White Ribbon Campaign
April 5-8
Interest meetings March 30 and April 1, 5:30

Chapel Hill-Undergraduate and graduate students at the University of North Carolina will be conducting a campaign to inform men of their role in preventing violence against women. The Carolina White Ribbon Campaign (WRC) kicks off on April 5 and ends April 8. It is an annual event that is part of a much larger international campaign.

The campaign centers around collecting signatures of men who sign a pledge.
The pledge states that they will "never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women." Violence against women is understood to include both physical and verbal attacks.

Men and women are invited to attend functions that the WRC is cosponsoring.
These events include the Clothesline Project and Speak Out. The Clothesline Project will be on display in Polk Place at UNC during the week of the campaign. The display will include t-shirts decorated by women who have survived being abused or sexually assaulted.

Speak Out is a not-for-profit organization that promotes progressive speakers and artists on campuses and in communities. They are committed to social, political, cultural and economic justice, and encourage critical and imaginative thinking about domestic and international issues through artistic and educational forums.

The WRC will also be cosponsoring "Take Back the Night" with the Advocates for Sexual Assault Prevention on April 24. The event will kick off with a speech by Katie Koestner at 7:00. The WRC will host a male forum directly after the event with Gordon Braxton as the keynote speaker. Those interested in the campaign are encouraged to attend this forum. Materials for participation in the White Ribbon Campaign will be available after the forum.

To make this week possible, men are needed to collect signatures. These volunteers are asked to wear a free t-shirt and a button during the campaign period. Interest meetings will be held at 5:30 PM on Tuesday March 30 in the Student Union and at 5:30 PM on Thursday April 1 in a south campus dorm.

Persons interested in volunteering or who have questions about the events should refer to the Carolina White Ribbon Campaign's website at www.unc.edu/whiteribbon. Further information about meetings will be posted there.