important for both the victim and our broader culture: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jaclyn-friedman/we-are-all-polanskis-vict_b_306211.html In "Let's Stop Sex Trafficking Right Here at Home," Samir Goswami and Anne K. Ream, the founder of our project, challenge us to consider sex trafficking in both global and local terms, reminding us that the sexual exploitation of women and girls is a more "local" phenomenon than we sometimes like to think. To read Ream and Goswami's article, click here. Urgent action needed: Help secure federal funds to support victims of trafficking The House Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies is about to decide whether or not to provide $15 million for services for survivors of human trafficking. Please, write to Committee Chairman Mollohan and Ranking Member Wolf to urge them to fund services for victims of human trafficking today! It's easy to do, via Change.org's website. They've set up a petition where you can send a letter directly to Reps. Mollohan and Wolf today! The upwards of 17,500 people who are trafficked into the United States, plus the tens of thousands of Americans trafficked internally each year, are in desperate need of services like medical care, counseling, legal assistance, shelter, education, and employment in order to recover from horrific abuses and rebuild their lives. For many trafficking survivors, these services are the key to a new life after the horrible ordeal of slavery. The Voices and Faces Project is working in partnership with CAASE (Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation) and the Polaris Project to end demand for sex trafficking, and focus attention on the needs of its survivors. Please join us. Take a minute and make your voice heard at change.org Founder Anne Ream Delivers Keynote at "Stand Up for Women" Event in San Diego On October 2nd, Voices and Faces Project founder Anne K. Ream gave the keynote address at the "Stand Up for Women" luncheon sponsored by Fairbanks Republican Women Federated (FRWF). Speaking to an audience of over 200 policymakers, community leaders and media representatives, Anne called for bi-partisan engagement in the fight to end sexual violence and trafficking, and shared the stories and photos of 8 of the survivors of sexual violence who are a part of our unique documentary project. Other speakers at the event included Steve Bush, father of Voices and Faces Project participant Jenny Bush and the driver of "Jenny's Law" (United States H.R. 731). This proposed legislation would deny military funeral honors for veterans convicted of rape. Steve shared his daughter's story and the issues that led to the proposed legislation in his introduction to the Hon. John Shaddeg (R - AZ), a sponsor of the bill and fellow event speaker. The Voices and Faces Project is a non-partisan 501c3 organization that seeks to engage a wide and diverse community in our efforts to end violence against women. We thank our allies at FRWF for their support of this issue and look forward to continuing the dialogue with them. Voices and Faces Project Founding Member Katie Feifer at Institute on Violence, Abuse and Trauma Conference On Saturday September 26, Katie Feifer, Research Director of TVFP, spoke at the 14th Annual International Conference on Violence, Abuse and Trauma held in San Diego, CA. The week-long conference, with 1,000 attendees from communities worldwide, brought together a diverse body of people working with or on behalf of victims. Katie's "Influencing Public Opinion" workshop focused on the importance of changing cultural attitudes about sexual violence by more actively engaging the media. Her presentation included a look at the "new media" environment, suggestions for leveraging technology, and a call for the advocacy community to "make the unreal real" by finding new and media-driven ways to share the testimony of survivors. We believe that we cannot challenge and change public attitudes and policy without challenging, changing and even creating new forms of media. Indeed, our TVFP documentary project and website were created to do just that. We are pleased that Katie's message about the importance of media is being heard so broadly. Kudos, Katie! Voices and Faces Project member Jaclyn Friedman on the campus rape crisis, for the American Prospect We'd like to bring your attention to an important new piece, authored by Voices and Faces Project member Jaclyn Friedman, that addresses rape on college campuses. Challenging outdated notions of what rape prevention programs should be (and say), Jaclyn asks us to think differently about how to make our campuses safe. We thank her for her important piece, and encourage you to read and respond to it. 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 Jaclyn's will help bring needed attention to the problems of sexual assault on college campuses and challenge us to think critically about solutions that empower and secure women. To read Jaclyn's American Prospect piece on campus rape click here. Join us at the launch of End Demand Illinois, a campaign to fight sexual exploitation and trafficking Jennifer and Peter Buffet of the NOVO Foundation, the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation, The Voices and Faces Project and other movement allies are hosting a breakfast to launch "End Demand Illinois," a campaign to address sexual exploitation and trafficking. Ambassador Mark Lagon, legal visionary Catherine A. MacKinnon, and Cook County Sheriff Tom Dart will be part of a morning panel discussion that promises to be lively and important. The panel discussion will be moderated by Anne Ream, the founder of The Voices and Faces Project and a member of the CAASE Board of Directors. Trafficking has been a much-discussed topic, one that we tend to think of in global, not local, terms. Yet recent reports make clear that Illinois is in many ways at the center of this issue, as tens of thousands of women and girls are working in prostitution within our state. What drives the prostitution industry is a demand that is fueled by our public tolerance of sexual exploitation. This demand speaks to our lack of understanding of the very real damage done to the millions of women and girls who exploited and trafficked in the US and beyond. CAASE, The Voices and Faces Project and our allies on this issue are working to change that and this breakfast will launch a truly visionary campaign, one that promises to be a force locally and a model nationally. We hope that you can join us on the 17th. Event details: 8:30 - 10:30 am, Hyatt Regency Chicago RSVP required. If you plan to attend, please email rachel@caase.org Voices and Faces Project founder Anne Ream at the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) On August 28th, Voices and Faces Project founder Anne K. Ream was the keynote speaker at the Chicago Sky Cares Foundation's "Learning to Soar" Workshop. The Chicago Sky, a WNBA team, and the Sky Cares Foundation are committed to improving the lives of women and girls in Chicago. The Chicago Sky supports a variety of programs to encourage girls to develop positive self esteem, and we at The Voices and Faces Project are honored to be a part of their efforts. Anne's "Learning to Soar" workshop focused on positive role models and introduced the 250 girls (ages 8 - 19) in the audience to 3 amazing young women, including Kate Hnida, the first girl to play Division I football. Kate, a sexual violence survivor who is a founding member of The Voices and Faces Project, has a story that reinforces all that remains possible in the wake of sexual violence. At The Voices and Faces Project we believe that education and outreach -- particularly to the next generation of girls -- is critical to the movement to end sexual violence. Events like the Sky Cares Workshop allow us to reach out and speak out to the women and girls who will continue the fight to make the world a more safe and just place for all of us. Tune In: The Voices and Faces Project featured on the Rick Amato Show on September 2nd A world without sexual violence? We proclaim it's possible! On September 2nd, Voices and Faces Founder Anne K. Ream will be a featured guest on the Rick Amato Show. Anne and the show's guest host, Farrah Douglas, will discuss how we can change the way the media responds to sexual assault and rape cases. Anne will also address how we can teach our "tweens" that they're more than just their bodies, a subject that she is passionate about, thanks to our project's partnership with Girl360.net. Anne has been a strong advocate of challenging (and using) new and old media to change attitudes about the rights of women and girls, and we are pleased that she will be a featured guest on on a talk radio show with a devoted following in southern California. Anne will be joined in the last quarter of the show by Steve Bush, a key advocate for Jenny's Law, a United States House Resolution that would deny military honors burials to veterans convicted of rape. Steve will share how his daughter Jenny, a Voices and Faces Project member, has become a role model for victims who seek to become engaged in the political process. He will also address why "Jenny's Law" is common-sense public policy that Republicans, Democrats and Independents must work to pass. You can listen live, or later - check out the podcast. Towards a More Inclusive Anti-Sexual Assault Movement: An October 2nd Keynote lecture On October 2nd, Voices and Faces Project founder Anne K. Ream will travel to Rancho Santa Fe, CA to deliver the keynote lecture at the "Standing Up For Women" luncheon sponsored by Fairbanks County Republicans Federated. Representative John Shadegg (R-AZ) and San Diego Country District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis will also be speaking at this event. Anne's talk will be a call for a more inclusive anti sexual violence movement, one in which Democrats, Republicans and Independents come together to address sexual violence, exploitation and trafficking in the United States and beyond. By sharing the stories of survivors who are a part of our documentary project, we believe that Anne's keynote can create a greater sense of urgency around the issue of violence against women. The Voices and Faces Project is a non-partisan and all-inclusive organization, one in which women and men of various communities, creeds, identities and ideologies come together around this shared belief: the right to live free of rape and sexual assault must be embraced by our culture and our laws. We are not there yet, and there is much work to do. But through an ongoing dialogue with those open to our message, we believe that we can change thing and change is what the October 2nd event is all about. We hope to see you there! Read more about the event here. Karen Carroll, founding member of The Voices and Faces Project, journeys to Africa. Follow her blog. When we founded the Voices and Faces Project in 2004, Karen Carroll was one of the first women who signed on to share her own story and to speak out about how sexual violence changes the lives of women in the United States, and beyond. A Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner who brings compassion and knowledge to her work with rape survivors, Karen has inspired us with her willingness to take her own experience and use it in service to others. This month, we wish Karen bon voyage and safe travels as she heads to Kenya to train nurse midwives and other Kenyatta General Hospital staff to perform forensic exams on victims who seek help. Policymakers in Nairobi have just written a draft protocol that addresses sexual assault and the care of sexual violence victims, and Karen is one of the expert, trained nurses selected to help local communities