Tonight, the University community will have a chance to stand up for everyone’s right to be safe from sexual violence regardless of who they are. This Women’s Center and Sexual Assault Support Services event, Take Back the Night, will unite people of all identities to fight back against the violence that women everywhere face.
Environmental groups, such as those of us in the Climate Justice League, need to show their support for the Women’s Center and SASS tonight and their efforts to end oppressive actions, comments and ideas that lead to sexual violence. The world is past the point where advocating for ecological sustainability is just about plants and animals. Environmental health and social justice are fundamentally linked by the fact that humans are impacted by environmental degradation — the vision for a future with healthy ecosystems includes just treatment of all people.
Regardless of the oppression at hand, we are all responsible for dismantling it and modeling a future that is safe for all.
When survivors share their stories with the community tonight, they should receive the support of any and all student groups that care for social justice and the fate of the planet. While the Climate Justice League and the Women’s Center/SASS may seem unrelated, our groups and many others share the core mission of creating a socially just and sustainable world. Even beyond forming coalitions between groups with related immediate goals, we must connect our coalitions to create stronger movements.
The Climate Justice League not only encourages everyone to attend Take Back the Night this evening at 6 p.m. in the EMU Amphitheater, but also to work toward long-term and inclusive cooperation between students and organizations on campus on crucial issues such as eliminating sexual violence.
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