"Imagine a world without violence."
That's the theme of this year's Week Without Violence programming at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The Women's Center, in cooperation with several university and community organizations, kicked off the week's events Monday with "Speak Out Against Violence," an open forum for people to express their experiences with violence.
"I read 'I Fight' and 'For Every Woman' by Angela Davis," said Courtney Robinson, a junior news-editorial, broadcasting and women's studies major. "She inspired me, so I thought she might inspire others."
Robinson, program assistant for the Women's Center, was the first to read at the event.
Other presenters performed music, skits and other forms of performance art in their presentations, Robinson said.
"It's not just rattling on and on and on," she added.
Fourteen speakers and one performance group, Theatrix, signed up to present at the annual "Speak Out" event, including a number of male participants.
"The whole purpose is to affect as many people as we can," Robinson said. "No matter if people come to the actual 'Speak Out,' people studying and walking around will hear what's going on. It will be subconsciously in their minds."
Topics covered during this week's events include a broad range of issues such as low self-esteem, relationship violence, sexual assault and abuse.
"We're excited because every year more and more men get involved with the event," said Jan Deeds, director of the Women's Center and associate director of Student Involvement. "They know that it affects them and that they can do something to help."
Deeds began working for the Women's Center 10 years ago. At that time, there weren't many events scheduled for Week Without Violence, she said.
"Students wanted more things to do," she said. "So we started building additional activities."
Now Women's Week, which takes place in March, and Week Without Violence are the Women's Center's biggest events of the year, Deeds said.
The Week without Violence includes six events that run through Saturday, all of which are free and open to the public.
One of the biggest events will be "Sexpectations," an interactive event that helps men and women understand each other and their expectations from relationships, Deeds said.
"We have these events every year," she said. "But each year they're a little bit different."
Planning for Women's Week will start as soon as Week Without Violence is over, she said.
For more information on Week Without Violence, visit http://involved.unl.edu/.
Events for Week without Violence:
Tuesday, Oct. 14 Clothesline Project Location: Women's Center, 340 Nebraska City Union Time: 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. Create a T-shirt that bears witness to your experience of violence. Use art to express yourself in a safe, supportive community.
Sexpectations Location: The Culture Center, 333 N. 14th St. Time: 6:30 p.m. - 8 p.m. Attend an interactive workshop that explores what men and women expect from each other and how expectations relate to relationship violence.
Wednesday, Oct. 15 Love Your Body Day Location: Centennial Room, Nebraska City Union Time: 5:30 p.m. - 9:30 p.m. Drop in for activities exploring body image: reconstruct a Barbie or Ken doll in your image, have your photo taken in the life-size BarbMe/M.I. Joe box, make a cast of a part of your body with plaster (arrive early if you want to cast a larger part like a leg or arm-plaster takes time to dry! No casts will be started after 8:30 p.m.).
Thursday, Oct. 16 Native Women and the Healing Generation of the 21st Century Location: Library Instruction Room, Love Library, first floor South Time: 11:30 a.m. - 1 p.m.
A Brown Bag discussion about the historical trauma experienced by Native Women and approaches to healing that combine traditional and modern therapeutic methods. Speakers: Renee New Holy (UNL student in Special Education) and Alice Saunsoci (her mother and an Omaha elder teaching Omaha Language courses at the Nebraska Indian Community College in Macy, Nebraska). Voices of Hope: Open House and Candlelight Vigil Location: 2545 N St. Time: 5:30 p.m. (Open House) and 7:30 p.m. (Candlelight Vigil) Voices of Hope is an agency in Lincoln that provides services to those who have experienced relationship violence, sexual assault and abuse. The candlelight vigil, Hope Speaks, is to honor victims and survivors of domestic violence.
Saturday, Oct. 18 An Evening of Love, Rage, and Hope: 60 Years of Human Rights Location: Loft at The Mill, 8th and P St. Time: 7:30 p.m. Reading of the United Nation's 1948 Declaration of Human Rights, which sets forth the rights needed for a peaceful and just world. There will also be a production of Elena Dodd's Meet Eleanor Roosevelt: A One-Woman Theatre Piece. Presented by the Angels Theatre Company.
mimiabebe@dailynebraskan.com
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