implement this protocol. As Karen tells our Voices and Faces Project community, "I am truly humbled by this opportunity. I invite you all to visit my blog from time to time to see photos and read about my adventures." Follow her blog after August 27 here. Save the Date: Join Cristina Ricci and our allies at RAINN at a special event September 9th. Actress Cristina Ricci and our allies at RAINN (the Rape Abuse and Incest National Network) are co-hosting a September 9th awareness and fundraising event in Washington, DC. We hope that you will join The Voices and Faces Project in attending. According to Scott Berkowitz, Executive Director at RAINN (and a fellow member of our Voices and Faces Project CounterQuo initiative), the RAINN phone hotline helps approximately 10,000 people each month. Demand for RAINN's online hotline has doubled in the past year. Anne K. Ream, founder of The Voices and Faces Project, is on the RAINN advisory board and the RAINN hotline (1-800-656-HOPE) has served voicesandfaces.org visitors since our site's inception. For these reasons, and because we believe deeply in the work being done at RAINN, we hope that you will join us at the event andd spread the word to others who might be able to attend. For more information about the event, click here. Getting it right: Where to go for reliable statistics on the prevalence of rape Even casual readers will see many different statistics used in the media and elsewhere about the prevalence of rape in our society. You may read, for example, that 1 in 2, or 1 in 3, or 1 in 4, or 1 in 8 women will be raped in their lifetime. The use of widely disparate statistics have led some to become confused - "just how big a problem is rape in our society?" There are several reasons why so many different statistics are in use: differences in question wording and differences in definitions are just two that come to mind. The issues point to the fact that sexual violence is a complex issue. We believe that because of the complexity, it is incumbent on us to be clear and precise when discussing the data so we can more easily move towards solutions. To help clarify some of the statistics confusion, CounterQuo (founded by a partnership between The Voices and Faces Project and the Victim Rights Law Center,) recently published the "CounterQuo Rape Stats" document. CounterQuo participants Jody Raphael of DePaul University College of Law and TK Logan of the University of Kentucky combed through all the available research studies that attempted to measure the prevalence of rape in our society. As noted in the document, "Our goal is to publicize the reliable and valid data that exist, to explain clearly what the data mean, and to encourage others to use these statistics correctly. Ours is a conservative estimation of the scope and scale of sexual violence in America. As such, the data that follow should be reviewed with this important fact in mind: rape and all forms of sexual violence remain a vastly underreported crime in this country. Therefore what is reported here does not reflect the full scope of the problem." We encourage you to download and share this important document here. "Open Window," a Sundance Film Festival selection by Voices and Faces Project member Mia Goldman, available now on DVD Award-winning writer and director Mia Goldman, a Voices and Faces Project member, has produced an important film that is now available on DVD. "Open Window," an official selection at Sundance that won Best Picture at the Reel Women Film Festival, explores the long term effects of sexual violence on the victim and those closest to her. This is a film that rejects the "law and order" focus of much of our media coverage of sexual violence and focuses instead on the consequences of such violence for those who have lived through it. We at The Voices and Faces Project have used the phrase "sadly beautiful" to describe certain artistic representations of sexual trauma; this seems to be an accurate description of Mia's powerful film. We encourage you to view "Open Window" and applaud Mia for her courage, her eloquence and her much-needed creative vision. To purchase the film and the accompanying study guide created by RAINN, click here. Jaclyn Friedman on Sports Misogyny and the Court of Public Opinion for The American Prospect Much of the media coverage of the lawsuit against NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has focused on "blaming the accuser." In light of this, we want to call your attention to an article written by Voices and Faces Project participant Jaclyn Friedman. Her American Prospect piece considers ways that the social privilege we afford professional and college athletes has contributed to a climate in which victims of sexual violence often fear coming forward. As our project founder recently noted, "The stakes for those who come forward with charges of rape are higher than ever, not only in the courtroom but in the court of public opinion. Defense attorneys, supported by publicists and media advisers, sow seeds of doubt in the media, presumably hoping that such seeds will generate anti-victim suspicions in the courtroom." Jaclyn's piece explores this dynamic and challenges us to re-consider our responses to high-profile cases involving charges of rape and sports celebrities. Read The American Prospect piece here. ACTION ITEM: Stand with us in opposition to racial profiling of immigrant women Our friends at Legal Momentum have asked us to encourage other organizations to sign a letter to President Obama by July 31, urging action. They say: "We are writing to ask that your organization sign on to a letter urging President Obama to terminate the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) widely criticized 287(g) program, which relinquishes the authority to enforce civil federal immigration law to local law enforcement and corrections officials. Earlier this month, advocates, expecting a major overhaul of – or possibly an end to – this controversial program, were shocked to learn that DHS was expanding it to 11 new jurisdictions. While DHS claims to have standardized the agreements, close scrutiny has shown that these changes do nothing to prevent civil and human rights abuses, and in fact only further exacerbate the program's pervasive problems. Sheriff Joe Arpaio in Maricopa County, AZ has been the most public example of the egregious human rights abuses that have resulted from the program. However, despite an ongoing civil rights investigation into the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office by the Department of Justice, DHS has not terminated its 287(g) agreement. Similarly, other law enforcement agencies around the country have aggressively targeted immigrants by using pretextual traffic stops or other racial profiling tactics. Today marks the start of a five-day campaign aimed at gathering five hundred organizational signatures requesting that President Obama put an end to the 287(g) program. Civil rights, criminal justice, community and immigrant rights organizations must stand in solidarity to send a clear message to the President: The 287(g) program, which has contributed to the pervasive racial profiling our communities face day after day, must come to end." Legal Momentum also point out that this program is harmful on many fronts. One clear danger is this: "...they undermine years of community policing and coordinated community response to violence against women efforts. When victims know that local police are acting as immigration enforcement agents they will not call the police for help no matter how dire their need. Further these programs place women living in immigration communities and communities of color at risk. When communities cannot trust the police to report crime, crime escalates affecting men, women and children in those communities." Co-sign this letter to President Obama here. Project Participant Katie Hnida Keynote Speaker At Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center Event The Voices and Faces Project participant Katie Hnida - the first woman to play Division 1 college footaball - was the keynote speaker at the Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center's "Women Helping Women" luncheon held June 19. Zacharias Sexual Abuse Center is Lake County Illinois' only rape crisis center. The luncheon, attended by almost 500 people, raised over $85,000 - much needed support at a time when the state plans to cut the Center's funding by 75% next year, according to Torrie Flink, the Center's Executive Director. We salute Katie - one of our project' founding members and a member of our CounterQuo initiative - and thank her for her willingness to speak out about rape and sexual violence. She is a voice and a face making a real difference in the Chicago area, and beyond. Media Matters: Anne Ream and R. Clifton Spargo on the media and sexual violence Much of the recent media coverage being given to the lawsuit against NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has focused on "blaming the accuser." In light of this, we want to call your attention to an article written by The Voices and Faces Project founder Anne K. Ream and our literary advisor, R. Clifton Spargo. Originally presented at last year's national CounterQuo conference, and published this spring in the annual Sexual Assault Report (SAR), the article lays out clearly and concisely the roots of our cultural backlash against those who come forward with rape charges, arguing that allies and social justice advocates must use new media to present a counter-narrative. From Anne and Cliff's piece: "The stakes for those who come forward with charges of rape are higher than ever, not only in the courtroom but in the court of public opinion, as defense attorneys, supported by publicists and media advisors, furiously sow seeds of doubt in the media, presumably hoping that such seeds will generate anti-victim suspicions in the courtroom." We think this is a 'must read' article, especially now. Download it from the CounterQuo website here. Off the Beaten Path, an international contemporary art exhibition, opens in Oslo, Norway "Off the Beaten Path: Violence, Women and Art," an international contemporary art exhibition that opened at the Stenersen Museum in Oslo, Norway last month, features the work of Marina Abramovic, Louise Bourgeois, Yoko Ono, Susan Plum and 28 other visionary artists, including Voices and Faces Project photographer Patricia Evans. This UNESCO-endorsed exhibition is curated by Randy Rosenberg and our allies at Art Works for Change. Our Voices and Faces Project founder, Anne K. Ream, and our literary adviser, R. Clifton Spargo, co-authored the exhibition's introductory essay on violence. An excerpt: "When we encounter violence against women, we experience a sort of blindness: what is before us ought not to be difficult to discern - its symptoms and signs are quite visible - but because it is easier for our psyche and conscience, we choose, and it is indeed often a choice, not to see. Thus the devastation that is domestic violence becomes merely a "family affair," the genital mutilation of girls in far-away regions nothing more than a "cultural difference," the rape and torture of women during armed conflict part of the inevitable, expected "messiness of war." Words such as these often accompany our retreat from the ever-present reality of violence. In this way the political and systemic sources of violence are underestimated or overlooked. If a woman's tale of violence receives attention, it is treated more often than not as the personal tragedy of the victim rather than the product of cultural attitudes and practices that are undeniably anti-woman. Behind such systemic failures are, of course, the stories that became the