All posts written by METRAC ReAct

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• • Anti-violence
  • METRAC ReAct

  Family Violence

  February 6, 2013 • METRAC ReAct

  This post features excerpts from Respect In Action’s (ReAct) “End the Silence on Family Violence” zine. ReAct is a youth violence prevention program of METRAC.

  

  What is Family Violence?

  It’s abuse between family members such as parents, partners, siblings, grandparents, stepparents, stepchildren, aunts, uncles, and cousins. Since family violence often happens behind closed doors between people who are related or live together, it isn’t taken as seriously as it should be. But it hurts people and no one should have to live with it.

  Family violence can be …

  Emotional: criticizing, insulting, or making fun of someone; making them feel worthless; treating them like crap; ignoring or stalking them; disrespecting their spiritual beliefs; threatening to tell their secrets; manipulating them to get what you want

  Physical: hitting, pushing, kicking, pulling hair, or biting someone; holding them down or controlling their movement; not taking care of them when they depend on you; forcing them to take drugs or drink; driving fast or breaking stuff to scare them; threatening to hurt their kids or pets to control them (more inside…)

• • Activist Report
  • Anti-violence
  • METRAC ReAct

  Remembering isn’t enough

  December 6, 2012 • METRAC ReAct

  December 6 is Canada’s National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women and Children. It’s the anniversary of the murder of 14 women students at Montreal’s l’École Polytechnique in 1989. It’s also a call to action to fight violence against women and girls.

  Statistics Canada reports that one in two Canadian women will experience physical or sexual violence in her lifetime. Such a big problem might make you think, “what difference can I make?” But it is possible to make a difference – here’s one story.

  This fall, it seemed like sexual assaults were happening everywhere in Toronto: twelve around Kensington Market and Christie Pits park; two in an Avenue and Lawrence home; a sixteen-year-old girl attacked outside Broadview and Danforth subway station; and older women assaulted at home. There were more than a thousand reported sexual attacks in the city this year, and only about 10% of all sexual assaults are reported to police.

  In one neighborhood, the Christie and Bloor area, a remarkable thing happened. Community members came together and took action. “Stop Rape Now” posters went up and rallies were held. Probably due to all this grassroots mobilization, at least in part, there were many news updates about the problem. METRAC was even invited by a City Councillor to help residents lead a Safety Audit to make the neighbourhood safer.

  

  
  (more inside…)

• • METRAC ReAct

  METRAC: Holistic Justice Zine

  September 27, 2012 • METRAC ReAct

  

  Holistic Justice zine is the 2nd in a series of 3 zines addressing healing, justice and systems that support justice for young people.

  This zine was made possible by the dozens of young people throughout the city who shared their ideas and stories with us – thank you to all of them. It is also the work of the ReAct Team, a passionate group of youth workers who want justice and peace for all.

  Thank you to:

  Asam Ahmad
  Helen Yohannes
  Angela “Ice” Musceo
  Keli Bellaire
  Najla Edwards

  Young people experience a lot of physical, emotional, sexual, and verbal violence. But young people tell us that they rarely feel like they get support or justice: 77% of the youth we asked said they don’t think the justice system creates justice for young people. This isn’t ok with us. While it is important to change the system, we also know that a lot of people don’t trust it so we need to find ways outside the system of resolving and healing from our conflicts.

  This zine provides space for young people to explore tools for self-advocacy as well as brainstorm what justice means to them.

  (more inside…)

• • Anti-violence
  • METRAC ReAct

  A world that bleeds for love…

  June 15, 2012 • METRAC ReAct

  It has become apparent that our streets are in a state of emergency. Usually our initial reaction is to point fingers as to who is to blame for the dismay that lays hidden in the cracks of the concrete. The recent shooting at Toronto’s Eaton Centre, it is reminiscent of the year of the gun, 2005, juxtaposed with the recent tragic event at our city’s central tourist attraction, sheds light on the concrete that has been cracking for some time now. This also urges Torontonians to think of what it means for the city as we are ushered into the summer of 2012. It scares us to acknowledge our bleeding streets, which are screaming to be heard. Even though the pertinent question still remains: what is the solution and how can it be bottled fast enough, for a solution? Is there such a thing, when our streets are currently in a state of crisis?

