Call for Volunteers for One Afternoon!

from Jeon Francis, Office Manager

CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS FOR ONE AFTERNOON!

Volunteers are needed on Monday, October 4 to help distribute “Take Back the Night” flyers door to door and in local establishments.

We’ll be meeting at the Harvard-Lee Library beginning at 2:30 p.m. and plan to be out in the neighborhood until five. Any amount of time you can give would be greatly appreciated.

The Harvard-Lee Library is located at 16918 Harvard Avenue, Cleveland 44128 (216) 623-6990.

Please RSVP to Jeon Francis at jeonf@clevelandrcc.org

16th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act

from the White House blog

Ed. Note: For more information, visit the Department of Health and Human Services violence against women website and the Department of Justice Office on Violence Against Women.

Vice President Joe Biden speaks during a reception at the Naval Observatory Residence marking the 16th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act, in Washington, DC September 22, 2010.

Last night, more than a hundred advocates and college students from around the country gathered at the home of Vice President Biden to mark the 16th anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The Vice President spoke passionately about his ongoing commitment to ending violence against women and girls and the next steps we must take to change societal attitudes about violence.

Written and championed by then-Senator Biden, VAWA focused on improving the criminal justice response to domestic violence, stalking, and sexual assault. Since 1994, VAWA has sent 4 billion dollars to states and local communities to develop specialized law enforcement units, provide services to victims, improve prosecution of these crimes, and train professionals about domestic violence and sexual assault. In many ways, VAWA has been successful. Since the passage of the Act, domestic violence has dropped by 58%.In spite of all this progress, we still have much work to do. Three women still die every day at the hands of husbands or boyfriends. Domestic violence causes two million injuries a year and untold amounts of human suffering. Domestic violence shelters are still full, hotlines are ringing, and for every victim who has come forward, many more are suffering alone.

Even more alarming, young women between the ages of 16-24 have the highest rates of relationship violence, and one in five women will be sexually assaulted while they are in college. Vice President Biden pointed out that we must focus on changing attitudes of our young people so that violence against women is not acceptable. He also noted that we must reach young people with the new technologies—like texting and other online media—that they use to communicate. The Vice President is committed to working with teens and college students to meet this challenge and he applauded those who have already joined this effort and were gathered at his home last night.

2010 Volunteer Appreciation Event - A Great Success!

Thanks to everyone who was able to join us this past Sunday at the Corner Alley for the Volunteer Appreciation Event!

I had a great time talking to everyone and watching all the bowling and I hope you all did as well!

It'll be hard to top this event next year but you can bet I'll try!

Thanks again to all who made Sunday afternoon so enjoyable!!

Bullying: Protecting Our Teens In Today's World

Your Teen magazine is hosting a program designed for parents of teens around preventing bullying. Check it out on October 12th! (click flyer below for more information and registration).

We are bowled over by your hard work!

Don't miss the Volunteer Appreciation Event!

Sunday, September 26th
4:00-7:00
the Corner Alley
402 Euclid Avenue


We hope you can join us as we thank you for all your hard work!

Stop by and bowl! Or swing by just for a bit and grab something to eat!

Bring friends and family!

We hope to see you there!

Cuyahoga County Commissioner Jimmy Dimora's public disrespect for women should have been a signal: Connie Schultz

By Connie Schultz, Plain Dealer, September 20, 2010

Why was Jimmy Dimora allowed to abuse his power for so long?

We can start by looking at how he treated women.

When you read the federal government's transcripts of Jimmy Dimora's conversations, apparently recorded by wiretap, a clear pattern emerges about this supposed liberal Democrat.

Dimora and his buddies trafficked in profane references to women's genitalia. He reportedly engaged in sex-for-hire and sex-to-be-hired schemes, which were facilitated by political friends willing to drop off condo keys, rent hotel rooms and pay a prostitute's bill to keep his name out of the transactions.

Dimora isn't some old codger still fuming that women got the vote.

This is a fellow baby boomer, a guy only two years older than I, regularly acting as if the last 80 years of women's history never happened. Why didn't that send up more flares?

