The Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance
meets 4 times each year. Each Sexual Assault Crisis Center
and Domestic Violence Program is encouraged to send three representatives
(staff, board, volunteers, survivors, allies in the community)
and all of the individual and organization members of the Alliance
are also invited to participate.
Member meetings are an opportunity to meet
the very diverse people from all over Virginia who share a
commitment to ending sexual and domestic violence. At each
meeting there are also meetings of the Alliance Task Forces and Caucuses.
Through participating in a Task Force and/or Caucus
you can add your voice to those of others who share common
interests in the work to respond to and prevent sexual and
domestic violence.
There are many opportunities
for Leadership within
the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance.
Each of the Councils, Task Forces and Caucuses offers opportunities
to serve as a meeting facilitator, as a representative
to the Governing Body, or as a representative
to the Principles and Process committee. The Governing
Body is responsible for the overall leadership and governance
of the Alliance. The Principles and Process Committee is responsible
for ensuring that the guiding principles and by-laws of the
Alliance are upheld. Members of the Governing Body 2006.
The members of the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence
Action Alliance share a commitment to making sure that
diverse people feel welcome and supported to participate.
It is our intention to include those who are new to this work
as well as those who have been advocates for decades. It is
our intention to welcome participation from those of all genders,
sexual orientations, races, ethnicities, faiths, and ages.
The Alliance is a place for the voices of survivors, advocates,
professionals, concerned citizens, and people who identify
in all of those ways. The Alliance has a commitment to be accessible
to those with disabilities, those for whom English is not a
primary language and those who are struggling with economic
challenges. The Alliance strives to include the participation
of people from all parts of Virginia in order to meet the diverse
needs of Virginia—from the Southwestern tip to the DC
metro area to the Eastern Shore. If there is anything we can
do to make it easier for you to participate,
please let us know!
Task Forces come together to address a shared area of concern
related to the mission and goals of the Alliance. The following
Task Forces exist as of April 2005:
Allies for People with Disabilities, LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay,
Bisexual, Transgender, and Questioning), Social Justice Task
Force, Northern Virginia, Southwest Virginia, Wild Women of
Wisdom, Teen Dating Violence Prevention Alliance.
Any member can participate in any Task Force.
Caucuses come together as a group of people who have not had
equal access to full participation in society and/or in the
coalition. For example, there have been Caucuses for violence
survivors, for women of color, and for lesbians. As of April
2005, the following caucuses exist: Women of Color Caucus and
Survivor Caucus. Membership is limited to those who
share the identity of the Caucus.
(The letters PDF stand for Portable Document Format (PDF). To view PDF files you will need Adobe Acrobat(R) Reader which can be downloaded for free from the Adobe website.
For
more information E-mail Directors@vsdvalliance.org. E-mail is not a secure form of communication. To ensure confidentiality please call the Family Violence & Sexual Assault Hotline at 800.838.8238 (V/TTY).
