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There is a time for everything ... time to be quiet and
a time to speak up.
The Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault (GNESA), the
statewide coalition of rape crisis centers, designates
September as Sexual Assault Awareness Month. During
this month, our 19 member centers join together to
promote greater public awareness about the complex
issues that surround rape/sexual assault. In keeping
with this month's theme, I appreciate the opportunity
to share with you the work of GNESA and our Clergy
Task Force.
The reality is, sexual assault is a tough subject to
talk about. The fact that 80% of all rapes occur
between acquaintances does not make it any easier.
And, this silence is exacerbated when the
acquaintances are same-gender. GNESA works to overcome
the silence that surrounds sexual assault - regardless
of gender or sexual orientation.
One way we do this is by providing technical
assistance and training services to the 19 rape crisis
centers throughout the state, as well as to law
enforcement officers and medical professionals who
directly assist rape victims after an assault.
Additionally, with the help of a Clergy Task Force,
GNESA works to find ways to include Georgia's faith
communities and congregations in our fight to end
sexual violence.
The task force's mission is to train lay people and
clergy of all faiths to respond to the pain of
rape/sexual assault and to provide opportunities for
individual congregations to become involved in the
fight against sexual violence.
The idea stems from the fact that in many communities,
rape crisis centers have become a link between victims
and faith-based organizations. As a growing number of
sexual assault victims turn to spiritual advisors for
additional guidance, they seek referrals from the
crisis center. In addition, as spiritual leaders begin
to see more sexual assault victims, they ask the rape
crisis centers to provide resources and tools that
will enable them to better assist a victim's recovery.
Last year, the Clergy Task Force designed three events
that Georgia's faith communities could participate in
during Sexual Assault Awareness month. This year one
of those events, Let Healing Ring, is back by popular
demand. The goal of the event is to provide an avenue
for churches to let their congregations know that its
survivors of rape/sexual assault are supported.
Let Healing Ring is simple. On September 20, 2000 at
10 a.m., churches from across the state will
simultaneously ring their bells 77 times. (According
to the National Bureau of Statistics, Office of
Justice Programs, each hour, 77 women become victims
of sexual assault.) If your church has electronic
chimes rather than bells, you can schedule them to
play for 1 minute and 15 seconds.
We are excited about this event because it has the
potential to reach out to victims and community
members in a unique way. Last year, some churches
also read Psalm 13 as a prayer of healing during the
services before the bell ringing and/or posted a note
in the weekly bulletin explaining why the bells would
be ringing. All of these are great opportunities to
raise awareness about the realities of rape/sexual
assault.
In addition, the Clergy Task Force has identified
three projects they would like to develop: faith-based
educational curricula regarding rape/sexual assault;
on-call clergy crisis response teams; and workshops
for individual congregations to raise awareness about
rape/sexual assault.
The Clergy Task Force has the opportunity to educate
our colleagues and congregations as well as fill a
deep void in services for rape/sexual assault victims.
At a press conference on September 9, 1999, when Gov.
Barnes declared September as Sexual Assault Awareness
month in Georgia, Rev. Paul Turner told our
supporters:
"There isn't anybody who is going to go to Synagogue,
Church, or Temple that is not going to come in contact
with a victim of sexual assault. We must pay
attention to what it is that God requires of us. God
requires that we do justice, that we act mercifully,
and to walk humbly with our God. We must give our
victims justice, we must embrace them with mercy, and
to do any less, is to not walk with God."
When one considers the far-reaching effects of sexual
violence, it becomes clear that although not an easy
task, responding to the pain of sexual violence is a
necessary task.
If you are interested in working with the Clergy Task Force or would like to participate in Let Healing Ring you can contact Claire Pearson or by phone at 404-659-6482. For more information about rape/sexual assault, you can find us on the internet at www.gnesa.org.
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Georgia Network to End Sexual Assault
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