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Military and civilian leaders will stress education, awareness and prevention of sexual assault during several events planned in the KMC in April for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
“It’s one month – 30 days – out of the year that’s dedicated to raising awareness of sexual assault and educating people on prevention strategies,” said Megan Roberts, U.S. Army Garrison Kaiserslautern’s sexual assault response coordinator.
The Army’s newly-launched I. A.M. (Intervene, Act and Motivate) Strong Campaign will play heavily in the garrison’s events, Mrs. Roberts said.
“With I. A.M. Strong, the focus has turned much more to the prevention of sexual assault and how important it is to combat it in our Army,” she said.
Mrs. Roberts and the garrison’s victim advocate coordinator, Lisa Velez, have teamed up to host events designed to reach as many people in the community as possible.
One event, “Sex Signals,” takes place at 9 a.m. Tuesday at the Galaxy Theater on Vogelweh. It is billed as a Soldier training, with a target audience of E-1 to E-4, ages 18 to 26.
This training creates dialogue among audiences that is necessary to dissolve enduring rape myths and encourage thoughtful, accountable and
intimate behavior, Mrs. Velez said.
The Clothesline Project is a traveling exhibit that will be displayed for a two-week period throughout the month at dining facilities on Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, Kleber Kaserne and Rhine Ordnance Barracks.
Started in the KMC last year, the Clothesline Project is a way for victims to express their emotions by decorating a shirt. Last year’s display had 23 shirts. Many of last year’s shirts will be on display again with this year’s shirts.
Markers and instructions are included with the shirts in the Clothesline Project packages, which can be picked up at several locations throughout the KMC.
“Last year, we actually had someone write the story (of the attack) on it and that was quite powerful,” Mrs. Roberts said.
Also started last year in the KMC was the joint Air Force- and Army-sponsored 5 kilometer awareness run and 1 kilometer walk. This year’s event will start at 3 p.m. April 17 at the Ramstein Southside Gym.
Another event, the Shine the Light Walk, will start at 7 p.m. April 30 at the youth center on Vogelweh Housing.
“You shine the light because a lot of sexual assaults and violence toward women are at night,” Mrs. Roberts said. “So, in theory, (by doing this walk) you make it safer and take back the power from the predators.”
For a complete list of events, visit www.kaiserslautern.army.mil. For more information, call 493-4617.