  

  (Kuhkay)

  There are multiple realities that coexist within Toronto. They often collide into contact with each other by way of inopportune moments. The tragic event that displayed itself on centre stage at the Eaton Centre on Saturday, June 2nd, has left scars that have marred the skin of Toronto’s fabric. But is it enough to truly call to attention the harsh realities and conversations that our city needs to start having? (more inside…)

• • Anti-violence
  • METRAC ReAct

  Interrupting Our Ways: violence prevention and intervention

  May 16, 2012 • METRAC ReAct

  ReAct, Respect in Action, is a youth education violence prevention group. All of the workshops, groups and discussions we facilitate with young people, we do to listen to and validate the experiences of violence youth have had and we do so with the hope of preventing future violence. But over the past couple of years the ReAct team has started asking the question: what happens after violence? While continuing with the goal of prevention, we have also made more space in our program and workshops to discuss what young people can do when they survive violence. We’ve created new materials and workshops that focus on care, supporting friends, and healing justice – a kind of justice that isn’t about punishment, but about responsibility, community involvement and transformation. We’ve asked other young people what these ideas mean to them and have been told that the work of healing ourselves and our communities is powerful and much-needed.

  Recently, the ReAct team was blown away by The Interrupters, a documentary about youth workers in Chicago doing on-the-ground violence-intervention work. If there ever was a picture of “frontline youth work” in the dictionary, this team would be it. The interrupters step in - I mean right into it – breaking up fights, making speeches at funerals about ending the violence (“cease the fire”), stopping people from going after revenge, supporting mothers and families when they lose someone to violence, and physically staying with people so they stay safe (“the violence interrupters have one goal in mind: save a life”).

  (more inside…)

• • Anti-violence
  • METRAC ReAct

  ReAct Youth Alliance

  April 16, 2012 • METRAC ReAct

  

  [Poster text: Aqsa Parvez, Chantel Dunn, Lisa Janna Black, Reena Virk, and all young women and youth killed and/or forgotten by gendered violence. Please remember youth violence isn’t just about gun violence. Please remember youth violence isn’t just about gun violence! We’re tired of being silenced! Meaningfully include us in your decision-making processes!
  
  Some statistics…
  27% of young women were pressured into doing a sexual act they didn’t want to do.
  Muslim women (who deal with anti-Islamic discrimination) are more at risk because they are more identifiable.
  300 women and children were turned away from shelters in one single day.
  Non-status immigration women and youth don’t report domestic abuse because they fear deportation
  Young women experience the highest rates of stalking/criminal harassment.
  Aboriginal women and young women are # times more like to be victims of spousal violence than non-Aboriginal people.
  Black girls and youth have to deal with a sexist school system and police officers.
  80% of young women with disabilities will be sexually assaulted in their lifetimes.
  LGBTTIQ youth of colour are not only victimized because of their race but also because of their sexual and gender identities.
  
  For the full Youth Alliance project literature review and list of demands, visit www.metrac.org
  Image credit: Golsham Abdmoulaie and Dolores Sanguedolce
  Protest placards read: we will not be silenced! My voice is my gun
  Megaphone reads: ReAct respect in action: youth preventing violence]

  –––-

  Youth violence in Toronto and in other cities is, time and time again, defined solely as an issue of guns, gangs, drugs, poverty and racialized male-to-male violence. This ignores the high level of sexual assault and physical violence against girls and young women. Solutions to youth violence can start with recognizing that girls and young women experience violence differently from boys and young men and, therefore, separate interventions and prevention approaches are required (Youth Alliance list of demands and review of lit, 2008). (more inside…)

• • Activist Report
  • Anti-violence
  • METRAC ReAct

  Introducing ReAct

  February 22, 2012 • METRAC ReAct

  For the next year, a monthly post will be done by members of the Respect in Action (ReAct) team. ReAct is a peer-to-peer youth violence prevention program that addresses violence against women and youth and supports youth and those who work with youth to challenge this violence in their own lives. Every year, ReAct delivers peer workshops, trainings and school programming to thousands of youth, teachers and youth workers in Toronto, Ontario and beyond. Its model has been reproduced as a best practice for how youth violence prevention work can be done. ReAct is a program of METRAC, a community-based charity that prevents violence against women and youth.
  
  Starting in the coming months, you’ll read ReAct posts on issues such as:
  

  • family violence and violence at home
  • justice issues for youth
  • how to make your community safer for youth
  • sexual assault and dealing with the system
  • choosing your own path to heal from violence

  
  
  Like ReAct on Facebook and keep up with what’s going on in the program. You can also like METRAC on Facebook, follow us on Twitter and check out our blog.

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