Saturday 23 June 2012

carrying the torch

The Olympic Torch is being carried through the British Isles with much cheering and celebration meeting it on its way.  The people chosen to run with it have been selected for various reasons, often to do with service to the community.  Tomorrow, our friend Chris is the torchbearer, taking it on its way through Halifax.

Now, if I tell you that Chris is God's gift to women, you might get the wrong impression and he'd be very embarrassed.  But it's like this.  Some years ago, Chris read about something called the White Ribbon Campaign, which I think began in Canada (?).  It's a campaign against male violence against women, and if you google White Ribbon Campaign you'll find out more about it.  He decided we should have White Ribbon in the UK, and we have now, because he set it up.  A particular aspect of their work is to reach out to the pubs and clubs and sporting community - blokey stuff.  Yes, there are other forms of dometic abuse and they don't condone those, either.  But White Ribon concentrates specifically on this issue.

Today, flooding in the area where White Ribbon is based meant that thousands pounds worth of material was lost.  Today, Chris was clearing out the boxes of soggy posters.  Tomorrow, he will run through town carrying the torch for this -

I will not commit, condone, or remain silent about violence against women.

Go Chris, I am honoured to know you.

2 comments:

Elinor said...

How appropriate after events this week. I saw a victim of domestic violence win justice. The impact on her of the abuse has been enormous, and made so much more obvious by the change in her now. All credit to Chris, and hope the floods haven't caused too many problems.

margaret mcallister said...

Big fund-raising effort planned!