Clearly, this is a story about a man with little regard for women. But it's also about newsrooms and Cuyahoga County's Democratic Party shrugging off Dimora's raunchy jokes and boorish behavior as Jimmy just being Jimmy.

Here is the beginning of a story that ran in The Plain Dealer in June 1998:

Just in case they were wondering, Bedford Heights Mayor Jimmy Dimora
assured 431 members of the Cuyahoga County Democratic Executive Committee on
Valentine's Day that his sex life was just fine.

"Boy, do I feel good today," Dimora, party chairman, said in opening
remarks to the Democratic faithful gathered for the party's endorsement meeting
at the Holiday Inn in Independence. "My wife took good care of me this morning."

Somewhere, the woman married to the Italian Stallion of Bedford Heights
had to be blushing. Out in the audience, women were cringing . . .

Yet, no one for a minute believed that Dimora's locker room braying
belied a latent vein of disrespect for women. "He's no chauvinist pig," Cindy
Marizette, co-executive director of the county Democratic Party, said this week.
"That's just Jimmy."

At 260 pounds, Dimora is a teddy bear of a man with a kind heart and a
penchant for honesty. He talks to you straight up and sometimes gets in trouble
for it. In a realm of rhetorical wafflers, he's a breath of fresh air.

Hmm: I read that and missed both the cool breeze and the punch line.

The first time I met Dimora was memorable. He made me wait 45 minutes in an empty room for a scheduled interview in 2001. When he finally waltzed in, he took one look at me, and bellowed, "Well, if I'd known you looked like this I would have been here a lot sooner."

Then, he immediately recounted the advice he'd given one of my female colleagues: "I told her she should get another head shot because she's a lot prettier than her picture in the paper."

When another of my female colleagues was first assigned to cover county government, she took Dimora to lunch. She was a newlywed, and Dimora asked how she had met her husband. When she described her then-boyfriend driving more than 24 hours straight just to have dinner with her, Dimora smiled and said, "You must be reeeeeally great."

Some of us never found Dimora to be empathetic or generous, and we never thought he was funny. But we found little interest back then when we tried to raise the issue.

The constant refrain: "It's just Jimmy. He's old school."

My gut told me there was more to it. I wish I had forced the issue.

When you are an elected official born in 1955, your boorish behavior toward women isn't "old school," it's unacceptable. It also raises the question: What other old-time traditions have you revived?

I'm hopeful that the county's liberal leaders will publicly condemn the systemic malaise that allowed Dimora's disregard for women to fester and flourish. I also know I could be in for a long wait.

Last Thursday, The Plain Dealer reported that Dimora had sex on numerous occasions with a public employee seeking a new job. We identified the woman only as PE39. On Friday, one of our reporters started getting calls from various pols, including a couple of suburban mayors and a high-ranking county official.

All of them were men, and all of them had the same question:
Who is PE39?

Because, you know, the lowest form of gossip is more important than the scandal that betrayed so many of us and toppled our county government.

At Work, Engaged and Making a Difference

from the Cleveland Clinic

Most of Diane Daiber's 25 years with Hillcrest Hospital have been as a nurse in the Emergency Department where caring for victims of sexual assault led her on a career path. After researching programs around the country, Diane founded the first Sexual Assault Nurse Examinder (SANE) program at Cleveland Clinic in 2003. The program started at Hillcrest and it has since been established at Fairview, Huron and Marymount hospitals.

Today, Diane recruits, trains, schedules and supervises a very dedicated group of nursing professionals who attend to the physical and emotional needs of this vulnerable patient population. They also attend to the very important work of collecting forensic evidence. In 2006, Diane began a collaborative effort with local law enforcement to provide an annual forensic nurse training program; to date some 160 nurses have completed this intensive 40-hour program.

A tireless caregiver, Diane is also a founding member of the Cuyahoga County and Geauga County Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), and she has served as a member of the Ohio Department of Health Protocol Committee for Sexual Assault Forensic and Medical Examination. In her free time, Diane works with local schools and colleges to provide prevention workshops to students on sexual assault and dating violence. On Oct. 18, she will be working with the Intimate Partner Violence Committee to present a webcast on domestic violence issues.