subjects of the work you are about to see. And though there is nothing beautiful about the violence that you will encounter, there is indeed something sadly beautiful about the art itself and, more importantly, about the women and girls who have inspired it. They return us imaginatively to the event of violation, and allow it to hurt us, as it should and must." We look forward to updating you as the show travels to Chicago and other U.S. cities, and applaud the vision of our allies at Art Works for Change. To find out more about the exhibition, visit Art Works For Change. The Chicago Foundation for Women recognizes The Voices and Faces Project We are pleased to announce that the Chicago Foundation for Women, one of the most influential funds for women and girls in the nation, has recognized The Voices and Faces Project with a grant from The Irene Bayrach Anti-Violence Legacy Fund. The fund addresses family violence, a broad term that includes domestic violence, girls' exposure to violence at home, child abuse and elder women abuse. Voices and Faces Project founder Anne K. Ream notes, "The Chicago Foundation for Women's past and most recent investment in our work means a great deal to us. Ours is a unique documentary and advocacy project, one that exists at the intersection of art, media, and social justice. CFW has supported our efforts since our beginnings, and they have played an important role in our growth. The staff and leadership at CFW continue to take great care in learning about our initiatives. Their recognition reminds us that there are funders who appreciate 'non-traditional' ways of making the world a more safe and just place for women and girls." To find our more about Chicago Foundation for Women, click here. Voices and Faces Project participant Jaclyn Friedman Named a "40 Under 40" Leader by the New Leaders Council Jaclyn Friedman, Program Director for The Center for New Words and co-editor of "Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power & a World Without Rape," has been named one of the nation's top "40 Under 40" leaders by the New Leaders Council (NLC). Jaclyn, a Voices and Faces Project participant, is being recognized for her "extraordinary ability to create progressive change in an innovative and thoughtful manner." In making their selections for this honor, NLC considered leaders from the labor, women’s rights, renewable energy, education, environmental protection, LGBT, health care, immigration, and working families movements. We are glad to see this newest public recognition for a powerful advocate in the fight for social justice. Congratulations, Jaclyn! Learn more about the awards and the NLC here. Anne Ream delivers keynote at the US Department of Justice sponsored SART Conference On May 28th, 2009, our founder, Anne K. Ream, delivered a keynote address at the US Department of Justice sponsored SART conference in Seattle, Washington. Speaking to an international audience of 780 policymakers, prosecutors, advocates, military and law enforcement personnel and media representatives, Anne called those in attendance to challenge public and private institutions that fail to address violence against women. An excerpt from her talk: "It can be hard to challenge a status quo that is the culture itself – particularly when we are members of the institutions that we must challenge. It is infinitely easier to allow these institutions – our governments, our media, our militaries, even our communities of faith - to blame victims of sexual violence for the damage that has been done to them. This is especially easy to do when the victims of such violence are so often told to remain invisible, and silent. But imagine a world in which individual victims stand up and become a collective, and that collective faces off against the status quo. We founded The Voices and Faces Project in order to create such a world. The women who share their stories with our documentary project do not do so because it is healing -- although it can be -- but because it is necessary in a world that fails to understand the scope and scale of sexual violence and trafficking in the United States, and beyond." One speech at a time, one story at a time, we believe that our work at The Voices and Faces Project, a national 501c3 organization, is changing minds, hearts and public policy. We encourage you to join us in our efforts, and are grateful to the courageous women whose testimony informs it. To find out more about our lobbying and speakers bureau, click here. The truth about the false reporting of rape: A new report co-written by our partners at End Violence Against Women International How often does the false reporting of rape occur? It is a question that policymakers, journalists and citizens at large are asking The Voices and Faces Project with greater frequency. A series of high-profile cases involving rape charges -- perhaps most notably, the events at Duke University -- seems to have fueled the public perception that the false reporting of rape is commonplace. This is a perception unsubstantiated by by any reliable data or the experiences of most in law enforcement and victim advocacy. We think that the best way to counter misperceptions about the false reporting of rape is with a careful and considered exploration of the facts. For this reason, we're pleased that Dr. Kim Lonsway, and Sgt. Joanne Archambault (Ret.) - our allies at End Violence Against Women International - along with Dr. David Lisak of the University of Massachusetts, have published a piece that looks closely at the issue of false reporting, challenging public attitudes while proposing new ways of responding to rape cases that are unsubstantiated. Their review of the available research points to the conclusion that only between 2-8% of rapes that are reported to law enforcement are false reports - meaning that investigation proved that the crime did not occur. To read the article, click here. Voices and Faces Project Founding Member Charlotte Pierce-Baker Named Director of Women's Studies at Vanderbilt University Professor Charlotte Pierce-Baker, founding member of The Voices and Faces Project, has been named Director of Vanderbilt University's Women's and Gender Studies Program. The program, formally instituted in 1988, will undoubtedly flourish and grow under Charlotte's wise and compassionate leadership. Charlotte, who is the author of "Surviving the Silence: Black Women's Stories of Rape," a book praised by Nobel Laureate Toni Morrison as "demand reading," has been an eloquent and outspoken advocate for victims for many years. When we founded The Voices and Faces Project in 2004, Charlotte was one of the first 5 women to join us in a non-traditional documentary initiative created to put names and faces on the issue of sexual violence. Today our community of 5 survivors has become nearly 300, and our work has taken us across the country, and the globe. Charlotte's courage and leadership has helped to make this possible. Congratulations, Charlotte, on your latest honor! Richard H. Driehaus Foundation Recognizes The Voices and Faces Project The Voices and Faces Project is pleased to announce a 2009 grant from the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation. The Driehaus Foundation benefits individuals and communities primarily by preserving and enhancing the built and natural environments through historic preservation, recognizing and encouraging quality community and landscape design, and conserving open space. The Foundation also supports the performing and visual arts and helps organizations that provide opportunities for economically disadvantaged individuals. "The Richard H. Driehaus Foundation's past and most recent investment in our work at The Voices and Faces Project means a great deal to us," notes Anne K. Ream, our project founder. "Ours is a unique documentary project, one that exists at the intersection of art, activism and social justice. Sunny Fischer, the Executive Director of the foundation, has been engaged in our efforts since we began our work in 2003, and she continues to take great care in learning about our initiatives. Elizabeth Driehaus has been an important ally, recognizing our work in the online world, and seeing early on that such work could change attitudes about violence against women. Their recognition reminds us that there are funders who support and appreciate 'non-traditional' ways of addressing social justice issues." To learn more about the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, visit here. A Rock Shock to the Status Quo: Our concert for survivors of sexual violence Join us as we rock, roll and rebel against the status quo. On April 26th we're hosting our second annual concert benefitting survivors of sexual violence, in partnership with our allies at PAVE (Promoting Awareness, Victim Empowerment) and CAASE (Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation). Join us at Schubas to hear live performances from our benefit cd, "The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One." Stock up on rock and roll gear: We've got silk screens, concert tees and limited edition cds for everyone in the house. Best of all, the show is only $10, and 100% of the profits will go to programs to end sexual violence. Get there early: you don't want to miss the special guest appearances, and if you're a fan of Martha Berner, The Laureates, or Tyler Jon Tyler, this is your night. For details, click here. The Voices and Faces Project at the Clinton School of Public Service On April 6th, Melva Luker, a founding member of The Voices and Faces Project's speakers bureau, and a board member at the Arkansas Coalition Against Sexual Assault, spoke at the Clinton School of Public Policy. Melva was joined by Cindy Dyer, former Director of the Office On Violence Against Women at the United States Department of Justice, and Dustin McDaniel, the Arkansas Attorney General. In her talk at the Clinton School, Melva - the mother of a rape survivor - advocated for not only an increased investment in rape crisis services and centers, but also a more compassionate communal response to victims: "I am holding a rock. The weight of that rock is irrelevant, but the longer I hold it the heavier it gets. So it is with remaining silent about rape. We cannot heal in a vacuum. Others help us carry our burden and we become survivors. We integrate it into our lives and begin the long process of healing, knowing that the trauma of rape will always be a part of our life's tapestry." We applaud Melva for her willingness to speak out, and are grateful for her eloquent and heartfelt advocacy for victims. We Are Many, We Are One: The Bandana Project in Chicago On April 8th, Dolores Huerta, co-founder (with Cesar Chavez) of the United Farm Workers union, Monica Ramirez of the Southern Poverty Law Center and Anne K. Ream of The Voices and Faces Project spoke at a press conference and public event promoting the Bandana Project, a national campaign to raise awareness of the sexual exploitation of farmworker and immigrant women. The gathering, held at the National Museum of Mexican Art in Chicago, was part of a national day of action to end sexual violence. The exploitation of farmworker women has received little public attention but is well-known to those who have been harassed and assaulted, many of whom remain silent about sexual exploitation on the job. "Often in these precarious situations, farmworker women are ashamed for themselves and their families and afraid of losing their jobs," said Mónica Ramírez, project director for Esperanza: The Immigrant Women's Legal Initiative of the SPLC, and a founding member of CounterQuo, an initiative sponsored by The Voices and Faces Project and the Victim Rights Law Center. "Through the Bandana Project, we try to bring a sense of hope, confidence and the will to be brave. It is our wish that these women will see our encouragement as a sign that they no longer have to suffer in silence." “With the current economy in a recession, working women and especially immigrant farmworker women are becoming more and more vulnerable. Everyone is somehow connected to farmworkers because they’re the ones who pick the fruits and vegetables we eat at our kitchen tables,” Huerta said at a public event attended by over 200 Chicago human rights and women's rights activists. For the full story, please visit People's Weekly World newspaper Join Voices and Faces Project member Gabe Wright at the Male Ally Conference at UIC Men Against Sexual Violence is holding its first annual Male Ally Conference at UIC. The Male Ally Conference is a two day event that seeks to engage men in ending transphobia, homophobia and violence against women. The conference will take place April 25th & 26th 2009, at UIC's Student Center East, the Illinois Rooms, 750 S. Halsted Chicago. The event is free and open to male-identified persons. The conference features men from all communities leading workshops on race and masculinity, disability and masculinity, trans-masculinity, and unlearning homophobia. During these workshops men will have the opportunity to talk about what it means to "be a man" and how race, transgender identity, sexual orientation, and disability intersect to change this meaning from community to community. Gabe Wright, one of the participants in The Voices and Faces Project whose story is featured on this website, will be leading one of the workshops. The second day of the conference takes theory to action with exercise to encourage coalition building and networking. If you would like more information about how to get involved or how to attend, contact Stephen Adler at masvuic@gmail.com For registration, please click here. Honoring Dolores Huerta, standing with farmworker women: Join us at a special Voices and Faces Project event On April 8th, The Voices and Faces Project, in partnership with the Southern Poverty Law Center and Mujeres Latinas en Acción, is hosting a free public event to raise awareness of the sexual exploitation of farmworker women. Labor activist Dolores Huerta, the recipient of the U.S. Presidential Eleanor D. Roosevelt Human Rights Award, will be our keynote speaker. Voices and Faces Project benefit cd artist Michelle Anthony, recently featured on public radio, will give a special live performance. The event will be held from 12 -2 at The National Museum of Mexican Art, 1852 West 19th Street, Chicago, IL. A complimentary light lunch will be served. "Thousands of Illinois farmworkers toil in agricultural jobs, harvesting and packing the fruits and vegetables that you and I consume. Many of these workers are women who are at great risk for workplace sexual violence due to their economic reality, status as immigrants and various other social and cultural factors. Perpetrators exploit these circumstances and use them as weapons to facilitate workplace sexual violence. Too often, victims are forced to endure such violence in silence, and alone," notes Anne K. Ream, one of the event organizers and the founder of The Voices and Faces Project. As human beings and as consumers we have a responsibility to take a stand against the sexual exploitation of workers in our communities, and beyond. We hope that you will stand with us, and look forward to seeing you on the 8th. Space is limited; please RSVP at media@voicesandfaces.org. The Voices and Faces Project recognized as one of "America's Best Charities" The Voices and Faces Project is pleased to have been recognized as one of "America's Best Charities" by the Board of Directors of Independent Charities of America (ICA). Independent Charities of America screens and certifies the nation's charities and presents them to givers in state, federal and other non-Combined Federal Campaign Workplace fund drives. Through its alliance with the Combined Federal Campaign and Women, Children & Family Service Charities of America, ICA identifies the most innovative, effective and community-focused non-profits in the nation, and brings them to the attention of workplace donors. "We are honored to be recognized as one of America's Best Charities, and pleased that such recognition will make it possible for us to raise awareness of and secure funding through corporate, state and federal employee fund drives," notes Aimee Noffsinger, The Voices and Faces Project Director of Social Entrepreneurship. "Ours is a non-profit documentary project that is mission driven and community-focused. Being recognized for what is in many ways a 'non-traditional' non-profit model is especially rewarding." Congo/Women: An international photography exhibition, February 5 - 14 in Chicago Through our work with The Voices and Faces Project, a documentary initiative created to bring the testimony of sexual violence survivors to the attention of the public, we have seen firsthand how difficult it is for women to come forward with their testimony. Yet we know that the barriers faced by our sisters in other countries and regions -- especially regions where there is military conflict -- are often far greater than any we have encountered in the United States. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, tens of thousands of women have been raped in what United Nations officials have called the worst violence against women in the world. In a culture where rape brings victims more shame than assistance, how are women finding safe ways to speak out about their suffering? What role can testimony play in changing public attitudes and responses to sexual violence and crimes of war? Congo/Women -- a series of portraits of war from the Democratic Republic of Congo -- explores these themes in a way that calls us to greater compassion and action. The exhibition features photographs by Lynsey Addario, Marcus Bleasdale, Ron Haviv and James Nachtwey. The exhibition is free and open to the public February 5 - 14th at Columbia College, Chicago, 1006 South Michigan Avenue. It will then travel to Washington, DC and New York City. Please join us in viewing this important exhibition, and acting on the political challenges such work imposes on us. For details, visit here. The Voices and Faces Project and Arts Entrepreneurship: Our talk at Columbia College One February 3rd, 2009, The Voices and Faces Project (TVFP) was part of a unique presentation and Q&A at Columbia College, Chicago. Our founder, Anne Ream, sat down with Columbia College instructor Kathe Telingator, creator of Chicago Public Radio's Stories on Stage, for a wide-ranging discussion on our social entrepreneurial projects, including the making of our benefit cd, "The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One." "The Voices and Faces Project is both artistic and entrepreneurial by design, " notes Aimee Noffsinger, our director of social entrepreneurship. "Our initiative marries a social justice mission to a series of creative and documentary projects, and we work closely with the artistic community to bring these projects to life." Though the advocates, artists and allies working with The Voices and Faces Project share an important goal -- creating a world in which violence against women is not tolerated -- we believe that there are very different ways to reach that goal. Our talk at Columbia was a chance for us to share our work and to engage the student body, encouraging the development of a new generation of anti-violence activists who are media and creatively savvy. Anne Ream to give keynote at US Department of Justice Campus Institute On February 11, 2009, Voices and Faces Project founder Anne Ream will travel to Hawaii to speak at the US Department of Justice Campus Institute, a national meeting of leaders and officials from institutions of higher education working to end violence against women. The problem of sexual violence on college campuses is a serious one. Recent statistics indicate that five percent of women enrolled in a college or university will experience rape or attempted rape in any given academic year. Over the course of their college career, 11.5% of women enrolled in college will experience rape or attempted rape. Other studies point to an even more troubling statistic: over half of college women who described an incident of "completed rape" to researchers did not consider that they had been raped. In sharing the documentary work that we are doing at The Voices and Faces Project with campus officials from schools across the nation, our hope is that we can change minds and hearts on this issue -- while encouraging a more compassionate and just response to victims on college campuses. TVFP participant Janet Goldblatt Holmes reaches out to high school students in Toronto, Canada Speaking out about rape and abuse is an important way that we can change the attitudes that lead to such violence. Encouraging a candid discussion about sexual violence at the high school and college level is especially important, since women and girls age 16 - 25 are a "high risk" group. Recently, Janet Goldblatt Holmes, a member of The Voices and Faces Project – Canada, took the lead in reaching out to a diverse community of high school students in Toronto, Canada. Speaking on the topic of date rape and sharing her essay, “The Burden of Silence,” Janet spoke candidly of her own experience and challenged the students to think about why sexual violence occurs, what they can do to help end it, and how finding a safe place to share one's story can be helpful. “This was the first time I spoke publicly about my rape,” notes Janet. “My primary focus was to encourage these young women who have been raped to tell someone they trusted; and to let them know that they have done nothing wrong. I talked about how few victims still come forward to report their rapes, and what we at The Voices and Faces Project are doing to help change that.” “A young Sri Lankan woman said that if she experienced sexual assault, she would go to the police, yet felt uneasy about telling her family, noting that in her culture, family can mean telling up to 500 people! I was moved by her honesty, and reminded of the many barriers to openness that exist," continued Janet, whose moving essay on sexual violence was recently published in the Toronto Globe and Mail. We applaud Janet for finding her own voice and sharing that voice with others. To arrange a speaker for your community group or school, email media@voicesandfaces.org. The Voices and Faces Project Partnership with the US Department of Justice We founded The Voices and Faces Project with a simple goal: finding new ways to meet the needs and advocate for the rights of victims of sexual violence. Meeting that goal meant challenging ourselves - and one another -- to think differently about the fight to end violence. Through our work with survivors, we came to believe that the traditional (and important) rape crisis center model -- "if you build it, they will come" -- must be supported by a secondary strategy: meeting people "where they are." With this in mind, we at The Voices and Faces Project have made educating and engaging communities of faith a top priority. "We believe that the development of a new generation of religious leadership that is both activist and compassionate on the issue of sexual violence is critical, and through our Faith-Based and Community Initiative Partnership with the US Department of Justice we have actively worked to do so," notes Anne Ream, who founded our project and has played a critical role in creating our community outreach and lobbying bureau. The Voices and Faces Project is a non-partisan and all-inclusive organization, one