BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID:NingEventWidget-v1 VERSION:2.0 METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT UID:4670368:Event:66409 DTSTAMP:20260427T201535Z SUMMARY:Gathering of Aboriginal Men: Standing Up Against Violence Towa rds Aboriginal Women’ DESCRIPTION:\nAn invitation to support a ‘Gathering of Aboriginal Me n: Standing Up Against Violence Towards Aboriginal Women’\n\nWHEN: W ednesday, February 15th, from 10am to 12:30pm\n\nWHERE: Hotel Grand Pa cific, Victoria B.C.\n\nFor further information, please contact Paul L acerte at 250-388-5522 or e-mail at: placerte@bcaafc.com.\n\nPlease sh are this invitation and spread the word.\n\nLisa MercureBC Association Aboriginal Friendship Centres lmercure@bcaafc.com 1-800-990-2432Ope n Letter Invitation to a Gathering of Aboriginal MenStanding up again st Violence towards Aboriginal Women and ChildrenOn Wednesday, Februar y 15th, from 10 am to 12:30 pm a group of Aboriginal men will meet at the Hotel Grand Pacific in Victoria to stand up for Aboriginal women a nd Children and to speak out against all forms of violence towards the m. This letter is both a call to action and an open invitation for ou r brothers, uncles, grandfathers, fathers, and sons to come together a nd build a Province-wide campaign to end violence against Aboriginal w omen and children.Aboriginal women are three times more likely to expe rience domestic violence than non-Aboriginal women, and three times mo re likely than non-Aboriginal women to be killed by someone they know. Too many of our wives, daughters, sisters, aunties, mothers, grandmot hers are not safe in their own home. Too many have been murdered or ar e missing. It is time for us to change this. This cycle of violence c ame from residential schools, racism against our Peoples, and coloniza tion. It was never in our culture to do violence to the women and chil dren in our families and communities, it was always our responsibility to protect them.Many efforts, projects, and strategies are now under- way throughout the province to change this reality, but we can and nee d to do more. Silence is not good enough, and simply being a non-abuse r is not good enough. We need to speak up and take action, and we need to support each other as Aboriginal men.The Gathering of Aboriginal M en - Standing up against Violence towards Aboriginal Women and Childre n, will take place on Wednesday, February 15th from 10 am to 12: 30 pm at the Hotel Grand Pacific. At 1 pm we will hold a Press Conference o n the front steps of the BC Legislature to speak out publicly against violence towards Aboriginal women and children, and to commit ourselve s to action.This invitation is being extended to Aboriginal males of a ll ages in BC First Nations communities, Aboriginal Friendship Centres , colleges and universities, Provincial and Federal government offices , RCMP and municipal police forces, and other Aboriginal organizations . Please share this invitation and spread the word.For further inform ation, please contact Paul Lacerte at 250-388-5522 or e-mail at: place rte@bcaafc.com.\n\n\nFor more information visit http://villagevancouve r.org/events/gathering-of-aboriginal-men-standing-up-against-violence- towards DTSTART:20120215T180000Z DTEND:20120215T203000Z CATEGORIES:community LOCATION:Hotel Grand Pacific, Victoria B.C. WEBSITE:http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=ww&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&sa=N&tab=w l URL:http://maps.google.ca/maps?q=ww&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hl=en&sa=N&tab=wl CONTACT:Paul Lacerte at 250-388-5522 ORGANIZER:BC Association Aboriginal Friendship Centres ATTACH;FMTTYPE="image/jpeg":http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/ file/get/2051065338?profile=original ATTENDEE;ROLE=REQ-PARTICIPANT;PARTSTAT=TENTATIVE;RSVP=TRUE;CN="Karen E laine Gilchrist":http://villagevancouver.org/profile/KarenElaineGilchr ist END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR