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History
Silent Witness began in Minnesota, USA in 1990. That year, a group of female artists and writers formed an ad hoc committee to address the murders of 26 women by their intimate partners in their state in that year alone.
Their response was to create 26 life-size red silhouettes; each silhouette would bear the name of one of the murdered women. A 27th silhouette was created to represent all of the women whose cases remained unsolved.
Since that time Silent Witness has grown. There is now a Silent Witness Initiative in all 50 states; moreover the project has expanded to 15 other countries. In Canada there are established Silent Witness Projects in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and Alberta; with projects underway in several other provinces.
The journey for the organizing members of Silent Witness Nova Scotia began in February 2004 when individuals from across the province gathered together to learn about the New Brunswick Silent Witness project. They were so moved by the stories of New Brunswick women who had been killed by their intimate partners that they made a commitment to honour and remember Nova Scotia's own silent witnesses in this way. The mission became clear; the committee would strive to give voice to women in Nova Scotia silenced by domestic violence, and to commemorate their lives.
Establishing the Project
The Silent Witness Nova Scotia Organizing Committee submitted a grant proposal to the National Crime Prevention Centre and in July 2005, the Project received $25 040.00. With the initial phase of a community assessment complete, the funding would support the work of the second phase which was to conduct initial research into domestic homicides in Nova Scotia; increase awareness of domestic violence and build community capacity by holding regional meetings; develop promotional material; and construct a "Remember Me" Silhouette. The third phase is an official launch.
The Organizing Committee recognizes that community involvement and collaboration are key to giving voice to Nova Scotian women silenced by violence. The growth and success of the Project depends upon the strength and commitment of local resources and the structure and support of provincial guidelines and policies. The process for establishing chapters has been developed with that in mind and with integrity and respect as guiding principles.
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