Campaign to Stem
Societal Violence

Sample Week of Programs

MONDAY -- Kickoff Day

1. Campus Rally/March -- Gather students around campus (a good starting point may be the residence halls) and have them march through the academic wing of campus (gathering faculty and staff), through the community (collecting local business owners and other members) and end at a central location on campus. This could be the kickoff to the week, and the precursor to the keynote speaker.
   
   
2. Keynote Speaker -- Seek out a speaker to give a presentation on how violence has no place on your campus, and/or how to unite the campus in peace and harmony.
   
   
3. Take the Pledge -- After the speaker, encourage those in attendance to take a public stance against violence by signing a pledge. This could be a time of celebration, offering free t-shirts, coffee, cookies, or any other items that can be purchased or obtained from the support of the community.

TUESDAY -- Take the Pledge Day

For those who did not attend the keynote speaker or sign the pledge on Monday, Take the Pledge Day offers an additional opportunity to recruit and market for the week.

Tables could be stationed in various buildings on campus, for the purpose of distributing the pledge to the campus community and also offering a promotional item to those who agree to the principles of the campaign and sign the pledge.Promotional items could take the form of t-shirts, beanie hats, baseball caps, travel mugs, car or window decals, canvas bags, etc.

In the event that funding is not available for the distribution of promotional items, financial sponsorship from the community could be obtained, in exchange for their logo being printed directly on the promo item (back of t-shirt, hat). Company logos could appear on the marketing posters to advertise for Enough is Enough Week, or separate cards could be handed out as "discount cards" with the corporate sponsorship printed on the card.

Finally, another way for the community to get involved with the marketing of the campaign is to partner with local eateries and restaurants and ask for donations of pizza, sub party platters, or other on-the-go food items. This could be a great initiative for the lunch hour, in attracting additional pledges.

WEDNESDAY -- Unity Day

1. These Hands Don't Hurt -- Unite the campus with a colorful display of support. Have a large white banner and several different colors of paint for students to leave their handprint as a visible pledge to their commitment to being peaceful members of the campus community and the world.
   
   
2. Home is Where the Court is: Dedicate a home athletics game to rally and unify the campus and show off their school spirit. Ask those in attendance to wear the same color, further unifying the initiative and stance against violence.

THURSDAY -- Take Action Day

1. Poster campaign/gallery showing -- Provide students with poster board and allow them to create visual displays with an anti-violence message. Additionally, students could be encouraged to go beyond poster board and create their own anti-violence message using the media of their choice. These expressions could, of course, be pre-screened for appropriate content and materials.
   
   An alternative idea is to ask students to create posters or other visual media that represent campus unity and peace. Arrange for pieces to be on display in a union, student center, or art gallery.
   
   
2. Start a dialogue on violence -- Encourage students to think about the ramifications that violence in the media has on society, and how we can combat these messages of pro-violence. Universities could enlist the assistance of their debate team or their campus radio station. A weekly segment could be included to address issues of violence, campus security, or ways to make campus a better and more peaceful place to live.

FRIDAY -- Beats of Peace Day

Host an "EarPeace" or "CommUnity" concert. Bringing people together around positive and upbeat music is sure to foster a sense of peace and unity on campus. This event could take on many forms, including big-name acts, student bands, or aspiring singer-songwriters within the campus community. Furthermore, this could be a large-scale concert type of event, or something as simple as a coffee-house setting featuring an evening of soulful music. Be sure to promote the community sites where you'll be hosting "Campus Cares Days" and have last-minute sign-ups available.

SATURDAY/SUNDAY -- Campus Cares Days

Another way to get the campus active and involved in a positive way is to host day-long volunteer and service events in which members of the campus give back to the larger community through cleaning up the town, painting elderly people's homes, volunteering at the local humane society, or organizing the shelves of a local food bank. Various project sites in the community would be pre-identified, and groups of volunteers would be assigned to task sites. For an even greater anti-violence effect, these project sites could be specifically chosen with an anti-violence theme in mind: sprucing up a battered women's shelter or creating an anti-violence mural to be on display in the community.