A big Thank You to Island Savings employees on Salt Spring Island who donated to SWOVA's R+R program in 2013.
Island Savings Employees give to SWOVA’s Respectful Relationships (R+R) Program
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Blog
All That’s in a Name – by Christina Antonick
I grew up in rural Nova Scotia and last week was grateful and relieved to read that the Halifax Regional School Board voted to rename Cornwallis Junior High, a public school named after the city founder Edward Cornwallis who was a British military officer who founded...
Weekend of Entertainment, Workshops, Recognition and Celebration
International Women’s Day March 8, 2014 For over one hundred years, International Women’s Day (IWD) has been a day of celebration and recognition to mark exceptional achievements of women and to build on inequities still to be addressed. This year SWOVA, IWAV, Victim...
Universal Children’s Day – by Lynda Laushway
Universal Children's Day is on November 20, 2013, a day to annually celebrate childhood worldwide. First proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly in 1954, it was established to encourage all countries to institute a day to initiate action to benefit and...
Ayize and Aiyana Ma’at Demonstrate How Commitment in Relationships Can Change the World – By Christina Antonick R+R Facilitator
When I sit in circles with young people to talk about respect, healthy communication and relationships, I find it useful to have names and faces in my own mind and heart of what we’re talking about as it relates to real life couples rather than the Hollywood celebrity...
In Memory of Amanda Todd – by Raffi
A year ago Amanda Todd took her own life because of cyber bullying. Author and child activist Raffi Cavoukian has written an article featured in The Star. Please read the article here: For more information about cyberbullying and Raffi, please visit his website:...
Grand Theft Auto – by Christina Antonick
In one of our Grade 10 Respectful Relationships workshops this past week, we spoke with youth about our 5-month social justice youth facilitator training that we do on Monday evenings after school. Our R+R Youth Team co- facilitate sessions with the Adult Facilitators...
The Only Openly Gay Family in Russia Flee for Children’s Safety – by Lynda Laushway
Author Masha Gessen is leaving her home in Russia and moving to the United States with her partner and three children. Gessen is the courageous author of the book entitled The Man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin and has been the only openly gay...
The Fat Body Visible – by Megan Manning
The SWOVA library recently added a film to its collection. “Fat Body (In) Visible,” is a short film by Margitte Kristjansson and a fascinating insight into the lives of two fat activist women, Jessica and Keena. The norm in our society is to believe that fat is bad,...
Youth Take the Lead in Needs Assessment for SWOVA’s Salish Sea Girls’ Leadership Project – by Andria Scanlan, Project Coordinator
The eleven young women who make up the Youth Advisory Council for the Salish Sea Girls’ Leadership Project (SSGLP) will be joining the ranks of off island commuters over the next few weeks. In order to explore what their peers from Galiano, Mayne, Pender and Saturna...
A truly inspiring evening – by Megan Manning
A clear vision, a number of passionate and engaged youth, inspiring performers, and many generous community donations, make up the Sparkfest recipe for success. The vision comes from Kate Maurice – Mentor/Supervisor of SWOVA’s Pass It On program - and from amazing...
My Time in the Youth Team – by Cole Smith
I feel that the SWOVA youth team has impacted my life in such a dramatic way that it would be an injustice to fail to recognize it. As a graduating member of the Respectful Relationships Youth Team, I can say with confidence that the future is in good hands. Working...
Blog Archives
We Reflect the Beauty of the People We Love by Kate Nash
Winter seems to be a time of great change and learning for me. My mother passed away this year on January 1st. For anyone who has lost a parent, the mixed emotions and loss will be familiar. When a parent dies we flounder between our adult selves and the child inside...
Peace and Respectful Relationship Skills by David Norget
I’ve just recently completed 4 weeks of delivery of Respectful Relationships and Peace Kids programs at Salt Spring Island Middle School. This is my first time in my role as male facilitator in these programs working alongside Christina Antonick, an experienced...
Why is everyone talking about Consent? By Sharyn Carroll
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAy5LYJlTII From high profile cases in the media to Canadian students and faculty calling for change across college and university campuses, the term “Consent” is being put under a microscope. Our understanding of this word raises...
SWOVA Focuses on Consent and Sexual Assault
Statistics tell us that one in three women and one in six men will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime, while less than one in ten assaults are reported to the authorities. Most sexual assaults happen by someone the victim knows. (Stats Can 2004)...
Canadian Women’s Foundation Blog Highlights R+R
Read Canadain Women's Foundation Blog Post "Day 8: How SWOVA is Helping BC Teens Develop Respectful Relationship Skills"
Peace Kids by David Norget
"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow is yet to come. We have only today. Let us begin." Mother Theresa During the month of October and November Christina Antonick and I were in the classes of primarily grade 3, 4 and 5 students delivering the Peace Kids program....
Respectful Relationships National Grantee Meeting in Calgary by Christina Antonick
"Together we can face any challenges as deep as the ocean and as high as the sky." - Sonia Gandhi- In early October, I was blessed to travel to Calgary for a national meeting of Canadian Women's Foundation's 17 Teen Healthy Relationships Grantees - of which our...
Re-defining Feminism by Elise Pearson
I find that definitions can be limiting and problematic, and I’d like to see if I can encourage you to think for yourselves about what this word, or movement, or ideology might mean to you. Instead I’ll start by providing a few different definitions I’ve come across...