(Facilitator: The Sheila Wellstone Institute )
In the effort to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), which expires in 2005, student and campus organizing will play a key role. We will build on the infrastructure of feminist orgs, anti-violence orgs, Women’s Resource Centers, Organizing Centers, and other student-driven spaces to conduct an organizing campaign that engages students in a national movement to reauthorize VAWA.
The Sheila Wellstone Institute (SWI), as part of a national grassroots organizing strategy, will mobilize this network of student organizers working on the issue of violence against women to organize their campuses to take action on VAWA.
SWI will provide education on VAWA, hands-on tools and materials for students’ organizing efforts, as well as technical support and the possibility of training opportunities on campus. The VAWA Action Toolkit, geared directly at campus organizing efforts, provides clear, easy to use how-to guides and ideas for action.
To make this national campus organizing possible, SWI seeks VAWA Campaign Coordinators (VCC) for 50 campuses nationwide. These VCC’s will communicate directly with SWI and be the point-person for VAWA organizing on their campus. They will receive educational materials and background on the legislation, organizing materials, the VAWA Action Toolkit, and technical support from SWI staff as their campaign progresses. They will also be responsible for communicating with the local sexual and domestic violence programs in their area, who will be doing parallel organizing work with their constituencies.
VCC’s will be able to make this organizing work their own, but have the support and infrastructure from SWI to make their work possible. A few basic responsibilities that VCC’s will have are:
• Host at least one (1) event on campus that raises awareness of VAWA and gets students engaged and taking action
• Work with local sexual and domestic violence programs that are organizing on VAWA, where applicable
• Coordinate with other student organizations to build a network of campus activists that can be mobilized to respond to e-advocacy efforts to email, fax, or call members of Congress or the White House to influence them on VAWA.
• Check in with SWI and their fellow VCC’s monthly to map their progress and get updates on the national VAWA campaign.
If you want more information on our VAWA Campaign Coordinator program, contact Elana Wolowitz at 651-645-3939 or elana@wellstone.org
Geographical Scope: National Added on 03-09-2005 Updated on 03-28-2005 |
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