Page 3537 - Week 11 - Thursday, 19 September 2013
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And, finally, the Westpac agribusiness innovative young landcarer leader award was won by Karina Paloma Bontes Forward, and the Dirty Beanstalk ANU won the highly commended award.
I would simply like to take the opportunity to thank all of those people for their contributions, congratulate them on their awards and simply acknowledge what a tremendous job they are doing in putting their own time and effort into the landcare program to help maintain and restore our environment.
White Ribbon Day
DR BOURKE (Ginninderra) (5.26): White Ribbon Day, the international campaign to stop violence against women, is approaching on 25 November. We need to keep up awareness to stop this failure on the part of men and act to stop the violence on every day of the year, not just on White Ribbon Day. Mr Assistant Speaker, you are doing your part to maintain awareness as a white ribbon ambassador. You will be speaking at the white ribbon fundraiser on Friday night at the Palace Electric Cinema, featuring a screening of the old classic Grease, as well as a lucky door prize. Upcoming events in Canberra in support of White Ribbon Day include the Australian Defence Force members and their supporters walking or running, as it suits them, around Lake Burley Griffin from bridge to bridge on Friday, 29 November from 12.30. Defence personnel have embraced the cause and have arranged several other white ribbon events in the months to come.
The White Ribbon Foundation is encouraging men to host an event and “do your bit” to stop men’s violence against women by involving colleagues, mates, family or community and spreading the message. Prevention initiatives with communities, schools, universities, workplaces and sporting codes are funded through fundraisers, donations, selling merchandise or holding raffles and auctions at community events.
I am proud the ACT government supports the White Ribbon Foundation and last year gave the foundation $20,000 from the confiscated assets trust fund. This assistance is directed to White Ribbon Day and awareness and prevention programs in schools and workplaces.
The white ribbon movement started in Canada a few years after the horrific massacre of 14 women in Montreal in 1989. Ten years later the UN adopted the white ribbon as a symbol of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women held on 25 November. This is the 10th year that White Ribbon Day has been observed in Australia.
The White Ribbon Foundation is encouraging men to commit to the oath, “I swear never to commit, excuse or remain silent about violence.” The campaign has spread throughout social media with men taking the oath on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, blogs, Instagram and Pinterest.
White ribbon is promoting three steps towards the prevention of violence towards women. Step one is live the white ribbon oath. The oath is a commitment to lead by
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