MAXIMIZING COMMUNICATION AND AWARENESS section 2 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week offers a unique forum find notices about your own conferences, training programs, to share our field’s mission and the importance of victims’ meetings, ceremonies, or other events. Access the calendar at rights. Through this year’s theme—Reshaping the Future, http://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ovccalendar. Honoring the Past—we can engage the public on a number of levels. We will remember the pain caused by the 9/11 ter­ rorist attacks on our nation ten years ago, the thousands of Notable Quotables homicides committed every year, and countless other acts of Powerful quotations enrich your speeches, news releases, violence. We will recall when victims had no rights and trace proclamations, and other statements. You can use the quotes their struggle for equity. And we will begin to build a future from famous people in this section to bring additional shades that honors the successes of the past. NCVRW outreach that of meaning to the NCVRW theme, Reshaping the Future, captures these themes will strengthen our own commitment Honoring the Past. To lay the foundation for this year’s theme, and the public’s support for our work. for example, you might quote the American Bishop Thomas TheMaximizing Communication and Awareness section Monson, who said: “The past is behind, learn from it. The includes tools and ideas to plan activities, engage your com­ future is ahead, prepare for it. The present is here, live it.” munity, and convey the meaning of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week with impact. These resources can help you plan Sample Proclamation public events, write speeches and proclamations, and show why victims’ rights matter to everyone. When you ask civic leaders to issue NCVRW proclama­ tions, you can increase your chances of success by providing a sample proclamation for them to follow. The sample proc­ Commemorative Calendar lamation included in this section offers governors, mayors, Throughout the year, communities and agencies hold events and other officials a model for declaring the importance of that focus on specific crimes (e.g, National Stalking Aware­ National Crime Victims’ Rights Week in standard procla­ ness Month, National Teen Dating Violence Awareness mation format. Officials often hold public signings of their Week), promote public service (e.g., National Youth Service proclamations and invite sponsoring organizations and local Days, National Mentoring Month), or honor law enforce­ media to attend the event. To request a proclamation, contact ment agencies (e.g., National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day, your officialsat least one month before National Crime National Police Week). The Commemorative Calendar lists Victims’ Rights Week. many of these events, the dates they will be held, and the contact information for primary sponsors. You can find ideas Sample Speech for events throughout 2011 on this calendar. National Crime Victims’ Rights Week events may include OVC Events Calendar: The Office for Victims of Crime luncheons or dinners, ceremonies, and school presentations (OVC), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of that call for a speech. You can use the sample speech to help Justice offers an extensive, continually updated calendar of you prepare your remarks. Think about how crime has affect­ events throughout the country. Victims, victim service pro­ ed your community in the past, and the effect of that crime viders, and all NCVRW planners can use this calendar to lo­ on victims. How has your community failed its victims? cate victim-related events that may be occurring in your area. What have you learned from these failures? How have you OVC allows organizations to add their events to the calendar helped crime victims rebuild their lives? How will these suc- and provide links to additional information. You can add and Commemorative Calendar cesses shape your plans to meet the future? National Crime Victims’ Rights Week calls us to consider these questions Tips for Using the Theme DVD and start tackling the work that lies ahead. Your NCVRW Take a minute to review the DVD included in your Resource speeches can help begin that process. Guide. You can use the five-minute theme video in specialev­ ent and media outreach activities. Extend Your Reach Through Partnerships Ideas for Using the Theme DVD: National Crime Victims’ Rights Week presents a great op­ • Use the video to begin your NCVRW opening ceremony. portunity to partner with other organizations to increase the • Use the 5-minute video to open a news conference on impact of your NCVRW campaign. Partners can donate their victims’ rights. equipment, staff time, mailing lists and listservs, and other • Send the video to local media as part of