Healing Voices - Personal Stories

Many Victims are Excluded from Legal Protection

lindaroseberkley — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:42:58 +0000

Healing Voices-Personal Stories has a vision to inform and educate the public to the reality of domestic violence with a focus on the traumatized victim who struggles to recover, grow and succeed in life. While there has been a swell of support for the protection of the victims of domestic violence, the laws still lag behind. It remains an often losing battle to assert the rights of victims, however, the laws do provide a possible course for defense of victims’ rights to prosecute abusers. However, as of today, Native Americans have no way to prosecute abusers who are non-Native American, since the latter is not subject to Tribal Courts. Illegal residents have no protection, nor do Gay, Lesbian or Transgender individuals. A federal bill, yet to be passed, would include these groups, although there is no current legal protection for these people.

Board member Regina Ress suggests this link to learn more about this problem.

Tagged: domestic violence, legal protection abuse, native american abuse

Editing Underway!

lindaroseberkley — Mon, 14 May 2012 23:45:48 +0000

The challenge was to condense a 73 minute interview with Peggy into a 7 minute film. Once the interview was transcribed, David worked in his office, while Jo Anne and Lindarose consulted by email and phone. A final copy was agreed upon by the three, and David proceeded to edit the film. The next step is putting in pictures and selecting the music. We are making such great progress!

Tagged: editing film, fillming

Thank you Healing Voices’ Board Members for Your Recent Input

JoAnne Tucker — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 15:21:23 +0000

Board Member Regina Ress recommends this excellent short Film “Domestic Violence on the Rez” produced by Nathan Rice featuring Radmilla Cody and Geraldine Laughter. Radmilla Cody is an award winning traditional Navajo recording artist who is a domestic violence survivor. Ms. Laughter heads a shelter on the Navajo reservation. Beautifully filmed it points out the grave problem of domestic violence on the reservation.

Board Member Lindarose Berkley has written an excellent description of Healing Voices – Personal Stories which we will be using in our PR.

“Healing Voices-Personal Stories is a nonprofit organization, established in 2010, to produce films of the stories about women who are in recovery from abusive relationships.

This organization quickly developed a support group of people willing to tell their stories, make donations and spread the word. The vision is to encourage women to come forward, share their stories and motivate others to know that their entrapment and stories are neither shameful nor uncommon. Ultimately, these are stories of strength and courage, meant to let others know that there is a way out, a way to grow and a way to succeed.

Abusive behavior in relationships, whether verbal, physical and/or sexual, crosses all cultural, religious and class lines. Women need to know that they are not alone and can learn from and be a benefit to others who have experienced similar trauma.”

Tagged: domestic violence, Lindarose Berkley, Navajo, Radmilla Cody, Regina Ress

David Lindblom – Filmmaker on Our First Project

JoAnne Tucker — Wed, 29 Feb 2012 18:10:47 +0000

Last week we filmed our first interview of a series of ten abuse survivors as role models for domestic violence victims made possible through a Community Grant from the LANL Foundation and individual contributions. We are very pleased to be working with David Lindblom who brings an outstanding background having worked as a director, cinematographer and editor. His credits include working on a number of documentaries and feature films two of which were with Martin Scorsese.

David has also worked as an editor for television programs such as ABC’s soap opera, “One Life to Live,” PBS projects, and “Code Blue” series for New York Times Television.

Currently David is a teacher in the Film/Digital Media Arts Department of Northern New Mexico College where he is also the creative programmer for Canal Seis, the community television station in Espanola. He is enthusiastic about his work with students and we plan on including one or two students as interns on this project. Among David’s most recent projects here is Santa Fe is LAND WATER PEOPLE TIME, a documentary about Northern New Mexico which was an Official selection in the 2009 Santa Fe Film Festival.