For those great contributions, Diane has been inducted into the Cleveland Clinic Nursing Hall of Fame and the Ursuline College Alumni Hall of Fame.

Individually ...

Individually, we are one drop.

Together, we are an ocean.

-Ryunosuke Satoro

U.S. Senate hearing focuses on mishandling of sex crimes nationally, in Cleveland

from the Plain Dealer, by Rachel Dissell on September 14, 2010

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Advocates, academics, police and rape survivors called on a U.S. Senate committee Tuesday to investigate whether police departments across the country -- including Cleveland -- routinely mishandle investigations of rapes and other sex crimes.

Attorney Carol E. Tracy, with The Women's Law Project in Philadelphia, called on the FBI to take a lead role in assuring that police departments report accurate statistics about how many reports they receive and what happens to those cases.

The center, joined by dozens of other agencies, is also calling for the FBI to update an antiquated 70-year-old definition the agency uses to define rape. That definition leaves many rapes out of the official count.

Cleveland Rape Crisis Center President & CEO Megan O'Bryan said the center submitted testimony for the hearing and that Cleveland's work on the issue of sexual assault was gaining national attention.

"I want people to know that Cleveland is influencing the national agenda and helping create a national dialogue on police handling of sexual assault investigations," she said.

Tracy said calls have mounted from cities across the country with disturbing themes about police investigation of rapes: rape reports being discouraged or turned away; rapes and other sex crimes being downgraded or misclassified and cases being classified as "unfounded" in large numbers.

In her testimony before the subcommittee, which oversees crime and drug issues, Tracy said the statistics translate into horrifying real-life events, like those that unfolded in Cleveland last year after suspected serial killer Anthony Sowell was arrested and charged with killing 11 women and raping several others.

A year before the serial murders were discovered, a 41-year-old woman, Gladys Wade, flagged down police and reported that Sowell attacked her. Patrol officers initially believed the bleeding woman, took her to the hospital and recorded the crime as an attempted rape and robbery.

But a detective, who later interviewed the woman and Sowell, decided the woman was not credible and the case was labeled "unfounded."

A prosecutor declined to press charges against Sowell, who had already served more than 15 years in prison for a previous sex crime. Six of the women Sowell is accused of killing disappeared after that incident.

That type of scenario has been repeated in news reports across the county, including in Milwaukee, where rape reports from three women were belittled and ignored. The man they said attacked them was later arrested in a string of serial rapes.

"Initially I thought the reports of egregious police conduct were isolated incidents," Tracy said. "We believe this is a national crisis."

A Plain Dealer analysis of sexual assault reports in Cleveland from 2004 to 2008 shows that about 10 percent of cases reported are labeled unfounded, meaning the reports were false or had no basis in fact.

Perhaps a larger concern to advocates is that nearly 40 percent of victims who do initially report crimes, later cannot be located, do not want to cooperate or feel discouraged from prosecuting. More than 70 percent of cases reported never make it past the perfunctory review of a city prosecutor.

The rape crisis center, in written testimony, highlighted the plight of one of their clients, a woman who moved the Cleveland-area and was denied the right to make a police report about her rape because she couldn't pinpoint the location.

A center advocate was able to help the woman assert her right to make the report and have the case investigated.

"Law enforcement officers often buy into the same misperceptions as the general public," the letter states. "Perhaps most significantly, the lack of understanding and empathy police officers can display reflects the outlook of our society at large - that if a woman is raped, she is somehow to blame, and may not be telling the truth."

Tracy and other advocates say that forcing local police agencies to accurately record how rapes are reported and investigated is vital step to addressing sexual assault.

"In addition to accurately documenting those sex crimes reported, law enforcement agencies need to be accountable for the outcome of the report and investigation," Joanne Archambault, director of End Violence Against Women International and a retired San Diego police supervisor said.

"Reports need to be maintained on how many result in victims choosing not to participate in the investigation and prosecution, how many are unfounded, referred to the prosecutors or grand jury and what the final outcomes."