your pitch to cover resources—and engage their clients and partners in planning NCVRW events. the week’s events. Begin your planning by contacting local • Plan an event around a special screening of the video. businesses, civic and professional organizations, school sys­ tems, faith communities, and community agencies that share • Encourage your partners to show the video to their staff your concern about public safety and crime victims. Tell them and board members. how NCVRW participation would help their organization • Suggest that faith-based organizations use the video in as well as victims, and ask them to join your planning team. their social justice outreach work. Then build on those partnerships to start reshaping the future Tips for Holding Your Own Screening: for victims of crime in your community. • Choose a quiet location where your audience will be com­ fortable watching the video. Ideas For Special Events • Use a good DVD player, speakers, and a large monitor or Many communities enjoy observing NCVRW traditions, and screen to show the video. You can rent this equipment from others like to devise new event ideas every year. Planners may an audiovisual company if you do not own your own, or hold memorial ceremonies, candlelight vigils, sports events, you can choose a location with an in-house system (e.g., concerts, art exhibits, or essay and poster contests to publicize hotels, libraries, conference centers). National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and involve a wide range of participants. Every year, the Officefor Victims of Crime (OVC), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, and the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators competitively select agencies, nonprofit programs, community-based victim service organizations, faith-based organizations, and community coalitions to receive Community Awareness Grants to conduct NCVRW events. This section includes some of the event ideas from the 2010 Community Awareness Project grantees and from other communities throughout the nation. 1 0 2 0 1 1 N C V RW R E S O U RC E G U I D E Commemorative Calendar Remembrance events have long been a part of the national crime victims’ rights movement. These occasions allow our nation to pause and honor those among us who have showed tremendous courage in the face of great suffering. And while it is important to remember those who have come before us, it is equally important to think of those who will come after us. How can we work to make our nation a more just place for victims of crime? This year, let your memorial events be aboutreshaping the future and honoring the past. January April National Child Abuse Prevention Month Crime Stoppers Month Prevent Child Abuse America Crime Stoppers International 312-663-3520 800-850-7574 www.preventchildabuse.org www.c-s-i.org National Crime Victims’ Rights Week National Mentoring Month Mentor April 10-16, 2011 703-224-2200 U.S. Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime www.mentoring.org 800-851-3420 www.ovc.gov/ncvrw National Stalking Awareness Month National Center for Victims of Crime National Sexual Assault Awareness Month Stalking Resource Center National Sexual Violence Resource Center 202-467-8700 717-909-0710, 717-909-0715 (TTY) www.stalkingawarenessmonth.org www.nsvrc.org February National Youth Service Days April 15-17, 2011 National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Week Youth Service America February 7-11, 2011 202-296-2992 Texas Advocacy Project www.ysa.org Teen Justice Initiative 512-225-9579 May www.texasadvocacyproject.org National Correctional Officers’ and Employee’s Week March May 1-7, 2011 American Correctional Association National Youth Violence Prevention Week 800-222-5646 March 21-25, 2011 www.aca.org National Association of Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) and GuidanceChannel.com 800-999-6884, ext. 3037 www.violencepreventionweek.org 2 0 11 N C VR W RE S O U RC E G U I D E 1 1 Commemorative Calendar National Law Day August May 1, 2011 American Bar Association National Night Out 800-285-2221 www.abanet.org August 2, 2011 National Association of Town Watch National Missing Children’s Day 800-NITE-OUT www.nationaltownwatch.org May 25, 2011 National Center for Missing and Exploited Children 800-843-5678 September www.missingkids.com National Campus Safety Awareness Month National Peace Officers’ Memorial Day Security On Campus, Inc. May 15, 2011 888-251-7959 Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. www.securityoncampus.org 573-346-4911 www.nationalcops.org National Day Of Rememberance For Murder Victims September 25, 2011 National Police Week National Organization of Parents Of Murdered Children, Inc. May 15-21, 2011 888-818-POMC Concerns of Police Survivors, Inc. www.pomc.org 573-346-4911 www.nationalcops.org National Suicide Prevention