It was a real treat for me to assist David in preparing for our shoot two days before. We decided to use my home as the location for this first filming. David carefully toured the house determining the setting which provided the best options for background and lighting. As I sat in the chair as a stand-in for the interviewee David refined the background and lighting. The day of the shoot care was again given that all was set up in the best possible way. David’s quiet and very professional manner put all of us at ease and I eagerly look forward to seeing the results.

Healing Voices – Personal Stories’ Board Member Lindarose Berkley braved a winter snow storm driving from Steamboat Springs, CO to Santa Fe to be part of the filming process. While her voice won’t be heard on the final cut of the film she was actually interviewing our first subject Peggy Luplow. The relationship she built with Peggy over several phone conversations contributed to a moving interview.

A special thank you to the LANL Foundation, and to our individual contributors who made this possible.

Tagged: abuse survivors, Canal Seis, David LIndbolm, domestic violence victims, Northern New Mexico Community College

Thank You HopeLine Verizon For Your Excellent Work

JoAnne Tucker — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 18:53:20 +0000

I recently bought an IPhone at my local Verizon Store and since they were out of stock they said they would send it to me. A few days later it arrived in the mail along with this mailer for my old cell phone.

I was pleasantly surprised and immediately wanted to know more about Verizon’s HopeLine® program. In visiting their website I learned that the program began in 2001 and since that time they have collected 8 million phones. They have distributed 106,000 phones with 319 million minutes of free wireless service to victims of domestic violence. Other phones have been refurbished and sold for reuse generating income for the program. They provide domestic violence organizations and local government and law enforcement agencies donated phones for use with domestic violence clients.

I also found it interesting to know that if donated phones are not useable they are recycled in an environmentally sound way. They are clearly fulfilling their mission of “turning no-longer used cell phones into support for domestic violence victims and survivors.”

I’ll be sending in my old cell phone and encourage others to donate their old cell phones to Verizon.

Tagged: cell phones, domestic violence, Hopeline, IPhone, Verizon

The Crisis Center of Northern New Mexico

JoAnne Tucker — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 22:08:06 +0000

As a Northern New Mexico organization committed to raising public awareness about women’s striving to overcome abuse we are always eager to learn of local organizations making an impact in the community. In November, Board Member Lynette Montoya and I visited The Crisis Center of Northern New Mexico in Espanola, New Mexico.

The mission of The Crisis Center is “to educate people to make positive choices that help build and sustain healthy families and a violence free environment.” They offer a variety of programs: an emergency shelter that operates 24/7; individual and group therapy; and educational programs. Executive Director. Carol Merriweather suggested we meet with Ramon Garcia, their outreach coordinator.

We were very impressed with Ramon’s enthusiasm and dedication to his work. In particular he described how The Crisis Center has partnered with the Espanola School District distributing DVD’s advocating for a violence free home. We look forward to keeping in touch with Ramon and his work with The Crisis Center.

Tagged: abuse, Crisis Center of Northern New Mexico, domestic violence, Espanola, Lynette Montoya, Ramon Garcia, shelters

Healing Voices – Personal Stories Receives Grant from LANL Foundation

JoAnne Tucker — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 18:43:56 +0000

We are pleased to have just received a small community grant from the Los Alamos National Laboratory Foundation for our first interview of abuse survivors leading productive lives as role models for domestic violence victims. The interviews, as completed, will be aired on Canal Seis, a community broadcast station serving Espanola and surrounding areas as well as other media outlets. Ten interviews are planned in all and while they will be aired separately they will also be edited into one documentary.

Our goal, particularly in this first project, is to provide motivation through film for domestic violence victims to move to healthier productive lives.

Filmmaker David Lindbolm who teaches in the Film/Digital Media Arts Department of Northern New Mexico College in Espanola will be directing the film working closing with Healing Voices – Personal Stories Board of Directors. The first interview will be filmed in January and ready for airing by the end of February.

We are most grateful to the LANL Foundation and individual contributors who have helped to make this project possible. If you would like to donate please click here!