The crimewave that shames the world

from Robert Fisk, The Independent

It is a tragedy, a horror, a crime against humanity. The details of the murders – of the women beheaded, burned to death, stoned to death, stabbed, electrocuted, strangled and buried alive for the "honour" of their families – are as barbaric as they are shameful. Many women's groups in the Middle East and South-west Asia suspect the victims are at least four times the United Nations' latest world figure of around 5,000 deaths a year. Most of the victims are young, many are teenagers, slaughtered under a vile tradition that goes back hundreds of years but which now spans half the globe.

A 10-month investigation by The Independent in Jordan, Pakistan, Egypt, Gaza and the West Bank has unearthed terrifying details of murder most foul. Men are also killed for "honour" and, despite its identification by journalists as a largely Muslim practice, Christian and Hindu communities have stooped to the same crimes. Indeed, the "honour" (or ird) of families, communities and tribes transcends religion and human mercy. But voluntary women's groups, human rights organisations, Amnesty International and news archives suggest that the slaughter of the innocent for "dishonouring" their families is increasing by the year.

Iraqi Kurds, Palestinians in Jordan, Pakistan and Turkey appear to be the worst offenders but media freedoms in these countries may over-compensate for the secrecy which surrounds "honour" killings in Egypt – which untruthfully claims there are none – and other Middle East nations in the Gulf and the Levant. But honour crimes long ago spread to Britain, Belgium, Russia and Canada and many other nations. Security authorities and courts across much of the Middle East have connived in reducing or abrogating prison sentences for the family murder of women, often classifying them as suicides to prevent prosecutions.

It is difficult to remain unemotional at the vast and detailed catalogue of these crimes. How should one react to a man – this has happened in both Jordan and Egypt – who rapes his own daughter and then, when she becomes pregnant, kills her to save the "honour" of his family? Or the Turkish father and grandfather of a 16-year-old girl, Medine Mehmi, in the province of Adiyaman, who was buried alive beneath a chicken coop in February for "befriending boys"? Her body was found 40 days later, in a sitting position and with her hands tied.

Or Aisha Ibrahim Duhulow, 13, who in Somalia in 2008, in front of a thousand people, was dragged to a hole in the ground – all the while screaming, "I'm not going – don't kill me" – then buried up to her neck and stoned by 50 men for adultery? After 10 minutes, she was dug up, found to be still alive and put back in the hole for further stoning. Her crime? She had been raped by three men and, fatally, her family decided to report the facts to the Al-Shabab militia that runs Kismayo. Or the Al-Shabab Islamic "judge" in the same country who announced the 2009 stoning to death of a woman – the second of its kind the same year – for having an affair? Her boyfriend received a mere 100 lashes.

Or the young woman found in a drainage ditch near Daharki in Pakistan, "honour" killed by her family as she gave birth to her second child, her nose, ears and lips chopped off before being axed to death, her first infant lying dead among her clothes, her newborn's torso still in her womb, its head already emerging from her body? She was badly decomposed; the local police were asked to bury her. Women carried the three to a grave, but a Muslim cleric refused to say prayers for her because it was "irreligious" to participate in the namaz-e-janaza prayers for "a cursed woman and her illegitimate children".

read the rest of the article by clicking here

Save the Date - Take Back the Night on October 6th

Take Back the Night

Speak out to end violence against women!

Candlelight March & Survivor Speak-out

Wednesday, October 6
6:30 p.m. march
Meet outside Harvard-Lee Branch of Cleveland Public Library (16918 Harvard Avenue, Cleveland, 44128)

7:30 p.m. speak-out
Harvard Community Services Center (18240 Harvard Avenue, Cleveland 44128)

Ample parking and police escort planned. Bring your own signs.

In the event of inclimate weather, meet at Harvard Community Services Center.

First 100 to arrive receive a FREE t-shirt!

For more information, call 216-619-6194 x 114.
Hosted by: Cuyahoga County Sexual Assault Response Team

September's Continuing Education Event

I am excited to let you know about September's Continuing Education Event!!!

