RADAR ALERT:
UN Violence Report: Three Strikes and You're OUT!
The United Nations recently released its biased Violence Against Women report. The report is filled with half-truths and distortions about violence against women, and absurdly claims that the root cause of domestic violence is male "patriarchy."
So last week, RADAR issued an Alert and press release that went to 17,000 media contacts. But that was just the warm-up pitch. In honor of the recently-concluded World Series, this week we're fielding our whole ball team.
RADAR and 90 other organizations from 9 countries around the world have formed a coalition to stop this dangerous report. These organizations are based in the United States, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, Netherlands, Germany, Czech Republic, Australia, and New Zealand.
This is what two of these groups are saying about the UN report:
"The UN Report ignores the plight and pain of half of all victims of domestic violence. In effect this report 'sanctions' male victims and ignores the terrorism that fills their lives simply because they are men." — Lee Newman, executive director, SAFE International
"While the UN report purports to be an 'in-depth study,' it ignores the failings of the current system. Many severely-abused victims discover to their surprise that trivial and false claims are consuming the resources that should be going to those most in need." — Terri Lynn Tersak, president and CEO, True Equality Network
The members of this coalition have signed a Resolution Regarding the UN Study on Violence Against Women. The Resolution notes that the UN report "uses misandrous and inflammatory language" to falsely stereotype men, and calls on the UN to "discourage implementation of the recommendations of the Study on Violence Against Women until its effects on families and children are analyzed and understood."
The full Resolution and list of co-signers can be viewed at:
http://www.mediaradar.org/docs/UN-ViolenceReport-Resolution.pdf.
So this week, we're asking everyone who reads this Alert to throw three pitches. We'd like you to contact UN Ambassador Terry Miller (he represents the US delegation on the Third Committee, the body that handles social and economic issues at the UN) and throw him:
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3 fast balls (e-mail him at usa@un.int),
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3 sliders (fax him a letter at 1-212-415-4443), or
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A change-up (a combination of e-mails and faxes)
Three strikes and you're out!!
If you want to send Ambassador Miller a copy of the Resolution along with a short cover note, that's fine. Always be polite and respectful, but be firm in your request that the United Nations:
- Simply "Note" (but not "Welcome") the recent Secretary-General's report (merely "noting" a report is the diplomatic equivalent of saying, "this report stinks")
- Discourage implementation of the recommendations of the Study on Violence Against Women until its effects on families and children are analyzed and understood.
- Request incoming UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to undertake a counterpart Study on Violence against Men.
This is our first global campaign to stop DV bias. And it's a whole new ball game.
Date of RADAR Release: October 30, 2006
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R.A.D.A.R. – Respecting Accuracy in Domestic Abuse Reporting – is a non-profit, non-partisan organization of men and women working to improve the effectiveness of our nation's approach to solving domestic violence. http://mediaradar.org
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