Domestic violence film not big draw

March planned to promote issue

By Annette Espinoza
Diversity Institute Fellow

10.29.02

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The coordinator of a program that tries to combat violence against women had hoped to use the showing of a film on Wednesday to educate Vanderbilt University students, faculty and staff about the seriousness of the issue, but only six people attended.

Even some of those admitted that they were only sitting in the room because they needed a place to eat lunch.

But the small turnout didn’t deter Sandra Harrell, coordinator of outreach services for Project Safe, a federally-funded program that was established at Vanderbilt in 2000.

Harrell presented the film “Macho: Nicaraguan Men Against Domestic Violence” during an hour-long session held at the Sarratt Student Center in observance of Domestic Violence Month.

She said she used the film, produced in 1994 by the British Broadcasting Corp., to jumpstart discussion about the problem of violence against women, which she called a significant issue among college students.

The film is about members of Cantera, an organization of men who have abused their wives or girlfriends and are examining ways to stop the abuse.

The Cantera members discuss the social construction of masculinity. They also encourage men to join them in dismantling the system of male dominance that dehumanizes men and women with devastating consequences.

Cantera members hope that their program can make a difference in stopping domestic violence at home, and they have shared their program with American men in anger management classes, Harrell said.

The audience didn’t offer much discussion after the film ended.

But Harrell said the session still proved a good set up for Project Safe’s involvement in “Take Back the Night,” a candlelight march set for Oct. 28 at Belmont University.

Last year, more than 200 women, many of them victims of domestic violence, participated in the event. This year, there will be several keynote speakers and a survivors’ panel, Harrell said.

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Articles by fall 2002 Diversity Institute Fellows
Collection page for news stories written by members of the fall 2002 Diversity Institute class.  10.29.02