in which women and men of various communities, creeds, identities and ideologies come together around this shared belief: the right to live free of rape and sexual assault must be embraced by our culture and our laws. We are not there yet, and there is much work to do. But through an ongoing dialogue with those open to our message, we believe that we will change things. To find out more about our partnership with the United States Department of Justice, email: aream@voicesandfaces.org Thank you, Studs: Honoring an ally in the fight to end sexual violence When Pulitzer Prize-winning author and humanitarian Studs Terkel passed away in October, 2008, the world mourned the loss of a rare breed of humanitarian. Calvin Trillin called Studs "America's pre-eminent listener." Studs - whose work as an oral historian has served as a model for our own Chicago-based documentary efforts - was especially appreciated by member of The Voices and Faces Project. In 2006 he joined our supporters and project participants at a special Chicago event to raise awareness of sexual violence, one that honored Voices and Faces advisor Jamie Kalven, a human rights writer and Terkel friend. We at The Voices and Faces Project will remember Studs for his passion and his desire to bring the voice of the people to the attention of the powerful. We thank him for paving the way for all who seek to further social justice goals through documentary work. Share our memories of Studs from the 2006 rape victim advocates event click here Say yes to "Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power & A World Without Rape" "No means no." It's language that is familiar to many high school and college students, and an important part of most anti sexual violence education efforts. What those of us working to end rape have talked much less about is the right to say "Yes." We at The Voices and Faces Project believe that the freedom to decide whether, when, where, how, and with whom to have sexual intimacy is a civil right that should be upheld in our nation’s laws and culture. Put another way, our right to say "Yes" to sexual intimacy matters as much as our right to say "No." Voices and Faces Project ally Jaclyn Friedman, in partnership with her co-editor, Jessica Valenti, now brings us an important new book that explores these themes. "Yes Means Yes: Visions of Female Sexual Power and a World Without Rape" calls for a greater understanding of and respect for female sexual pleasure as part of a societal effort to end violence against women. With an introduction by comedian Margaret Cho and a host of contributors willing to challenge the status quo, we think it's a book worth reading -- and discussing. Please join The Voices and Faces Project at two Chicago "Yes Means Yes" events on Feb. 19: A noon brown bag discussion at Hull House sponsored by Public Square & University of Illinois-Circle, and a 7:30PM reading at Women & Children First. To find our more about Yes Means Yes visit Help End Sexual Violence. Vote Online by Jan. 15 Help us bring the issue of sexual violence to the attention of the incoming administration. Your vote at Change.org will show President Obama that ending rape and abuse must be a priority. The issue "Get Serious about Ending Sexual Violence" is in the finals of the Change.org online poll (but currently in 47th place). Bringing this issue into the top 10 will take will and work! Please help us do this by voting online and emailing this article to your friends and family, asking them to do the same. Voting ends January 15 at 5 pm eastern time, so it's important to take action now. The top 10 ideas will get presented to the Obama administration on Jan. 16 at a national press event. Why does your vote matter? More than thirty-five years after the advent of the rape crisis movement we have not fulfilled our promise to end or even to dramatically reduce sexual violence in our country. Criminal justice outcomes for sexual assault crimes remain static. Civil rights protections for rape survivors are virtually non-existent. Our public discourse about rape and abuse, largely driven by a series of high-profile cases, often blames victims for the damage that has been done to them. Many of us working in the anti sexual violence movement believe now is the time to turn it around. (Please visit http://www.counterquo.org for more on the subject.). We hope you'll join us as we work to make a difference. cast your vote here. Join us at a Voices and Faces Project sponsored event at the DePaul College of Law, Wednesday, February 11th Noted pornography authority Robert Jensen argues in his new book, GETTING OFF: PORNOGRAPHY AND THE END OF MASCULINITY, that the pervasive misogyny of today’s pornography is altering what it means to be human and what it means to be a man and a woman in today's culture. Join us for a provocative discussion about pornography and its many effects, sponsored by the DePaul College of Law and featuring a presentation by Dr. Jensen. Dr. Jensen's talk will be followed by a men's reactor panel includes Samir Goswami, Public Policy Director at the Chicago Alliance Against Sexual Exploitation (CAASE), and R. Clifton Spargo, a Visiting Associate Professor at Yale University who has written extensively about the status of the victim in Western culture, and serves as the literary and ethics advisor to The Voices and Faces Project. We encourage you to attend a discussion that will address the links between pornography and sexual violence, while exploring issues of free speech and creative representation. See you on Wednesday, February 11th! DePaul Center • Room 8005 • One East Jackson Boulevard 2:15 - 3:15 — Lecture 3:15 - 4:15 — Men’s Reactor panel and discussion 4:15 - 5:00 — Reception and book sale and signing No RSVP required. Co‐sponsored by DePaul College of Law Center for Public Interest Law and The Voices and Faces Project Katie Hnida, Voices and Faces Project member, featured in "Note to Self," a new Simon and Schuster book. Kudos, Katie! One of our very first Voices and Faces Project members, football star Katie Hnida, has authored an essay in "Note to Self," a book in which thirty diverse women share their stories with writer and director Andrea Buchanan. Other contributors include Sheryl Crow, Emmy Award-winning actress Camryn Manheim, stuntwoman Stacy Courtney and seventy-year-old HIV-positive grandmother Beverly London. With a focus on lessons learned at defining points in these women's lives, each of these powerful stories reminds us of one of our favorite sayings: "When in doubt, listen to women." Katie Hnida is an outspoken advocate for survivors of sexual violence and a longstanding member of our leadership team. Named People Magazine's "#1 Teen Most Likely to Change the World," Katie has used her own story to challenge stereotypes about rape victims, while engaging in a public dialogue about the underlying causes of such violence, particularly in the world of sport. We thank her for "finding her voice," and using that voice on behalf of other women and girls. “I am truly honored to be a part of such an amazing project,” says Katie. Katie, the honor is all ours. To find our more about the book, visit here. The Voices and Faces Project partners with "Making a Difference Canada" Meet our newest ally in the fight to end sexual violence: "Making a Difference Canada. " The "Making a Difference Canada" project was created to challenge the Canadian justice system to more effectively prosecute sexual offenders. We at The Voices and Faces Project believe that this is only possible when the public (and prospective jurors) understand sexual violence, and encounter the voices and faces of its victims. For this reason, we are pleased that the survivor stories at the heart of The Voices and Faces Project will now be enlisted in the efforts of our "Making a Difference Project" allies. Research shows that the criminal justice systems in the U.S. and Canada, as in other countries, are less likely to prosecute incidents of sexual assault if there is relationship between the victim and the accused, and there is no sign of physical injury. However, these two characteristics are typical for the majority of adult sexual assaults. "In our work on The Voices and Faces Project we have seen first hand that the vast majority of sexual violence victims know their assailants. Our hope is that the testimony of the women on our project -- some of whose stories will now be featured on the "Making a Difference Canada" website -- will tell the real story, leading to greater justice for victims, and a deeper public understanding of violence against women," notes Anne K. Ream, our project founder. The "Making a Difference Canada" project is supported by the William H. Donner Canada Foundation. We are especially grateful to Stephanie Hanson, of the U.S, Donner Foundation (a supporter of The Voices and Faces Project), for facilitating our partnership and collaboration. To find our more, visit here. Charlotte Pierce-Baker Featured in Updated Classic, "The Courage to Heal" "The Courage to Heal" has been helpful in guiding rape survivors and their loved ones through recovery since 1988. An updated version is being reissued, on the 20th anniversary of the book's publication, with more resources and new information included. That alone would be cause for celebration. In addition, though we are quite pleased to learn that "Surviving the Silence: Black Women's Stories of Rape," a groundbreaking book by The Voices and Faces Project's Charlotte Pierce-Baker, has been added to the resource list in "The Courage to Heal." The inclusion is especially touching to Charlotte because "The Courage to Heal" is one of the books she herself turned to when she was harmed by rape. Charlotte notes, "I never ever had any idea that the one book I used and needed so badly would one day find me!" To learn more about "The Courage to Heal" or to order it, click here. Please join us at "Tools of War: Violence Against Women in African Conflicts" Through our work with The Voices and Faces Project, a documentary initiative created to bring the testimony of sexual violence survivors to the attention of the public, we have seen firsthand how difficult it is for women to come forward with their testimony. Yet we know that the barriers faced by our sisters in other countries and regions -- especially regions where there is military conflict -- are most often far greater than any we have encountered in the United States. In the Democratic Republic of the Congo, tens of thousands of women have been raped in what the United Nations officials have called the worst violence against women in the world. In a culture where rape brings victims more shame than assistance, how are women finding safe ways to speak out about their suffering? What role can testimony play in changing public attitudes and responses to sexual violence and crimes of war? We encourage you to attend a panel discussion that explores such issues. "Tools of War: Violence Against Women In African Conflicts," brought to you by the Illinois Humanities Council, will feature panelists Lynette Jackson, Professor of Gender Studies and African Studies at The University of Illinois Chicago; Ngozi Udoye, CEO and President of African Women in America; and Prexy Nesbitt, Speaker and Educator on Africa, foreign policy, and racism. This program is free and open to the public. