ABOUT MOBILZING VOICES:
Q: How did Yasmin Davidds and VZW join forces to create MOBILIZNG VOICES™?
A: Verizon Wireless, a long time champion of domestic violence prevention and awareness, wanted to design a campaign that would discuss domestic violence issues specifically with the Latino population. Upon learning more about the goals of the program, Yasmin Davidds, a best selling author and empowerment specialist who has done extensive work empowering Latino communities, signed on as a spokesperson and co-creator of MOBILIZNG VOICES™. With the same objectives in mind— to end domestic violence within Latino communities and empower Latino students to foster healthy relationships, Yasmin Davidds and VZW tailored a culturally relevant program to expose, educate and empower Latino youth on breaking the cycle of domestic violence within their community.
Q: What is the VERIZON WIRELESS HOPELINE AND YASMIN DAVIDDS MOBILIZING VOICES™ campaign about?
A: MOBILIZING VOICES™ is culturally relevant domestic violence prevention and awareness program focused on inspiring Latino youth to empower themselves and help break the cycle of domestic violence within their community. It was developed by best selling author and empowerment specialist, Yasmin Davidds, in partnership with Verizon Wireless, a longtime champion of domestic violence prevention and awareness, through its HopeLine program.
Yasmin Davidds will bring the Verizon Wireless HopeLine MOBILIZING VOICES™ program to college campuses, to facilitate a dialogue within the Latino community about dating violence, and empower Latino youth to improve and foster healthy relationships in an informal setting and non-threatening manner.
The college tour will begin in October—Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Campuses selected have large Latino student populations and include the University of Southern California, San Jose State University and Arizona State University. Latino student organizations will be encouraged to get involved with the program by participating in events led by Yasmin Davidds and by conducting an on campus used wireless phone collection drive in support of the Verizon Wireless HopeLine program.
A highlight of the Verizon Wireless HopeLine MOBILIZING VOICES™ campaign is the Mobilizing Voices Award. The campaign will honor four students who have exemplified extraordinary courage in breaking free from domestic violence.
Q: What is the MOBILIZING VOICES™ Campaign and College Tour?
A: The MOBILIZING VOICES™ College Tour is the first culturally-based awareness and prevention college campaign created specifically for Latino college students. Its focus is to address dating violence, promote the prevention of dating violence and empower Latino college students to foster healthy relationships.
EDUCATION/ AWARENESS:
Q: What are the campaign goals and objectives?A: There are three objectives of the MOBILIZING VOICES™ Campaign and Tour:
- Raise the Level of Awareness. Raise awareness about dating violence in Latino communities: its existence, how it precedes domestic violence and its damaging effects on our families and communities.
- Create an Attitude Shift. Generate student community concern about the issue and resolve to not accept it. Get students to think about domestic violence in a new way: It's not acceptable. It's not how we should treat one another. It's not love, it's not respect and it's not healthy.
- Take Action. Motivate student community to do something about it: Become familiar with it; help a friend or relative, discuss the issue at home, educate your brothers and sisters, discuss with friends, educate middle school and high school students.
A: Yes, the problem is universal. Yet, effective approaches to solutions need to be culturally specific. In order to effectively address and eliminate dating violence within Latino communities one must understand and work within the cultural dynamics of our community For example, many of our young Latinas are not aware that verbal belittling is violent behavior and destructive to their self-esteem. We were brought up in a culture where many of our parents showed us love through discipline which consisted of physical force and verbal belittling. Many of us were told by our elders that the only reason they used physical force and verbal belittling with us is because they loved us and cared about us. I have young Latinas telling me, “My boyfriend didn’t mean to hit me. He just loves me so much that he got so angry and jealous. I’d rather a guy love me that much than not love me at all”. This type of thinking is what we are attempting to change for young Latinas. To educate them about what constitutes dating violence and how it affects them as they grow up.
In developing solutions, we must draw from the strengths, experiences, and assets of our communities.
We empower our communities when we approach the issue of domestic violence in ways that are relevant, respectful, and effective for our people.
Q: Why focus on youth?
A: We need to make youth a priority in breaking the cycle of domestic violence. By educating young people we can begin to raise awareness early on so that future generations of Latino families can be empowered to create healthy and safe environments.
Q: Why was it important to include Latino college men as part of the campaign?
A: The involvement of Latino men is essential in stopping the intergenerational cycle of violence. Many young Latinos grow up amid a society and culture that promotes false notions of what it is to be a man. Some have come to believe that violence is part of their families’ or people’s identity.
Young Latino men have shared with me that they do not want to continue the cycle of abuse that was so prevalent in their homes throughout their childhoods. Yet, they fear it is out of their control.
As young Latino men acquire the level of consciousness about domestic violence, they will become allies in the work to eliminate domestic violence and end sexism. This anti-sexist work will extend beyond themselves and influence other men to work on their own sexism.
EMPOWERMENT/ KEY MESSAGES:
“ONLY TOGETHER, AS A COMMUNITY, CAN WE CONQUER THE VIOLENCE”-Yasmin Davidds
We want college students to know what constitutes as dating and domestic violence, how they can identify it, and what they can do about it.
• We want survivors to know their rights and options and what services and resources are available to help them to create violence-free lives. Services are also available for batterers who want to change.
• We want to help students define and understand what a healthy relationship should be like.
• There is documented evidence of the overlap between domestic violence and child abuse. Children of both sexes are victims of physical, sexual, and psychological abuse.
• Girls who witness or experience abuse may grow up to enter into abusive relationships and become victims as their mothers did, while boys may imitate the violent behaviors of their fathers in their own relationships.
• Women can play a major role in dismantling sexism. We need to carefully examine how our mothers and grandmothers have internalized and accepted the patriarchal structure at home, at work and in other spheres of life. Women are not passive by standers. Do women benefit from the traditional division of labor based on rigid gender roles and how?
