Yuji KATO
CGS staff member
[The article below is the same as the article that appears in the nineteenth issue of the CGS Newsletter.]
Violets (sumire in Japanese), in the language of flowers, mean sincerity and everyday happiness, and the color purple is used worldwide in campaigns to end violence against women. Drawing on this symbolism, the Sumire Project (since 2016, Sumire Network) was launched in 2015 with the aim of raising awareness on dating violence and other forms of relationship abuse. The project is a joint collaboration by CGS and undergraduate students of ICU. CGS staff member Yuji Kato, who managed the Sumire Project, provides an outline of its activities below. Next, the student who inspired the project, writing under the pseudonym "Penko," shares her personal experiences and thoughts.
In April 2005, a fourth-year ICU student came to CGS upon referral by a staff member. The student, who is known by the pseudonym "Penko," told us she wanted to do something to help others who had experienced dating violence like herself and to reduce the incidence of dating violence on campus. Penko and I, along with another student whom I shall call "Chun" here, started exploring potential strategies to make this happen.
Our first initiative was to create an informative bilingual pamphlet, titled "Is Dating Violence Really Someone Else's Problem?", which we distributed to all first- and second-year students. The pamphlet, which opens out to A3 size, is designed to arouse awareness on dating violence. One side is filled with facts and figures for young people as well as personal reflections by Penko and Chun. The other side provides a contact list of helpful resources on and off campus. Although I supervised the design and editing, and made sure that it would consider the fact that victims of dating violence are not necessarily all women, I left the research, analysis, and writing to Penko and Chun. We followed the example of the Living Together Campaign in Tokyo, which collects anonymous personal stories about HIV because people find it difficult to come out as HIV positive. I also made good use of my experience in helping to create an HIV brochure for school nurses, as part of a collaborative project last year by CGS, the non-profit organization "akta," and Tama Fuchu Health Center.
Our second initiative was to organize a lecture, "Do You Know About Dating Violence?: The Modalities of Student-Led Activities for Raising Awareness." The guest lecture, by Assistant Professor Chika Hyodo from The Hirayama Ikuo Volunteer Center at Waseda University, was followed by a presentation by her fourth-year student, Shuhei Yuyama. Shuhei's report on the results of his action research on male victims of dating violence led to an in-depth discussion of victim diversity and the potentials of student activism.
Finally, we organized an event called the Sumire Café, as Penko had expressed a strong desire to create a space for students to discuss these issues. The event, which was held at CGS, attracted 10 participants. We laid down some ground rules for everyone to follow. I was particularly impressed by Penko's brilliant facilitation skills, especially considering that when we first started the Sumire Project, it was not unusual for Penko to suddenly burst into tears during a meeting. But after seeking support from a non-profit organization off campus, speaking out about her experience to friends on campus, and even providing support to others, Penko seemed to have grown more confident in the fall term, talking more freely about dating violence and crying no more. By winter, when we had finished with the Sumire Café, I could see that Penko was listening seriously to what others were saying and choosing words with care when discussing her own experience or knowledge. For example, she avoided talking in terms of "victim" and "abuser," and instead chose to say that she had experienced dating violence in a past relationship. This reflects her mentality as a survivor, as someone who has overcome adversity by having the courage to face the truth and be honest with herself. Even though I was merely accompanying Penko on her journey, playing but a small part in this project, I was close enough to feel the painful reality of dating violence.
Looking back, I feel that the Sumire Project has developed in line with Penko's own journey of healing and empowerment. Continuing it without her will be like starting a new project altogether. What remains certain, nonetheless, is the imperative to work toward making our campus a safer place, a place where violets can continue to bloom.