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 312.443.3800. Please join The Voices and Faces Project in attending and supporting this important event. Sunday, December 7th 5:00pm Goodman Theatre 170 North Dearborn Street Chicago Free, fun and for a great cause: Join us at a TVFP benefit trunk show/open house December 6th Material Spirit Imports travels the world in search of inspired art, textiles, jewelry, and gifts. In recent months, they've been to Thailand, China, Turkey, and Morocco. On December 6th, Helen Kaplow, head buyer and owner of Material Spirit, is hosting a special trunk show/open house benefiting The Voices & Faces Project. Please join Kary Ream, Angela Rose, Gabe Wright, Tracey Stevens, Rachel Durchslag, Aimee Noffsinger, Xiomy Rodriguez-Fahs and other TVFP friends and supporters for an early start to your holiday shopping, along with culturally coordinated cocktails and snacks. 15% of the day's sales will support our TVFP documentary project. Bonus: You'll be doing good while shopping well. Material Spirit proudly imports handcrafted merchandise that provides sustainable income to lower income communities across the globe. Material Spirit/Voices and Faces Project Trunk Show 4 - 8 pm (stop in any time and your cocktail will be waiting!) 727 South Dearborn, Suite 212 West (2 blocks south of Congress on Dearborn Street) http://www.materialspirit.com Action item: Help sexually assaulted women in the military find justice Women in the military are silently struggling. In 2007, there were 2,688 reported sexual assaults in the armed forces. Troublingly, most victims are forced to pay for their own rape kit (victims' files containing DNA samples, interviews, photographs of injuries and other evidence). TRICARE, the U.S. Department of Defense Military Health System, will only pay for rape kits if the victim is seen in a military or VA facility. However, an estimated 80 percent of cases go unreported, with victims choosing to go off-base to protect their anonymity or careers. Women in the military deserve better. In the upcoming administration, the appointed Secretary of Veterans Affairs needs to be aware of the additional vulnerability female soldiers face, and the lack of support they sometimes receive. Urge the new Secretary to reform TRICARE so that rape kits are covered, regardless of where victims choose to go for an examination. To make your voice heard on this issue, please consider signing this petition. Our allies at the Southern Poverty Law have launched the "Bandana Project." Find out more, and get involved! Our allies at the Southern Poverty Law Center recently launched the "Bandana Project," a creative social justice initiative that seeks to bring the sexual exploitation of farmworker women to the attention of the public. The SPLC is inviting members of the farmworker community and others to decorate bandanas that will be displayed in museums, community centers and schools as a symbolic gesture to raise awareness of the sexual exploitation of these vulnerable women. The project has adopted the bandana as a symbol of solidarity because many farmworker women use bandanas on the job to cover their faces and bodies in an attempt to ward off the unwanted sexual attention that often leads to rape. The exploitation of farmworker women has received little public attention but is well-known to those who have been harassed and assaulted, many of whom remain silent about sexual exploitation on the job. "Often in these precarious situations, farmworker women are ashamed for themselves and their families and afraid of losing their jobs," said Mónica Ramírez, project director for Esperanza: The Immigrant Women's Legal Initiative of the SPLC, and a founding member of CounterQuo, an initiative sponsored by The Voices and Faces Project and the Victim Rights Law Center. "Through the Bandana Project, we try to bring a sense of hope, confidence and the will to be brave. It is our wish that these women will see our encouragement as a sign that they no longer have to suffer in silence." The work being done by Mónica and our allies at SPLC is creative, compassionate and important. We encourage you to find out more about it here. Do good by shopping well: Your holiday purchase from these stores supports The Voices and Faces Project As you begin your holiday shopping, searching for the perfect gifts - or something perfect for yourself -we invite you to check out one of the fabulous web sites below. Any online purchase will support our work at The Voices and Faces Project. Certaintees: A right-this-moment tee-shirt collection by artist Lee Tracy Certaintees is "wearable wisdom" including a line created exclusively for The Voices and Faces Project. Profits from every Certaintees sold help us do our work on behalf of survivors of sexual violence. http://www.certaintees.com The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One: A benefit cd that, well, rocks If you're all about the music, buy the album Virgin Records calls a "who's who of today's hottest indie artists," including Neko Case, the New Pornographers, Motion City Soundtrack, and more. 100% of the proceeds from sales of this record benefit The Voices and Faces Project. Perfect for the urban hipster on your list. Start stuffing stockings. http://www.canasongchangetheworld.com Lip Goddess: Great cause, great lips Lip Goddess gets you gorgeous (and gives The Voices and Faces Project a boost, too). This fabulous new line of lip products was created with unique anti-oxidants, essential vitamins, marine collagens, rare amino acids and botanicals. IMPORTANT NOTE: When making an online Lip Goddess purchase, make sure to type "The Voices and Faces Project" into the comment section and "Sales Rep" when asked how you heard about us". Then, Lip Goddess will make a donation to our project for every item purchased. http://www.lipgoddess.com Happy shopping! Anne Ream on the "New Beauty Normal" for the November 16 Chicago Tribune We encourage you to read the Sunday November 16th Chicago Tribune, where Anne K. Ream has a piece on the "New Beauty Normal." Exploring how and why women are looking younger, and girls are looking older (a phenomenon the American Psychological Association calls "Age Compression"), Anne addresses how marketing, media and the 15 billion dollar beauty industry has created a seemingly ageless female ideal. Because representations of women shape attitudes about women -- and contribute to a culture in which violence against women occurs -- we think it's worth a read. Check out the article here. Voices and Faces Project founding member Katie Feifer receives Avon's Hello Tomorrow Fund award Four years ago, when we founded The Voices and Faces Project -- a national documentary initiative that seeks to bring the testimony of survivors of sexual violence to the attention of the public -- we started with the stories of five women (we now have an archive of over 300). Katie Feifer was one of those original five barrier-breakers: a survivor of sexual violence who was willing to stand up, speak out and put her name and face on an issue that often leaves women silenced (for very good reason). Katie went on to become a champion of the rights and needs of other rape survivors, and a critical member of The Voices and Faces Project leadership team. Her willingness to challenge the status quo and to talk about sexual violence in the private sector and the public square has made her an often-seen "face" on this issue. For this reason we are delighted but not at all surprised that Katie has been honored with the Avon Hello Tomorrow Fund Award, which recognizes and invests in programs and ideas that empower women and improve communities. To find out more about Katie and the award, which will support The Voices and Faces Project and CounterQuo (www.counterquo.org), our joint project with the Victim Rights Law Center in Boston, click on the following links. shop.avon.com voicesandfaces.org/survivor_katie.asp Our research advisor, Jody Raphael, featured in Chicago Life, a New York Times supplement We encourage you to take a moment to read about an important new book that is featured in the November 2008 issue of Chicago Life, a New York Times publication. "Freeing Tammy: Women, Drugs and Incarceration," is the latest book written by DePaul University scholar (and Voices and Faces Project research adviser) Jody Raphael. This third book in Raphael's trilogy on women, poverty and violence addresses the damage done by childhood sexual assault while taking a critical look at our incarceration policies. Tammy Johnson, who has shared her story with Jody, is a participant in The Voices and Faces Project. We commend Tammy for her courage and her powerful and important voice, and thank Jody for taking on the "hard issues" that too few are willing to address. To read Anne Ream's Chicago Life review of "Freeing Tammy" please click on the link below and scroll down. www.chicagolife.net The Comer Foundation recognizes The Voices and Faces Project The Voices and Faces Project is pleased to announce a 2008 grant from the Comer Foundation, a private family foundation dedicated to supporting innovative programs making a positive impact on the lives of individuals and communities. Other Comer Foundation grantees include the Art Institute of Chicago, Access Works, the Smithsonian Photography Initiative in Washington, the Field Museum of Chicago, and the University of Chicago, among others. "The Comer Foundation's past and most recent investment in our work at The Voices and Faces Project means a great deal to us," notes Anne K. Ream, our project founder. "Ours is a unique documentary project, one that exists at the intersection of art, activism and social justice. We are grateful that Stephanie Comer, the President of the Comer Foundation, continues to take such care in learning about our ongoing documentary work and its practical applications. Her recognition of our efforts to change public policies and attitudes through a media-driven project remind us that there are funders who support and appreciate 'non-traditional' ways of addressing social justice issues. The Comer Foundation gift will allow The Voices and Faces Project to continue and in fact expand our efforts. For that, we are most grateful to Stephanie and the Comer Foundation board." To learn more about the Comer Foundation, visit www.comer-foundation.com Join us on Oct. 11th for a public reading and discussion featuring TVFP founder Anne Ream The Voices and Faces Project is proud to be a part of the "Festival of Changing Women," an exhibition, workshop, and public reading series at Bette Cerf Hill Gallery-Chicago, weekends October 11 - 26th. A percentage of proceeds from the series, brought to you as part of Chicago Artists Month, will benefit The Voices and Faces Project. "Changing Women" takes a fresh look at concepts of feminine beauty, wisdom, aging and truth. Fine art photographers Barbara Ciurej and Lindsay Lockman will exhibit original prints from their new book, "All Things Are Always Changing," and nationally syndicated feminist cartoonist and playright Nicole Hollander will display her original cartoons and sign copies of her newest book. The reading series will feature new work by writers Nicole Hollander, Sunny Fischer and our very own Anne K. Ream, who will be giving a talk and leading a discussion on the "New Beauty Normal" at 1 pm on October 11th. Representations of women shape attitudes about women -- and contribute to a culture in which violence against women occurs. We commend Bette Cerf Hill Gallery for challenging outdated concepts of femininity through a gallery event that will provoke and inspire. For details and directions visit www.bettecerfhill.com Susan Estrich, Charlotte Pierce-Baker, Anne Ream and Susan Vickers found "CounterQuo" It has become conventional wisdom, in anti- violence circles, to believe that silence stands in the way of justice. Through slogans and public statements – "stop the silence, end sexual violence" – great faith has been placed in testimony. There has been an implicit promise in the language of the rape crisis movement: if victims speak out, their words