It will be at 6pm on the 20th of September and Ashley Hawke, the Director of Advocacy Services, will be speaking!

Extension 103

Ashley will be presenting 2 case reviews from her experience as a Justice System Advocate. The cases will be two different experiences of what it was like to go through the process of pressing charges.

Who: Ashley Hawke, Director of Advocacy Services x103
What: Presenting 2 JSA cases
Where: CRCC training room on the 14th floor
When: September 20th, 6pm
Why: We refer survivors to JSA all of the time on the hotline, in the hospitals, and in police precincts. Ashley will give you a better understanding of what an experience might be like for a survivor who is going through that process.

If you are interested in attending please RSVP to me sarahb@clevelandrcc.org or 216-619-6194x116.

And remember friends are now welcome. Let me know if you have a friend who is interested when you RSVP. I need their name and email address.

U.S. Senate Holds Public Hearing on Failure to Investigate Reports of Rape

from Megan O'Bryan, President and CEO

Dear Friends,

Today, the U.S. Senate will host a hearing on "Rape in the United States: The Chronic Failure to Report and Investigate Sex Crimes." This hearing comes in response to reports that police mishandled rape reports in six cities across the United States, including Cleveland.

Cleveland Rape Crisis Center submitted this statement for the public record:

"It is imperative that when someone reports a sexual assault, an officer
responds in an empathetic and non-judgmental manner. It is vital that the
officer indicates that they believe the reporting person and ensures that a
report is filed appropriately. It is also imperative that our criminal
justice system does everything it can to fully investigate and prosecute
offenders."

Full Statement

Please take this opportunity to write to your Senator and your Representative and encourage them to be present at the hearing.

We encourage you to watch the hearings on this live webcast at 2:15 on Tuesday and to spread the word about this important hearing.

Together, we can raise awareness and use this opportunity to create change on a national level.

Sincerely,
Megan O'Bryan
President & CEO

Ranking #16 and still moving up, Vote for RAINN!

from RAINN


As you already know, RAINN is currently in the running to win$250,000 through the Pepsi Refresh Contest to expand our *Online* Hotline toSpanish-speaking victims.


If RAINN receives the winning number of votes bySeptember 30th, we win!


Right now, RAINN is holding at 18th place, and we have 20 days to get to #1.


We simply cannot do this without your help.


If you haven’t already, please sign up to receive daily reminders http://cts.vresp.com/c/?RAINN/5567a40abe/e8fd6ce37c/5f74386266 to vote 3x a day, through September 30th.


Here’s how to vote:

1. Vote once a day online: http://www.rainn.org/pepsi.php


2. Vote once a day via text: Text 102552 to Pepsi (73774)


3. Vote once a day from Facebook: install the Facebook App http://cts.vresp.com/c/?RAINN/5567a40abe/e8fd6ce37c/41634be176

Please recruit 5 friends to vote every day as well, and make sure that theysign up for the daily reminder http://cts.vresp.com/c/?RAINN/5567a40abe/e8fd6ce37c/e0da9ce29f.


We need all the help we can get to launch this great new service!


Thank you in advance for your help.

One Phone Call from Truck Driver Rescues Nine

from the Initiative Against Sexual Trafficking

One truck driver who noticed two young girls being worked at a truck stop, made the 911 call to police and an amazing set of events took place. The two girls, 15 and 14, were seen going in and out of the trucks and appeared to be distraught and at times, just simply afraid. Feeling something was not right, the alert trucker called police, informing them that the two girls “appeared pretty young.”

Not only were the two Ohio girls minors, but they also turned out to be kidnap victims of human trafficking. The two minors were saved and returned to their families, but the story did not end there. Because of this one phone call from this one truck driver, seven other minor children were saved leading to the conviction of thirty one human trafficking offenders and led to the shutting down of a thirteen-state prostitution ring.

One phone call from one trucker . . . 9 lives saved . . . 31 offenders convicted . . . 13 state ring shut down . . . from one phone call.

Truckers Against Trafficking Teaser from Brad Riley / iEmpathize on Vimeo.

Learn more about Truckers Against Trafficking here.

