Survivor Solidarity Month – Community Responsibility & Care

Hi Everyone!

April is Survivor Solidarity Month and we have partnered with a lot of amazing folks on campus and in the community to bring you a month filled of events. Our theme this year is “Community Responsibility & Care”. Throughout this month, we will provide opportunities to engage in conversations about sexual violence prevention, intervention, and response at Wesleyan and beyond. Check out our calendar to see what events are coming up!

Email Johanna DeBari (jdebari@wesleyan.edu) with questions, or follow us on instagram for more updates: @wesshapeoffice

Below is a general list of upcoming events outlined in our calendar. If you would like to stay up to date with more information on events, sign up for our SSM Email newsletter here: https://forms.gle/i5hiTgWSt8B7yWPg6

~Johanna

[ID: A pink, light blue, and gray themed calendar, titled “April: Survivor Solidarity Month.” Events, descriptions, and dates are listed below.]

More information will be updated as the month continues!

Survivor Love Letters Tabling – April 1st, 4th, and 18th

Selling Sex: What is the Sex Trade and What do we Do About it? – April 5th, @4:30-6 pm, on Zoom

Commercial Trafficking in the United States is a pervasively under researched topic that can happen to anyone. Trafficking occurs to adults and minors in rural, suburban, or urban communities across the country. Victims of human trafficking have diverse socio-economic backgrounds, varied levels of education, and may be documented or undocumented. Join us on April 5th, as part of our Survivor Solidarity Month event series, for Mary Speta’s talk. She serves on multiple legislative advisory committees throughout New England as an anti-trafficking policy adviser and consultant speaking from lived experience as a survivor. Mary is currently pursuing a doctorate in law and policy at Northeastern University, where her research focuses on expanding access to effective, survivor approved exit and aftercare approaches

Healing Connections – April 6th, 13th, 20th, and 27th, WesWell/SHAPE Lounge (287 High Street) or Outside (weather dependent!)

Join CAPS & SHAPE for a casual check-in and be in community with other student survivors

Unlearning Patriarchy and Becoming a Vulnerable Ally Workshop – April 7th, 5-6 pm, Allbritton 311

Are you a man/male-identified student wanting to explore how to challenge toxic masculinity, and become a vulnerable ally for supporting survivors? Join us for a 3-session dialogue exploring definitions and impacts of patriarchy, and integrating tools of healing-centered support into everyday life. This is an opportunity for men to connect with other men to explore these questions as resources for each other and their community.
Facilitated by Johanna DeBari (SHAPE), Neal Sardana, & Jonathan Perlow (CAPS)
For more information, contact one or all of the facilitators above!
Johanna DeBari – jdebari@wesleyan.edu
Neal Sardana – nsardana@wesleyan.edu
Jonathan Perlow – jperlow@wesleyan.edu

Film Screening: “A Better Man” – April 8th

A Better Man documents a personal experiment for Attiya Khan (co-director) and their abusive ex-partner — in exploring the truth of what survivors experience, why men choose to use violence, and moving towards understanding and accountability. Join us for a screening and post-film discussion!

Survivor-Centered Yoga with Robyn Wong- April 9th, 11 am – Noon, Cross Street Dance Studio

Bystander 101 Training – April 9th, 5-7 pm in Boger 113 – RSVP at tinyurl.com/ssmpsmbystander

Reimagining Bystander Intervention – April 13th at 5-6 pm, in Usdan 108

We’re redesigning the Bystander Intervention curriculum and we want your feedback! Listen to a brief presentation by Johanna DeBari, SHAPE Office Director on the drafted themes for the new curriculum, followed by a discussion. We’ll have Indian food to share too!

Understanding Codependency Workshop – April 13th and 20th at 6-7 pm in the CAPS Solarium

A two-part workshop series to learn about relationship codependency and tools to recover from it. Facilitated by Priya Senecal (CAPS)

Abolitionists in Action: Transformative Justice and the University – April 14th, at 6-7:30 pm on Zoom

Zoom webinar registration link: https://bit.ly/3i8wOFC

Survivor-Centered HIIT Class with Emma Smith – April 16th at 1-2 pm Schonberg Dance Studio

Building a Trauma-Informed Classroom Panel Discussion – April 19th, 12:10-1:15 pm, on Zoom – Zoom link https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/96450844049

Join Shiva Ramkumar ‘22, Professor Serena Witzke, and the SHAPE Office for a dialogue on integrating compassion into pedagogy, to best serve students and take care of ourselves. Come to learn more about skills to integrate into your own teaching practice, and share your skills with others! This event is open to faculty, students, and staff.

In Pursuit of Pleasure & Body Peace – April 22nd, 3:30-4:30 pm, Resource Center Central Meeting Room

How can we center self-love and pleasure in our lives while coping through experiences of trauma? In this workshop, we’ll explore tools for becoming more embodied and seeking more empowered sexual experiences as an antidote to the toxic influence of diet culture and rape culture. Participants will explore concepts of sexual citizenship, sexual projects, and coping tools/strategies for navigating impacts of disordered eating in connection to experiences of trauma. Facilitated by Johanna DeBari (SHAPE) and Dr. Ginnie Taylor (CAPS)

Bystander 201 Training – April 23rd 5-7 pm in Boger 113 – RSVP at tinyurl.com/ssmpsmbystander

Unpacking Cancel Culture and Vigilante Activism Workshop – April 26th, 5:30-6:30 pm on Zoom

In recent years, cancel culture has become a buzzword that comes up all the time on social media, political news segments, classrooms and even everyday conversation, yet no two people define it the exact same way. In this workshop, we will do a deeper analysis into cancel culture in order to decide what it means, what it looks like, and if it should be used at all.

Loveline @ Weswell – April 27th, at 5-6 pm in WesWell/SHAPE Office Lounge (287 High Street)

Loveline is a Q&A event where a panel of sexual health experts answer students’ anonymous questions about sexual health and relationships. No question too simple — or too outrageous. Presenters (Johanna DeBari-SHAPE, September Johnson-WesWell, Priya Senecal, CAPS) will strike the right tone (lots of laughter but also serious answers to serious questions) and infuse values of consent, communication, and LGBTQ-inclusiveness throughout their answers. Participants will have the option of entering a sex toy of choice raffle and building their own safer sex kit. Cardinal’s Pizza will be served!
In collaboration with #PartySaferMonth

STI Testing & Sex Toy Raffle – April 28th, from 10 am – 6 pm, WesWell/SHAPE Lounge (287 High Street)

Have you gotten tested recently? Stop by the WesWell to get rapid testing for HIV and Hep C. Rapid testing takes 15 minutes and only requires a finger prick! Everyone who gets tested will get raffle tickets to enter into a sex toy of choice raffle if they chose. Testing is the best way to de-stigmatize STIs and also practice community and self-care at the same time.
In collaboration with #PartySafer Month and CT Center for Harm Reduction

Responding to Sexual Violence with Restorative Justice Practices – April 29th, 12-1:30 pm on Zoom (Zoom Link https://wesleyan.zoom.us/j/94696538117 )

Co-Sponsors – FGSS, WesWell, CAPS, & SHAPE
More information to come!

April is Survivor Solidarity month! Throughout this month, we will provide opportunities to engage in conversations about sexual violence prevention, intervention, and response at Wesleyan and beyond. Check out our calendar to see what events are coming up!

Email Johanna DeBari (jdebari@wesleyan.edu) with questions, or follow us on instagram for more updates: @wesshapeoffice