have the power to create change. Yet more than 35 years after the advent of the rape crisis movement, have we fulfilled our promise? Criminal justice outcomes for sexual assault crimes remain static. Civil rights protections for rape survivors are virtually non-existent. Cultural representations of violence against women (in film, music, TV and the 24/7 world of the blogosphere) treats as normal that which is harmful. Our public discourse about rape and abuse, largely driven by a series of high-profile cases, often blames victims for the damage that has been done to them. We think it's time to turn that around. So the leadership at The Victim Rights Law Center - the first legal center in the country fully dedicated to protecting the civil rights of sexual violence survivors - and The Voices and Faces Project have founded CounterQuo: a national initiative that seeks to challenge and change the way the culture responds to sexual. To find out more about CounterQuo, and to be a part of our efforts, visit www.counterquo.org The Voices and Faces Project co-sponsors “The Price of Pleasure,” a documentary on the damage done by pornography The Voices and Faces Project is partnering with The Chicago Alliance against Sexual Exploitation and Open Lens Media in New York City to host the screening of a new documentary about the pornography industry, "The Price of Pleasure." Pornography, one of the most visible and profitable sectors in the United States, is $13 billion dollar industry. The damage it does to millions of women and children in the United States and across the globe is far greater than even these stunning numbers suggest. The film's two directors and its author, Dr Robert Jenson, will be in Chicago for the screening, which will be followed by a talk- back and audience discussion. Please join us for what promises to be a compelling and informative event, one that considers how and why understanding and resisting the "culture of pornography" we live in is critical for those of us seeking to end violence against women. Event Details: Facets Chicago, Oct 11, 12:30 pm. For additional details visit http://www.caase.org The Voices and Faces Project recognized by the William H. Donner Foundation The Voices and Faces Project is pleased to announce our newest grantor, the William H. Donner Foundation. This pioneering foundation, incorporated in 1961 by William H. Donner, the founder of Union Steel, has funded a wide range of vital institutions, including the Nature Conservancy, Teach for America, American Foreign Policy Council, the Alexis de Tocqueville Institution, and the National Gallery of Art. In choosing their grantees, the Trustees and Officers of The William H. Donner Foundation have held steadfast to two key philanthropic principles of their founder: acceptance of clearly defined risks and the judicious use of incentive grants to advance thoughtful, creative projects. With this criteria in mind, we at The Voices and Faces Project are especially honored to be a Donner Foundation grantee. "The William H. Donner Foundation's investment in our work at The Voices and Faces Project is both practically and symbolically important to us," notes Anne Ream, our own project founder. "Ours is a unique documentary project, one that exists at the intersection between art, activism and social justice -- a position that can pose challenges for funders, because our organization does not fit neatly into a single category. We are grateful that the Trustees and Officers at the Donner Foundation took such care in learning about our work, and came away understanding how The Voices and Faces Project is changing minds and public policy through a variety of creative, media-driven initiatives. Their generous gift to our project is humbling and also exciting, as it will allow us to expand our efforts and identify new ways to shift the public discourse on rape and abuse." Join The Voices and Faces Project at an October 29th benefit for our partners at JusticePASH Join us at Juicy Wine Company for a wine tasting featuring master sommelier, author, and host of WTTW's Check, Please!, Alpana Singh. The event will benefit the Justice Project Against Sexual Harm (JusticePASH), a first-of-its kind non-profit center providing affordable, innovative legal representation and policy advocacy for survivors of sexual assault and exploitation. The Voices and Faces Project founder, Anne K. Ream, serves on the board of JusticePASH, and we are strong supporters of this important partner organization. Tickets are $100 in advance, $120 at the door. Your gift includes a tasting of an exciting selection of wines and fabulous array of gourmet appetizers provided by Juicy Wine Company, a buzzworthy wine bar located in the River West area, 694 N. Milwaukee Ave. The event time is 6:00 PM - 8:30 PM. For details, visit www.justicepash.org Get our benefit CD, The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One, free with a purchase from Certaintees Certaintees is the "right-this-moment" tee-shirt collection created by artist Lee Tracy for The Voices and Faces Project. This is "wearable wisdom" that supports a good cause: profits from every Certaintees sold help us do our work on behalf of survivors of sexual violence. For a limited time, when you buy two Certaintees you'll get a free CD! "The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One" features a "who's who" of hot indie artists like Neko Case, Motion City Soundtrack, the New Pornographers, and Joseph Arthur. Named one of the year's "Top 25" releases by trendsetter Amoeba Records, the album features 17 great indie-rock tracks (nine of them all-new). 100% of the proceeds from the record support our work on behalf of sexual violence survivors. To hear the recent Public Radio piece featuring songs from our benefit CD -- and to listen in on an interview with record co-producer Anne K. Ream -- click onto the link that follows. You'll find our more about the record, Certaintees and our great, free offer: www.certaintees.com Introducing all-new Certaintees: Buy the shirt that supports The Voices and Faces Project! Artist, environmentalist and Voices and Faces Project partner Lee Tracy has a new and exciting line of tee shirts! Her innovative company, Certaintees, offers limited edition tees that are socially and environmentally responsible, expressive and fun to wear. Most importantly, Lee created Certaintees to support organizations -- like The Voices and Faces Project -- that exist to make the world a better place. A percentage of every shirt sold goes to our project. “It took 3 years, and I was like a bee with a fever,” says Lee of her creation of her newest line of tee-shirts that convey socially responsible messages. Lee's artistic endeavors are stimulating and thought provoking, and her commitment to the health and well being of our environment (and those who live in it) is truly inspiring. A well regarded artist, Lee's numerous creative projects and contributions reach people across the world. To see Lee's newest limited-edition tee shirts, and learn more about Lee’s contributions to society, visit: www.certaintees.com How we do what we do: A special thank you to our past and current funders and supporters The Voices and Faces Project is a national documentary initiative and a registered 501c3 (non profit) organization. Many have asked us how we fund our work. We are largely funded (and staffed) by a community of advocates, activists, artists, writers and sexual violence survivors who believe that our mission -- bringing the testimony of sexual assault survivors to the attention of the public through a series of creative and media driven projects -- is a unique and worthy one. In fact, over ninety percent of the costs associated with operating our project have come from our founding leadership team, a bi-partisan community of women who have invested their time, money and social capital in our mission. We have also built The Voices and Faces Project by enlisting numreous private sector partners, including Winston and Strawn LLP, Leo Burnett USA, Starcom USA, 15Letters, Inc., Stone Ward Advertising, and Burn and Shiver Records, among others. Thanks to their generous in-kind donations, we have been able to generate millions (yes, millions) of dollars in media exposure for the issue of sexual assault. Finally, we are grateful for the support of the United States Department of Justice, the Richard H. Driehaus Foundation, the Chicago Community Trust, the Chicago Foundation for Women, the Arie and Ida Crown Memorial Foundation, the Little Angel Foundation, and the Winnetka Congregational Church. These local and national foundations and organizations have seen the value of our work, and have invested in it. If you are interested in supporting our work at The Voices and Faces Project, please contact katie@voicesandfaces.org. We're changing. Are you? Join us at a special exhibition at Cerf Hill Gallery in Chicago Dare to long term plan! Join us at "The Festival of Changing Women" at Cerf Hill Gallery in Chicago, October 10 - 26, 2008. Take a fresh look at concepts of feminine beauty, wisdom, truth and aging through an exhibition and discussion series. Fine art photographers Barbara Ciurej and Lindsay Lockman will exhibit original prints from their new book, "All Things Are Always Changing," and nationally syndicated feminist cartoonist and playright Nicole Hollander will display her original cartoons and sign her own new book, "The Tales of Graceful Aging from the Planet Denial." Bonus: Readings from new work by writers Nicole Hollander, Sunny Fischer and our very own Anne K. Ream. A percentage of proceeds from the festival will benefit The Voices and Faces Project. Special thanks to Bette Cerf Hill, a longtime Voices and Faces Project supporter whose gallery is a mecca for fresh, unexpected work and the interesting people who do it. See you in October! For details: www.bettecerfhill.com Karen Carroll, founding member of TVFP, instrumental in getting Suspect Exam program started in New York City On Monday July 14, NYC mayor Michael Bloomberg announced two new measures to protect sexual assault victims, and prosecute sex crime perpetrators: a Suspect Evidence Collection Kit, and a new Ambulence Protocol Kit. Karen D Carrroll, a RN and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (and a founding members of TVFP) was instrumental in the development of these new measures, which will be used to collect evidence in NYC sexual assault and rape cases. The new kit, which will require the consent of the suspect or a court order, will make collection of critical and time sensitive evidence from suspects more routine. To read more about the program, and the new ambulance protocol, click onto: www.nyc.gov We congratulate Karen on her awesome work to help sexual assault and rape victims, and her endeavors to create a safer environment in which to live. Meet our new Coordinator of Online Outreach: Alisa Roadcup Survivors of sexual violence often find information, inspiration and support online. Our own work at voicesandfaces.org has convinced us that in order to meet the needs of a new generation of survivors, advocates must go beyond "brick and mortar" spaces and have a presence in the online world. For this reason, we are especially pleased that Alisa Roadcup has joined The Voices and Faces Project as our Coordinator of Online Outreach. Alisa has worked for Amnesty International's Stop Violence Against Women Campaign, served as a client advocate for survivors of sexual assault, and designed, implemented, and managed educational programming for Fresh Start Women's Resource Center in Phoenix. Along with her new role at The Voices and Faces Project, Alisa works for Step Up Women's Network in Chicago. She is passionate about issues