Stand Up to Bullying: Bystander Intervention Workshop This Saturday

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Photo: Poster

Witnessing a person – particularly a stranger – being harassed can be an uncomfortable or confusing experience for many people. Without having a strategy to safely de-escalate a situation or to support the person being attacked, many people choose to not intervene.

To provide people with the appropriate tools in this scenario, The Stand Up Campaign and the Belmont Council on Aging will co-sponsor an interactive workshop, Bystander Invention Workshop – What You Can Do When Witnessing Harassment on Saturday, March 18 from 2 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Beech Street Center, 266 Beech St.

The Stand Up Campaign, a program partner of Belmont Against Racism, promotes kindness, respect, and civil communication.

The workshop content will be led by experienced actors from an Arlington-based theater group, True Story Theater, who will improvise realistic situations and lead participants in role play scenarios.

The workshop is non-political and non-partisan and is appropriate for ages 16 years and older. The event is free, but registration is required here.

For questions, contact Donna Ruvolo at donna.ruvolo@gmail.com or 617-489-5446.

Stand-Up Campaign Hosting ‘Kindness, Decency and Civil Discourse’ Sunday, May 1st

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Photo: The poster for The Stand-up Campaign event.

The Stand-up Campaign, a non-partisan, non-political initiative formed to promote civil discourse and community engagement, is hosting an interactive community conversation titled “Kindness, Decency and Civil Discourse” on Sunday, May 1 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. in the Assembly Room at the Belmont Public Library, 336 Concord Ave. A social time will run from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

Adults, teens, educators and school officials, town administrators and elected officials, coaches and sports administrators, public health and safety officers from Belmont and surrounding communities are encouraged to attend and to share experiences and best practices.

“There is increasing polarity in our country, and we have heard from many in the community who are committed to bringing people of differing opinions together to find common ground,” said Donna Ruvolo, the Stand-Up Campaign’s spokesperson and co-founder. 

“This event will be an upbeat, ‘hands-on’ conversation on ideas and plans for future programming and events.”

The Stand-up Campaign has partnered with Belmont Against Racism and the Unitarian Universalist Social Action Committee for this event.

 For more information, please contact Donna Ruvolo at 617-489-5446.  

The Stand-Up Campaign Comes To Belmont Tuesday

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Photo: Logo.

The Stand-up Campaign, a new initiative based in Belmont, will hold a listening and information sharing meeting, “Kindness, Decency and Civil Discourse” on Tuesday, March 29 at 7 p.m. at the First Church Belmont, Unitarian Universalist Church, 404 Concord Ave.

This will be the first in a series of events to explore strategies to promote kindness, decency, civil discourse and civic engagement in schools, sports and the larger community.

Adults, teens, educators and school officials, town administrators and elected officials, coaches and sports administrators, public health and safety officers from Belmont and surrounding communities are encouraged to attend and to share their concerns, experiences and best practices, as well as suggestions for future programming.

The Stand-up Campaign was formed to address the uptick in targeted taunting and bullying in area schools and sporting events in recent months and to promote civil discourse between individuals and parties with opposing views.

The Stand-up Campaign has partnered with Belmont Against Racism and the Unitarian Universalist Social Action Committee for this event. For more information, contact Donna Ruvolo at 617-489-5446.