Cause Vision Selected as Finalist for Avon Global Communications Awards

NEW YORK - March 10, 2014 - PRLog -- In recognition of International Women’s Day,Cause Vision, a non-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization based in New York, was selected as a finalist for the 3^rd annual Avon Communications Awards: Speaking Out About Violence Against Women (http://xchange.futureswithoutviolence.org/pages/communicationsawards) for its outstanding work on “Hoa and Lan” Stop Human Trafficking with comic books in Vietnam” to bring attention, awareness and the need to end violence against women

Cause Vision is one of 20 global organizations to be chosen as a finalist for the prestigious awards, which recognize outstanding communications campaigns that are helping change communities, policies, institutions and behaviors to end violence against women. The five winning organizations will be chosen by an expert panel of judges and announced at the end of March. Each will receive a US $5,000 grant from the Avon Foundation for Women (http://www.avonfoundation.org) to fund the continuation of their work.The top finalists were selected from more than 870 submissions to the Communications X-Change (http://xchange.futureswithoutviolence.org/) by 303 organizations in 78 countries, ranging from Albania to Nicaragua to Vietnam. The Communications X-Change is a digital global communications library that enables organizations and advocates throughout the world to find, share, and learn from the best communications material focused on ending violence against women and children. The Communications X-Change was developed and is managed by Futures Without Violence (http://www.futureswithoutviolence.org/) and funded by the Avon Foundation.

“The Avon Communications Awards are casting a spotlight on issues that affect one in three women across the globe,” said Carol Kurzig, Avon Foundation for Women President. “Communication and education are critical elements to ignite bystanders into action, and without public awareness and education, bystanders often do not intervene to help in abusive situations. We congratulate them on their selection as a finalist from a very competitive selection process with so many outstanding entries.”

“We commend Cause Vision for their innovative use of communications to prevent and ultimately end violence against women and children in every corner of the world,” said Esta Soler, Futures Without Violence President and Founder. “Since the launch of the Communications X-Change, we’ve been continually impressed by the creativity and caliber of the submissions. These campaigns are an inspiration to the violence prevention community across the globe and a catalyst for change.”

The finalists and descriptions of awards are:

INNOVATIVE CAMPAIGN AWARD
The Innovative Campaign Award recognizes innovative and original approaches to presenting messages about ending violence against women and girls through the best information technology, including mobile technology.

- Hollaback Philly, a project of Feminist Public Works (USA)

- Search for Common Ground (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

- Cause Vision (http://causevision.org/) (Vietnam)

- SafetiPin (India)

BREAK THE SILENCE AWARD
The Break the Silence Award recognizes communications campaigns that effectively encourage people to step in to help or speak out against violence against women to promote a shift in attitudes or practices at the individual, family or community level.

- Cherchi D’Acqua (Italy)

- U.Z.O.R. Association - Family Assistance Association Rijeka (Croatia)

- The NW Network of Bisexual, Trans, Lesbian and Gay Survivors of Abuse (USA)

- ChildFund International (Indonesia)

COMMUNITY CHANGE AWARD
The Community Change Award recognizes campaigns on ending violence against women and girls that involve the participation of both women and men, or girls and boys, to develop solutions to violence and discrimination against women and girls.

- Chayn (Pakistan)

- Red de Masculinidad por la Igualdad de Genero  (Nicaragua)

- Instituto Promundo (Brazil)

- ActionAid Mozambique (Mozambique)

OUTSTANDING GOVERNMENT COMMUNICATION AWARD
The X-Change Award for Outstanding Government Communication recognizes a Government or its responsible Ministry or Department, whether national, regional or local, for communications efforts and campaigns to end violence against women and girls.  It highlights the essential role that Governments play to end discrimination and violence against women and girls.

-  New York City Mayor’s Office to Combat Domestic Violence (USA)

- The Domestic Violence Resource Centre of Victoria (Australia)

- The Rape Crisis Scotland  (UK)

- Community Development Center "Today for the Future" (Albania)

GLOBAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN COMMUNICATION
The Global Award for Excellence in Communicationrecognizes a campaign from an international NGO in the violence against women arena that is global, multi-year, and creates approaches and messages that may be easily adapted in other countries.

- The Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) (Singapore)

- Puntos de Encuentro (Nicaragua)

- Ending Violence Association of British Columbia (BC) (Canada)

- UN Women, Regional Office for Arab States (Egypt)

To view the 20 finalists’ campaigns, please visit: http://xchange.futureswithoutviolence.org/pages/communicationsawards

In addition, as part of the Avon Foundation’s celebration of International Women’s Day efforts, Avon Foundation Global Ambassador Fergie will launch The Institute on Violence Against Women on March 20, at the U.S. Department of State. The Global Partnership to End Violence Against Women (http://www.avonfoundation.org/causes/domestic-violence/funding/global-partnership/) is a new initiative with the Department of State, Vital Voices and the Avon Foundation for Women. The Institute will launch in 2014 in India, Mexico, Nepal and South Africa, and will provide training to facilitate a holistic response to addressing violence against in women. Despite the existence of policies and statutes that can protect women and prevent impunity, very few countries are effectively implementing their legislative tools, leaving victims unprotected and perpetrators unaccountable. Institute participants will include local NGOs, law enforcement officers, prosecutors, judges, and government-based service providers.

To learn more about Cause Vision, please visit us at causevision.org.