The profits our foundation receives from the purchase of WITNESS Project International items go towards the work of stopping gender and child directed violence. WITNESS Project International is an arts based initiative of The Margaret Clemons Foundation (MCF), a NYC based non-profit organization with a mission to stop violence against women and children using arts based counselor training, teaching, education, therapy, and community outreach. WITNESS Project International’s objective is to draw attention to and spark conversation about the effects of adult behavior, particularly gender based and child directed violence, on society’s most vulnerable and impressionable witnesses – children – and to do this by working with youth through the arts in such a way that positive social change takes place. MCF is partnered with Lesley University in the U.S. and the Government of Gyuana S.A. to create a template for change that once established will be able to be used throughout the Caribbean, Latin America, and the world. The pilot program for building this template is in Guyana for the following reasons: Guyana is mired in gender violence and the Government of Guyana is motivated to partner with organizations to do something about this humanitarian problem that has social, cultural, educational, health, and economic consequences on families and society. Guyana is small enough for real change to be tracked over time more easily, and MCF has partnerships with the Government of Guyana, Ministries of Education, Human Services, Child Protective Services, and others, along with Guyanese organizations like ‘Help & Shelter’ working to address gender violence, and children/families in crisis. As part of this template for change Lesley University in conjunction with MCF and the Guyana Ministry of Education launched a unique Master’s Degree program specifically tailored for Guyanese individuals working in social services and in schools. The Master’s Degree program in Trauma Sensitive Assessment, Intervention, and Consultation equips graduates to bring improved counseling and support services to children and families in urban and rural communities. To find out more go to: http://www.lesley.edu/academics/graduate/guyana http://news.lesley.edu/2012/07/guyana-looks-to-lesley-to-address-pressing-social-issues.shtml For more information on MCF and WITNESS Project International go to: http://www.themargaretclemonsfoundation.org http://www.witnessprojectinternational.org https://www.facebook.com/WITNESS.Project
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