MU is participating in the annual White Ribbon Campaign, an international movement to end violence against women. Together, the Relationship and Sexual Violence Prevention Center and Men Against Relationship and Sexual Violence are working to spread awareness of the campaign.

On campus, the RSVP Center handed out white ribbons to men. According to the White Ribbon Campaign’s website, the ribbons represent “a personal pledge to never commit, condone or remain silent about violence against women and girls.”

“Together, we are all participating in the larger, international movement to raise awareness about relationship violence,” MARS co-advisor Christopher Smith said. “(The ribbons are worn) to encourage men to never commit this kind of violence and to speak up when they see others committing this kind of violence.”

In addition to wearing the ribbons, MARS members listened to a speech by Matthew Huffman, a representative from True North, a domestic and sexual violence agency in Columbia.

Huffman works as True North’s youth outreach coordinator, educating students through university age about violence prevention.

“I came and spoke at MARS about the history of the campaign and the movement,” Huffman said.

The White Ribbon Campaign was started in 1991 by a group of men in Canada. Within six weeks, more than 100,000 Canadian men wore white ribbons to pledge their support of ending violence against women.

Huffman said that the movement shows men’s solidarity to end violence against women.

“Having men involved in the violence against women movement is really important because it’s not just a gender issue,” he said. “It affects everyone.”

Smith also said the White Ribbon Campaign is really important to MU’s campus.

“Any act of violence affects all of us,” he said. “Anytime we can encourage others to take a stand against violence of any kind it is important to do so.”

The White Ribbon Campaign has five main goals: challenging everyone to speak out, educating young men and boys on violence, raising public awareness, working with women’s organizations and supporting campaigns around the world.

More than 55 countries now participate in the White Ribbon Campaign, according to the campaign’s website.

Beyond MU, RSVP and True North are encouraging community participation. White ribbons are available at True North, the Daniel Boone Regional Library and the Peace Nook — a local bookstore that sells fair trade products and alternative books.