Allow me to introduce ... Holly Moyseenko Kossover!

Holly's name is one I'm sure you've all seen by now on your shift reminders! Please take just a few minutes to get to know the wonderful person behind the name!

What led you to volunteer with CRCC?

I wanted to give back to the community - my parents have always encouraged this. As a kid I volunteered at a soup kitchen and a local library. I really believe in the CRCC's mission and wanted to help improve my community.

What do you enjoy most about volunteering with CRCC?

I enjoy feeling like I am making a difference, even if only in a small capacity. I love the feeling I get when someone calls the Hotline and just wants to thank the CRCC - it doesn't necessarily mean that I helped them personally, but the feeling that I am part of something bigger than just one person that has the ability to make such a difference.

What do you find most challenging about volunteering with CRCC?

Having to keep my opinion and what I would/would not do out of it entirely.

Do you have a favorite experience as a volunteer?

I really like working the CRCC table at festivals (last summer I worked a few hours at the Tremont Arts Fest). It was so cool to be able to meet people who used to work and volunteer at the CRCC, tell people what the CRCC does, etc. I even had a few people pull me aside and tell me their stories, which is sometimes heartbreaking. I had a few people just quickly thank me b/c the CRCC helped them or a friend, which to me is HUGE. Even if I didn't help the person myself, I think it's awesome.

What do you enjoy doing when you're not volunteering?

Sleeping :) I also love to read (I'm in 2 book clubs), playing with my dog (& hoping that she will not jump the fence at the dog park), going to Buckeye Beer Engine, traveling, Rock Band, movies (either movie night out with friends - followed by dinner somewhere or just movies at my friend's house), and checking out new restaurants.

If you had a magic wand and 3 wishes, what would those wishes be?

1. For there to be no reason for the CRCC to exist (time to find somewhere else to volunteer and sorry about your job, Wendy!).


2. For college to be free or much more affordable for everyone.


3. For better medications or a cure for many chronic health issues (there hasn't been a new drug approved for lupus in over 50 years - I know a cure is asking for a lot out of that magic wand, so I'll go for some new meds).

Favorites

Book: This is always so hard because I love reading. If I had to narrow it down, I'd include The Handmaid's Tale, Jane Eyre, Phaedo (description of the soul is beautiful to me!), anything by Dorothy Parker, and Little Bird of Heaven

Movie: My Life Without Me, Breakfast at Tiffany's, and Happy Feet (it's cute and I love penguins)

Website or blog: Obviously the CRCC's, but I also like Livejournal, Jezebel (jezebel.com), Bakerella (bakerella.com), and Facebook

Musician or group: I'm not good at picking just one for anything, so Depeche Mode, David Bowie, Belle & Sebastian, Social Distortion, and Liz Phair

Vacation spot: Cape Cod, Chicago (just a drive away & friends there), Portland, OR, or just staying at home and not having anything to do

Meal: a (black bean) burger at Buckeye Beer Engine or sushi

Sports teams: this is a bad question right now!

Tulip O'Hare: She makes me smile many times daily (that's her job description - and sitting on feet to warm them up)

Volunteers Needed for a Research Study

Researchers at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing with the permission of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center are conducting a study to learn more about survivors’ relationships following a sexual assault.

You may take part in this research study if you:

• Have experienced unwanted sexual contact
• Have been forced to participate in sexual activities without your consent or against your will

You may not take part in this research study if you:

• Are under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the interview
• Are experiencing psychotic or manic symptoms which would interfere with your being able to focus on the interview
• Are currently experiencing an acute crisis which would prohibit you from being able to focus on the interview
• Are currently seen by the researcher for care (to be determined during initial phone contact)

What will you be asked to do?

• Talk with the female researcher to learn more about the study so you can make an informed decision
• Be willing to talk about your personal relationships after the sexual assault occurred
• Participate in an interview of about 60-90 minutes (the researcher may contact you for clarification if needed)
• Review a summary of the findings from everyone who participated to ensure your experience is accurately represented

You will be compensated for participation in this study.

