awareness

So how do you bring awareness to an issue? How do you provide education about social change? Well I'm certain that changing practices and social "norms" doesn't happen right away but I was part of a small step towards change this last Sunday. There is an initiative called enditnow started by the General Conference of SDA's women's Minisistries and ADRA (Adventist Development & Relief Agency) to bring awareness and sign a petition related to violence against women and girls. The petition is planned to go to the Secretary General of the UN with 1 million signatures basically saying that we as Adventists take a stand on this issue and are saying it has to end!

I really feel a passion about this issue and can see a huge need for awareness and education in Malawi - especially the rural areas like Malamulo. Also on this campus is a college with 400+ students and a high school with around 400 teenagers - what better place to do teaching and bring awareness to the issues. So I got a few people together from each institution on campus and we started planning and talking about what we could do here. As is typical in Malawi an "awareness day" idea popped up. This means plan an event, invite the dignitaries of the district, government, and church to have speeches, dramas, music, and poems.
We also spent some time talking about "what is violence?" and what can we do about it locally. What about after the event, then what resources can we provide?

Unfortunately this is a huge problem all over the world - not just Malawi or developing countries. I've heard of everything from verbal abuse (shouting) to recently one of the driver's for the hospital's daughter was violently murdered by her husband. This isn't just outside the church either. If you go to the website www.enditnow.org there are stats of studies that were done within Christianity showing it is the same prevalence as outside the church.

So our awareness day went off without a hitch on Sunday (except for starting at 2:45pm rather than 2:00). The rain stayed away, we had about 500 people (with lots of young people), dignitaries and many invited guests. A lot of people had good things to say and were supportive! I couldn't have done it without the people who helped me on the committee, though. I am happy that our district pastor was involved and helping with the plans and has made it a point to incorporate these issues into sermons and his church leadership.

I would encourage you to visit the website www.enditnow.org, sign the petition and plan some kind of education or awareness day in your town. Abuse is a problem - I've seen it first hand - and it has to come to an end!