CRIME AFTER CRIME – Outstanding Documentary Broadcast premiere on November 3rd on OWN

JoAnne Tucker — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:55:34 +0000

Healing Voices – Personal Stories is very excited to help spread the word about this outstanding documentary which will receive its Television premiere on OWN (Oprah Winfrey’s Network) on Thursday Evening, November 3, 2011 at 9 pm (eastern time) as part of OWN’s Documentary Film Club.

I saw the Film at a screening in Santa Fe and was very moved by it and cannot recommend it enough. The film tells the story of two pro bono attorneys who wage an epic legal battle to free Deborah Peagler from prison, 20 years after she was sentenced for the murder of the man who abused her.

It has been shown at a number of film festivals and regularly wins prizes. Please visit Crime After Crime’s website for a list of festivals and prizes.

Please help spread the word and encourage others to watch it. In fact you could even host a viewing party and the filmmaker has developed a Home Viewing and Community Action Guide which you can also download at the website.

The film is extremely well-made telling a moving story and is not to be missed!!

Tagged: Abused women in prison, Crime After Crime, Deborah Peagler, Documentary Film Club, domestic violence, OWN

Sins By Silence Broadcast Follow Up

JoAnne Tucker — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 21:28:02 +0000

According to Director/Producer Olivia Klaus over 2 million viewers watched Sins By Silence when it premiered on Discovery ID channel earlier this month. I was glad to see it again and impressed with how well it documents the story of Convicted Women Against Abuse and how they were able to make a change in California. Klaus recently sent out an email making suggestions on how we can follow up and be advocates for change and helping the women in prison with inappropriate sentences. Here are some suggestions:

SHARE THE FILM with those who weren’t able to see it or if you haven’t seen it here it where to buy it:

http://www.SinBySilence.com/Buy

JOIN THEIR OUR FACEBOOK PAGE to stay connected and join the discussion:

http://www.Facebook.com/SinBySilence

WRITE TO THE WOMEN OF CWAA:

http://www.sinbysilence.com/blog/articles/ways-to-help-a-friend/write-to-the-women-of-cwaa/

SIGN THE PETITION TO FREE THE WOMEN OF CWAA and let legislators know that these women deserve to be free:

http://www.change.org/petitions/the-governor-of-ca-free-the-convicted-women-against-abuse

JOIN LITTLE BLACK DRESS SOCIETY and continue awareness activities:
http://www.LBDsociety.com (enter “SIINBYSILENCE” as the promo code to receive a free DVD)

Tagged: abuse, Convicted women against abuse, Olivia Klaus, Sin By Silence, women in prison

Story Teller Regina Ress Delights Guests at September 1st Event

JoAnne Tucker — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:06:42 +0000

The highlight of our Inaugural Event in Santa Fe was the insightful program of New York based professional story teller Regina Ress. She began by sharing with us that while personal stories are very powerful she hangs out in the metaphors of traditional stories and that this evening she would be sharing stories that evoke the theme and issues related to Healing Voices – Personal Stories: how to journey out of abuse, how to say no and how to help those in need.

Her first story was a traditional Grimm’s Fairy Tale featuring a Princess and Old Rinkrank. When the Princess falls down into a cave and becomes a servant to Rinkrank she forgets who she is and even her own name. The story ends with her learning to say “no” and finding her voice. Next she shared a portion of an epic from Borneo featuring a mother crocodile who couldn’t lay her eggs and her husband who asks for help from a tribe’s woman. Crocodiles are very dangerous animals and yet the woman helped by listening and birthing the new. The story illustrated choices made when your worst enemy is at your door and that sometimes to get unstuck one needs someone to listen.

A Haitian folk tale featuring the character of Tapingi engaged the audience in learning and chanting several lines and demonstrated how important the community can be in helping save a young girl. Regina concluded with a short Norwegian story about a woman seeking light in her house and how “to have light you have to be open to it.”

Thank you Regina for a thoughtful program.

Tagged: Borneo epic, Grimm's fairy tale, Haitian fairy tale, Regina Ress, story telling