If you are interested in learning more about this study or if you have questions, please contact the researcher at 440-382-8636.

Please note, this is a different research study than one previously posted.

Craigslist shuts down adult services section amid legal fight over erotic ads

from the Associated Press, Saturday, September 4, 2010

Craigslist appears to have surrendered in a legal fight over erotic ads posted on its website, shutting down its adult-services section Saturday and replacing it with a black bar that says simply "Censored."

The move comes just over a week after a group of state attorneys general, including Ohio's Richard Cordray, said there weren't enough protections against blocking potentially illegal ads promoting prostitution. It's not clear if the shutdown is permanent, and it appears to affect only ads in the United States.

The listings came under new scrutiny after the jailhouse suicide last month of a former medical student who was awaiting trial in the killing of a masseuse he met through Craigslist. Critics have likened the services to virtual pimping, while Craigslist maintained the site was carrying ads even tamer than those published by some newspapers.

Like many other free online forums, Craigslist typically does not review ads before they are posted by users. But in 2008, under pressure from 40 state attorneys general, Craigslist began requiring posters to provide a working phone number and pay a fee for placing an ad in what is now the adult-services section. Several months later, Craigslist adopted a manual screening process in which postings are reviewed before publishing.

State officials believe Craigslist is still not doing enough to stop illegal ads from appearing.

The company said Saturday that it would issue a statement on the matter, though it didn't say when.

Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, one of the 17 attorneys general who pressed for the change, said in a prepared statement that he welcomed the change and was trying to verify Craigslist's official policy.

In an Aug. 24 letter, the state attorneys general said Craigslist should remove the section because it couldn't adequately block potentially illegal ads promoting prostitution and child trafficking.

Authorities point to the case of 24-year-old Philip Markoff as a prime example of the dangers posed by Craigslist services. The former medical student was accused of killing a masseuse he met through the hugely popular classified advertising site, which was founded by Craig Newmark. Markoff committed suicide in the Boston jail where he was awaiting trial.

Craigslist's adult-services section carried ads for everything from personal massages to a night's companionship, which critics say veered into prostitution.

Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster said in a May blog posting that the company's ads were no worse than those published by the alternative newspaper chain Village Voice Media. He cited one explicit ad that included the phrase: "anything goes $90."

RAINN Needs Your Support

HAPPY LABOR DAY!!!!

I hope you are all having a good day. Although the CRCC is closed today, I wanted to quickly let you all know about that RAINN is looking to get a grant from Pepsi in order to serve Spanish-speaking victims of sexual violence through their online hotline.

The group that gets the most votes by September 30th will receive the money.

Voting has officially started! VOTE twice a day, every day and help RAINN win
$250,000 through Pepsi Refresh!

What: RAINN needs your vote to win a
$250,000 grant from Pepsi. The idea with the most votes by September 30th wins,
so please vote for us every day.

Why: To expand our award-winning Online
Hotline to serve Spanish-speaking victims of sexual violence. Watch our video to
learn more about this vital project.

How:
1. Sign up once today.
2. Vote every day this month. You can vote once online and once by text
every day.

Vote Online: www.refresheverything.com/rainn

Vote by
text: Text 102552 to 73774

Thank you so much in advance for your help!
Please watch our video and learn more about our idea.

Sincerely,

Scott Berkowitz
President and Founder

http://hosted.verticalresponse.com/305140/cf291d7cc5/1345013719/fadabf441c/

August's Continuing Education Event

Thank you Gloria!

Gloria came and spoke about Planned Parenthood of North East Ohio’s (PPNEO) Services, STD’s/STI’s, and Abortions. Here is some of the information that was covered (in case you were not able to make it).

PPNEO sees both men and women. They offer Gynecological exams, birth control (including emergency contraception), pregnancy testing and options information, HPV vaccination, Essure non-surgical permanent contraception, early cervical cancer diagnosis and treatment, Sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing and treatment), HIV testing and education (confidential or anonymous), Urinary tract and vaginal infection diagnosis and treatment, first trimester medication and surgical abortion services, midlife services, referrals for other specialized medical care, AND they are also doing comprehensive sex education K-12 in the Cleveland Municipal School District.

