Survivors Rising Strives for Inclusion

Survivors Rising (survivorsrising.org) recently began to hold Survivor Community meetings convening survivor-leaders from the community to move toward a more inclusive approach. There is so much overlap between forms of violence. A survivor might have experienced domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking and sex trafficking all in one relationship. In addition, there are similarities with the offenders of these crimes —all offenders focus on power and control, are extremely dangerous and sometimes lethal, and can be from any walk of life. The next event will be announced soon.

A “splitting” approach to victims and survivors excludes people and minimizes the many types of violence an individual may experience. In addition to expanding its scope to represent all forms of violence, Survivors Rising hopes to create a safe and inclusive space for many survivor voices that are often silenced or marginalized – LGBTQ, people of color, Native Americans, immigrants, refugees, people with a disability, people in lower socioeconomic status, and survivors who identify as men.

Survivors Rising is an organization dedicated to advocacy, education, and support for survivors of sex trafficking, sexual exploitation, domestic/dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. Programs include: speakers bureau, education & training, legislative and policy advocacy, and survivor engagement to promote system change and safety in our community. Find out more at survivorsrising.org or by contacting Kim at (402) 850-0301 / kimsurvivorsrising@gmail.com.