In conjunction with the annual Take Back the Night event, the international Silent Witness project is coming to the Wayne State University campus the week of April 21-25. The WSU President's Commission on the Status of Women (COSW) is leading the charge in working to help reduce violence against women and bring awareness to the issues of domestic and sexual violence.
Silent Witness is the visual representation of victims of domestic violence. Individual, life-sized red figures representing men, women and children murdered in acts of domestic violence in the state of Michigan will be on display around campus. Each figure includes breastplate shields sharing each victim's name and story. The goals of Silent Witness include:
Remembering -- Honoring those who lost their lives in domestic violence.
Awareness -- Bringing attention worldwide to the extent of domestic violence.
Advocacy -- Connecting people with successful programs for ending the violence.
Reporting -- Demonstrating the effectiveness of intervention programs through data collection and presentation.
Wayne State University joins other college campuses nationwide in participating in the Silent Witness display. In an effort to engage youth and the broader Southeast Michigan community, the WSU Silent Witness displays were built by students in Robert Hinderer's Industrial Arts & Design: Woods II class at Wyandotte's Roosevelt High School.
The Silent Witness displays will be placed around campus and support the message and activities around the annual Take Back the Night event, offered in collaboration between COSW and Wayne County SAFE in conjunction with Sexual Assault Awareness month. This year's Take Back the Night is open to everyone and will be held on Wednesday, April 23, from 5:30-8 p.m. in the WSU Student Center Ballroom.
For additional information, visit http://cosw.wayne.edu/events/tbtn2014flyer.pdf .
The Silent Witness display will also be placed around campus in October in conjunction with Domestic Violence Awareness month.
Wayne State University is a premier urban research institution offering more than 370 academic programs through 13 schools and colleges to nearly 28,000 students.