STDs and STIs are mostly the same thing and used interchangeably.

Chlamydia, NGU, Gonorrhea Syphilis and Trichomoniasis are all curable STIs. Hepatitis B, Herpes, HIV/AIDS, and HPV/Genital Warts are not curable but are treatable.

Crabs is also treatable but people with crabs should not go to PPNEO. Treatment is available over the counter and if they do go to the center the whole room has to be shut down and sterilized.

STD/STI symptoms are often more obvious in men because discharge (which is a pretty common symptom) may be confused as normal in women where as discharge is never normal in men.

Gloria does education with the 9th and 10th graders in the Cleveland schools. The different curriculums used in the different grades can be found on the CMSD website if you search for “responsible sexual behavior education”.

PPNEO offers abortions as does Pre Term. There are two types of abortions medical abortions (where medicine is administered to the patient) and surgical abortions. Medical abortions may be performed if the patient is less then 8 weeks pregnant. After that they may have a surgical abortion which can be performed up to 14 weeks into the pregnancy. All individuals who are having an abortion must have two appointments (one where they get medically checked out and cleared and then another appointment for the procedure). Some insurances will cover the cost of an abortion for rape victims.

If there is someone on the hotline who is deciding if they want to have an abortion the important thing to do is to remain non-judgmental and do not try to sway the caller in any way. Support the caller in their process of making this difficult decision. There is also a hotline (NOT 24-Hours) that Gloria suggested, that talks to women who are considering an abortion or have already had an abortion. This hotline is also available to family members of people who are considering or have had an abortion.

If there are any people who would prefer/ feel more comfortable with a Spanish speaking facility, the Old Brooklyn site has several staff members who speak Spanish. This site is located at Broadview and W25th.

Again thank you so much Gloria! For additional information on PPNEO please visit http://www.plannedparenthood.org/ppneo/

Equal Rights for Women? Survey Says: Yes, but ...

from nytimes.com

People around the world say they firmly support equal rights for men and women, but many still believe men should get preference when it comes to good jobs, higher education or even in some cases the simple right to work outside the home, according to a new survey of 22 nations.

The poll, conducted in April and May by the Pew Research Center’s Global Attitudes Project in association with the International Herald Tribune, shows that in both developing countries and wealthy ones, there is a pronounced gap between a belief in the equality of the sexes and how that translates into reality.

In nations where equal rights are already mandated, women seem stymied by a lack of real progress, the poll found.

“Women in the United States and Europe are shouldering major responsibilities at home and at work simultaneously, and this makes for stress and a low quality of life,” said Prof. Herminia Ibarra, co-author of the 2010 Corporate Gender Gap Report of the World Economic Forum.

The opinions of the French, in particular, are emblematic of the uneven drive for equality of the sexes.

One hundred percent of French women and 99 percent of French men backed the idea of equal rights. Yet 75 percent also said that men there had a better life, by far the highest percentage in any of the countries in which polling took place.

Why do people in France, which provides generous state care for new mothers and toddlers, feel so far from having achieved gender equality?

“Because they are, at least in terms of economic participation,” said Professor Ibarra, who teaches organizational behavior at Insead, the international business school based in Fontainebleau, France. “There are still very few women running large organizations, and business culture remains resolutely a boys’ club.”

Indeed, the United States and Germany reported an especially strong gap between the sexes on whether enough has been done to give women equality. Of those who believe in equal rights, many more American and German men believe their nations have made the right amount of changes for women, while many more women than men in those countries think more action is required.

“When you’re left out of the club, you know it,” said Prof. Jacqui True, an expert in gender relations and senior lecturer at the University of Auckland. “When you’re in the club, you don’t see what the problem is.”

Read the rest of this story here.

Save the Date

Save the date ... and get excited!

2010 CRCC Volunteer Appreciation Event

Sunday
September 26th
4:00-7:00

Where will it be? What is the theme? You'll have to wait for your invitations to find out for sure but here's a hint ... I've been bowled over by all your hard work! Any guesses?