impacting women and girls, and committed to finding creative ways to serve survivors in the online world. “The Voices and Faces Project is an extraordinary organization that offers survivors a supportive medium to explore and express their own voice,” says Alisa, who is a survivor-participant in our project and has shared her own testimony. “When I went on (voicesandfaces.org) and read the survivors' testimony, I was so impressed by the courage of each person portrayed - each in their own voice. This project is exploring the issue of sexual violence from many perspectives and going above and beyond the 'status quo' in terms of their vision, innovation and creativity.” Welcome, Alisa! We look forward to working with you to expand our online capacity. Join our allies at PAVE, and IL Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office, at an important public event Too often, survivors of sexual violence face an uphill battle when pursuing justice through civil or criminal legal channels. In the court of law and the court of public opinon, victims are often blamed for the damage that has been done to them. It takes courage to speak out about sexual violence in the public realm, as the challenges faced by victims who seek legal justice are myriad. How can we work together to address these challenges? How do we encourage people from all points on the political spectrum to become more engaged in building a justice system that is truly just? Advocates, policymakers, legal minds and victims don't always agree on solutions, but they do agree on this: changing the system means challenging the system -- and engaging in a public dialogue about the rights and role of the victim in the criminal justice system. For this reason, we hope you'll join us at a special lecture featuring author and legal scholar Wendy Murphy and public policy director Jen Welch, who will be representing Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan's office, and is a longtime Voices and Faces Project ally. "And Justice for Some: When the Law Fails Victims, What You Can Do About It" promises to be an evening of engaged and engaging voices, one that we hope you can attend. When: Thursday, July 10, 6-8pm. Where: East-West University, 816 S. Michigan Ave. Mark Your Calendar: June 23rd LAFMC luncheon, keynote presenters Jamie Kalven, Patricia Evans On June 23rd, Jamie Kalven, author, activist and advisor on TVFP along with Patricia Evans, photographer for TVFP will be keynote presenters at the annual luncheon for the Legal Assistance Foundation of Metroplitan Chicago (LAFMC). As featured speaker, Jamie will talk on "The Face of Poverty - A View from the Ground", with photographs by Patricia Evans. LAFMC provides legal assistance to low income residents of Cook County in civil cases, including domestic violence. Studies have shown--and advocates often see--that violence makes and keeps women poor. Those of us working on sexual and domestic violence issues must be engaged in a public discussion about povery and its effects on victims. Jamie and Patsy have been especially vigilant about addressing sexual violence, poverty and the link between different forms of oppression. We commend them and thank them. We highly recommend, if you live in the Chicago area, that you attend this luncheon. To read more about LAFMC and the services which they offer, go to: http:/www.lafchicago.org/content/view/22/47 Soroptimist International, a non-governmental organization at the United Nations, honors Anne K. Ream 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 TVFP founder Anne 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 internationally, and here at home. Citing Anne's essays and opinion pieces on women's issues, her work with "The Voices and Faces Project," her co-founding, with attorneys Susan Estrich and Susan Vickers, of "CounterQuo," and her role in the introduction of "Jenny's Law" (United States House Resolution 5564), 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: www.soroptimist.org Our research advisor, Jody Raphael, responds to "Prostitution Looks Chic But Truth is Ugly." Voices and Faces Project research advisor Jody Raphael responded to the 4/27 Chicago Tribune essay on prostitution and sexual violence (by writers Anne Ream and R. Clifton Spargo) with an insightful, critical missive of her own: "In 1975 author Susan Sontag changed her mind. In perhaps her most famous essay, "Fascinating Fascism," she decided that it was no longer defensible to suspend moral values in our rage to adopt avant-garde-anything-goes postures. Sontag analyzed the danger to our culture of depicting far-out sex with images of Nazism. Making Nazism erotic, she said, dilutes its horror and, in the end, makes it difficult for our culture to detect signs of real fascism in our midst. What's wrong with dressing up as a woman in prostitution or a pimp and going to a party? What's wrong is what Sontag understood more than 30 years ago. Words and symbols matter. By equating something with the "cool" or the "avant garde," we forget the real facts. Women and girls in prostitution are victims of violence and pimps are persons who exploit the poor and needy to make a buck. The opinion piece's authors, writers Anne Ream and R. Clifton Spargo, remind us that the media have a strong role to play, both in not perpetuating this anything-goes mentality and in pointing out the real story of prostitution. " -- Jody Raphael, DePaul University School of Law Our thanks to Jody for her willingness to engage in a critical dialogue (and bonus points for citing Susan Sontag along the way). To read Ream and Spargo's original Chicago Tribune piece visit: www.chicagotribune.com Honoring Sexual Violence Victims and Veterans: Our public policy team heads to Washington, DC. On June 10th, our public policy team made its second trip to the United States House of Representatives to discuss "Jenny's Law," (U.S. House Resolution 5564). "Jenny's Law" is named after Voices and Faces Project participant Jenny Bush. It will deny military honors burials to veterans convicted of the most violent sex crimes. We believe that this is a policy change of symbolic and practical import. In partnership with Steve Bush (who is leading the charge on this policy change), End Violence Against Women International, and the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, our "Jenny's Law" team has been working overtime to change US policy. Jenny Bush and her father Steve are to be especially commended: it is her courage, and his passion for change, that will turn this bill into law. 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 Ream's LA Times op ed on "Jenny's Law" click here Read and respond: Nicholas Kristof on " The Weapon of Rape" We'd like to bring your attention to New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof's June l5 editorial. In "The Weapon of Rape," Mr. Kristof brings our attention to the damage done by large scale sexual violence, and alerts readers to the upcoming United Nations Council special session addressing rape as a war crime. We applaud Mr. Kristof for his ongoing attention to violence against women. His is an eloquent and informed voice, one that challenges us to not only see the violence in our midst, but to work to end it. We encourage you to send comments to: editor@nytimes.com To read the article, go to: www.nytimes.com Martha Berner to play TVFP/WBR benefit show on June 7th. Hear her now with a free download. Our June 7th event -- "Turn it Around: Uniting to Create Change"-- will feature a silent auction of art and photography, limited edition"Certaintees" t-shirts, and a just-announced appearance by alternative recording star Martha Berner, who was recently featured on Public Radio. A contributor to "The Voices and Faces Project, Volume One," the benefit cd Virgin Records calls a "who's who of hot indie rock artists," Martha is a musical talent with a heart to match (and a long history of supporting The Voices and Faces Project). But don't just take our word for it. Take a listen to her latest track with a free download. When you do, you'll see why we're mad for Martha -- and you'll want to join us at our June 7th event: 8 pm, 855 West Blackhawk Street, Chicago. See you there! 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. Reaching a new audience: The Voices and Faces Project and MOCSA On May 2nd, Anne Ream gave the keynote address at the Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (MOCSA) Community Luncheon. Speaking to an audience of 1200 Kansas City-based opinion shapers, business leaders, advocates and media representatives, Anne talked about the beginnings of our documentary project, and the critical role that survivor testimony plays in shaping cultural attitudes and legal responses to sexual violence. Through our interactive lecture-slide program Anne then introduced the audience to 10 of the survivors whose testimony is at the heart of our documentary work: Laura Taylor, Holly Hughes, Christa Desir, Tracey Stevens, Barbara Young, Karen Carroll, Angela Mosely, Nobuko Nagaoka, Gabe Wright, and Katie Feifer. The award-winning work of our project photographer, Patricia Evans, gave "face" to the courageous voices of our survivor-participants. We salute and thank each of them for their courage. Palle Rillinger, Executive Director of MOCSA, said "People raved about the power of (The Voices and Faces Project's) message. Anne did such a wonderful job of putting rape in a context that people can understand, making it real to them. This presentation allowed people to confide and talk about rape. A heartfelt thank you!" Do you need a speaker for your next event? Contact our speaker's bureau at: speakers@voicesandfaces.org. Read Janet Goldblatt's Moving Essay About Finding her Voice after Rape in Toronto Globe and Mail The Toronto Globe and Mail, Canada's national newspaper, published an essay by Janet Goldblatt, a participant in The Voices and Faces Project. She recounts the effects her experience has had on her, and how, 30 years after she was assaulted, she finally spoke about what had happened. She describes how finding her voice has helped her heal. We applaud Janet for using her authoritative voice as a survivor to educate and impact others. 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: click here. 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" click here 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 Dr. Charlotte Pierce-Baker, founding member of TVFP, gives keynote address at DePaul University Law School. On February 14th, Charlotte Pierce-Baker, a founding member of The Voices and Faces Project, delivered the 5th annual Valentine's Day Distinguished Family Violence Lecture at the DePaul Center in Chicago. Charlotte is a professor of Women's & Gender Studies and English at Vanderbilt University, and the author of the book "Surviving the Silence: Black Women's Stories of Rape." "Surviving the Silence" has been praised by author Toni Morrison as "A book of such intelligent humanity its shocks strengthen us, and its terrors enlighten us ... Demand reading." The Family Violence Lecture series was created by DePaul University's Dr. Jody Raphael, a research advisor on TVFP. Charlotte's talk was followed by a panel discussion that included TVFP founder Anne Ream and Chicago Foundation for Women's Director of Advocacy Lynne Johnson. To hear Charlotte's recent public radio interview, in which she discusses rape, race and her work with The Voices and Faces Project, click here. To read DePaul's Dean Weissenberger's introduction to Charlotte Pierce-Baker's lecture, click here. 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. 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.

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