PreventConnect VALOR Media

https://youtu.be/HdSpJ0PCcRk People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities experience sexual and domestic violence at drastically higher rates , but despite how many survivors in our movement are in the disability community, they are rarely involved in our work to end violence… or compensated for their contributions when they are. 

Despite immense barriers, self-advocates in the disability community are making huge steps to advocate for disability justice in prevention and advocacy spaces. 

You’re listening to a special 2-part episode of PreventConnect, where we are pulling together some of the most impactful keynotes and interviews to come out of PreventConnect and VALOR around disability justice and inclusion, along with some new interviews about how staff are putting what we’ve learned into practice.

For this installment, I interviewed my colleague and friend, Priscilla Klassen, who leads VALOR's Disability Rights and Inclusion Project, C.A. Leads. Priscilla was also at the forefront of accessibility efforts at the 2024 National Sexual Assault Conference.  Our conversation delves into systemic barriers to integrating Disability Justice into organizational frameworks, learning through practice and how she approaches Disability Rights and Justice work.

To download a transcript of this episode, click here.. Resources mentioned in this podcast:
Disability Justice Highlight Reel Part 1Sins Invalid

Believing in a world free of sexual and intimate partner violence means daring to imagine what communities would look like of everyone had equal access to health, safety and livelihood.  When we allow ourselves to imagine “what if,” we create the stepping stones to get us there. 

For Sexual Assault Awareness Month, the National Sexual Violence Resource Center is calling on people to think about what their communities could be, and take steps to get there. 

In a special bonus podcast episode, taken from our Instagram live event earlier this month, we spoke with NSVRC staff Jayla Murdock and Mo Lewis to talk about their national campaign: Building Connected Communities, which leverages Health Equity Frameworks to impact whole communities in the work to end sexual violence.

Because this is a recording from an Instagram LiveStream, there may be moments where audio cuts out or gets spotty. You can find the video stream with captions at our Instagram, and follow-along with the transcript to this episode.

This Podcast episode is the first in a two-part series, exploring Disability Justice as a fundamental value in the anti-sexual and intimate partner violence movement, in honor of National Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month. 

People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities experience sexual and domestic violence at drastically higher rates but have historically not been included in shaping solutions. 

Despite immense barriers, self-advocates in the disability community are making huge steps to advocate for disability justice in prevention and advocacy spaces. 

For this special 2-part episode of PreventConnect, we pulled together some of the most impactful keynotes and interviews to come out of PreventConnect and VALOR around disability justice and inclusion, along with some new interviews about how staff are putting what we’ve learned into practice.  To download a transcript of this episode, click here.

Featured Guests: Lydia X.Z. Brown (they/them) Cierra Olivia Thomas-Williams (ney nee/she/her)

Find resources mentioned in this podcast, and more information about guests at preventconnect.org

This conversation explores the importance of youth engagement and centering youth voices in the creating inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ students, in the context of sexual violence prevention. In 2023, the Youth Advisory Board at Atria Collective organized in response to parents bringing an anti-trans speaker to a local high school. Supported by staff and adults at Atria Collective, Claire, Theo and their peers organized a queer joy rally that made national news and had a lasting impact on their school climate. This podcast explores the planning, execution, and impact of the youth-led event, and highlights the power of youth voices and the ability to overcome adult fear. To download a transcript of this episode, visit preventconnect.org.

Resources mentioned in this podcast:

Atria Collective
Identifying Solutions to School-Based Prevention Programming Resistance: Key themes and takeaways from PreventConnect’s Town Hall
Hundreds Gather in Vergennes to Protest Anti-Trans Speaker
Outright Vermont

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background05:16 Centering Youth Voices and Youth Engagement13:14 Joining the Youth Advisory Board17:30 Anti-Trans Speaker at Virgens High School21:17 The Power of Demonstrations29:09 Organizing the Rally42:14 The Rally44:46 Planning and Preparation45:31 Event Execution46:50 Atmosphere and Experience48:10 Youth Power vs Adult Fear49:52 Lasting Impact on the Community52:18 Lasting Impact

This episode explores the connection between green spaces and sexual violence prevention, specifically in rural areas. Our guests from Hope Shores Alliance and the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence discuss the importance of community gardens and their impact on food security, mental health, and community connection. Learning from indigenous wisdom and connection to nature, as well as the unique challenges and opportunities in rural greening, Hope Shores explains the early stages of their greening project: creating a survivor-led garden, and the hopes and dreams for the garden.

To download a transcript of this episode or watch the video podcast, head to preventconnect.org.

Guests
Paige Allia, Hope Shores Alliance (she/they)
Andrew Balk, Hope Shores Alliance (he/him)
Sarah Carter, Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence (she/they/he).

Resources mentioned in this podcast
“Greening & Growing” Strategies to Create Protective Environments and Prevent Sexual & Domestic Violence

Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Welcome
01:07 Introduction to Greening and Growing Web Conference
03:00 Introducing the Guests and Their Backgrounds
04:11 Understanding the Coalition and Local Partner Relationship
05:10 Exploring the Connection Between Green Spaces and Safer Communities
07:34 Paige's Experience with Green Spaces and Community Gardens
09:38 The Importance of Greening in Rural Areas
10:48 The Intersection of Green Spaces and Healing
11:41 The Coalition's Interest in Green Spaces and Sexual Violence Prevention
14:36 Recognizing the Importance of Indigenous Wisdom and Nature Connection
16:28 The Need for Innovative Strategies in Sexual Violence Prevention
19:26 The Unique Challenges and Opportunities of Rural Greening
23:35 Understanding the Rural Area Served by Hope Shores Alliance
27:11 Addressing Food Insecurity and Poverty in Rural Communities
28:55 The Connection Between Greening and Food Sovereignty
30:52 The Healing and Psychological Benefits of Green Spaces
35:21 The Early Stages of the Greening Project
37:47 Creating a Survivor-Led Garden
41:47 The Hopes and Dreams for the Garden
51:44 Spreading Love and Knowledge
52:25 Closing Remarks and Ways to Connect

Preventionists and people committed to advancing social justice coming together to make each other stronger. That’s what PreventConnect is all about. From intentional approaches to anti-racism and sexual violence, to taking on housing, to looking at violence through a public health lens – our movement is not backing down. We are gaining momentum to dismantle harmful norms that have shaped the anti-violence field for decades.

For this episode of PreventConnect, I connected with Ashleigh-Klein Jimenez and Shelby Vice to look back on some of the biggest moments for Prevention in 2023.

This is the second in a two-part series, taking a pause to look back on where we’ve been in order to commit to a path forward together.

Resources mentioned in this podcast:
2023 Prevention Reflections Pt. 1
Car Conversations Guide
The Grooming Myth: Fighting Anti-LGBTQ+ Rhetoric
National Sexual Assault Conference Prevention Track Recordings AVAILABLE NOW
Housing Justice as Sexual Violence Prevention Podcast Episode
Housing Justice as Sexual Violence Prevention NSAC Session
Identifying Solutions to School-Based Prevention Programming Resistance: Key themes and takeaways from PreventConnect’s Town Hall
Decolonizing Gender Zine
Measuring Love Into Balance Brown Paper