April 2018

NEW BOOK READY FOR PREORDER

The Wonder Years: 40 Women Over 40 on Aging, Faith, Beauty and Strength

Julie's essay, "Leaving the Night Behind", is in The Wonder Years: 40 Women Over 40 on Aging, Faith, Beauty and Strength, set for release on April 24th. The book is available for pre-order on Amazon.  Edited by Leslie Leyland Fields, winner of Christianity Today's 2017 Book Award for Christian Living/Discipleship, other essayists include Brene' Brown, Madeleine L'Engle, Anne Lamott, Joni Eareckson Tada, Beth Moore, Ann Voskamp, Lauren Winner, Elisa Morgan and Kay Warren.  Here's a description on Amazon.com: "It's time to stop dreading and start embracing the wonder of life after 40. Here, well-known women of faith from 40 to 85 tackle these anxieties head-on and upend them with humor, sass, and spiritual wisdom. These compelling and poignant first-person stories are from amazing and respected authors. These women provide much-needed role models--not for aging gracefully but for doing so honestly, faithfully, and with eyes open to wonder and deep theology along the way. Each essay provides insight into God's perspective on these later years, reminding readers that it's possible to serve the kingdom of God and His people even better with a little extra life experience to guide you. The Wonder Years is an inspiring and unforgettable guide to making these years the most fruitful and abundant of your life."

RESOURCES

  • EXPERT Q&A RECORDING: What You Need To Know From Survivors About Trauma-Informed Programming
    The latest Department of Justice, Office for Victims of Crime, Training and Technical Assistance Center (OVC TTAC) monthly recording of answers to questions by national experts about best practices in victim services. 
  • AGENCY: FREEFROM 
    FreeFrom is a groundbreaking agency that financially empowers survivors by promoting economic justice and financial independence. Offerings include an on-line COMPENSATION tool to determine survivors' compensation options, a CREDIT Program to help them build/repair their credit, and an ENTREPRENEURSHIP Program to help them start small businesses. Victims in California are being served now and FREEFROM will be available in every state soon.    

IMPORTANT LEGISLATION

  • On March 21, 2018 the US Senate passed the FOSTA-SESTA bill, which is expected to be signed into law. (House bill is FOSTA "Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act"; Senate bill is SESTA "Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act") Many see this as a huge success that will help put a stop the on-line sale of sex. The legislation has been hotly contested, however, by those arguing that by shutting down the sex ads on Backpage, Craigslist and similar websites (which are monitored to catch traffickers) it will drive traffickers further underground, endanger victims and hamper investigations. Craigslist just removed its Personals section when the bill passed. (Backpage closed its adults section in 2017 prior to a senate hearing, but ads are now in the "dating" section.) Victims are already being advertised on websites housed outside the U.S., where federal prosecutors have no subpoena power. The bill has also been criticized for failing to address the immediate needs of victims. 
     
  • Congress's Omnibus funding package increases funding for the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Family Violence Prevention Services Act (FVPSA) and the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). These fund many services for DV & sexual assault victims, as well as victims of other crimes.  A 3% VOCA tribal funding stream is included. FVPSA funding is increased and $5 million is designated for Native victim/survivors, and invests in housing for victims and survivors. Also included are provisions to strengthen laws requiring DV offender information inclusion in the national firearms background check system. READ MORE→ 
     
  • out of every 3 females worldwide will be abused. Gender based violence (GBV) is a barrier to solving many global challenges. The International Violence Against Women Act (IVAWA) calls for a comprehensive U.S. response. Passage would show the U.S.'s commitment to making gender equality a cornerstone of U.S. foreign policy. READ MORE→  

 

 
feature1-1-6236f3a877b75529.jpg

ADVOCATE SPOTLIGHT

Rev. Dr. Marie M. Fortune, the primary pioneer of addressing DV and sexual assault in the church, recently retired after a stellar career as a pastor, educator, author, theologian, Founder and forty year director of the groundbreaking FaithTrust Institute. In 1988, after her assault, Julie read Rev. Fortune's now classic book, "Keeping the Faith: Guidance for Christian Women Facing Abuse" and invited her to provide a workshop for faith leaders in Hawaii. Later, Julie, her father and their church's DV ministry were featured in Rev. Fortune's Emmy-nominated documentary, "Broken Vows: Religious Perspectives on Domestic violence". As a longtime member of Faithtrust's National Training Team, Julie has provided many trainings for faith leaders across the U.S. Marie Fortune recently retired; click here for a video of her brief talk at the event honoring her life's work.

 

RECENT ARTICLES & INTERVIEWS

+ Abuse, Harassment and Their Effects: Julie and Taylor Armstrong of Beverly Hills Housewives were guests of Dr. Charles Sophy, a Beverly Hills psychiatrist and frequent Dr. Phil Show guest. Taylor authored a memoir about her DV and her abuser's subsequent suicide. In this podcast they discuss complexities of DV including myths about its cause, violent escalation when victims leave, abusers' use of manipulative charm, the impact of abuse and how to support a victim.

+ The Myth of False Allegations: How Disbelieving Victims Helps Sex Offenders

+ Advocates Work to End the Scourge of Domestic Violence in Charlotte: Stop the cycle

ON JULIE'S CALENDAR

WORKSHOP: Domestic Violence and the Church: Beyond 'Pray, Stay, Obey'
April 14, 2018 — Guilford College United Methodist Church, Greensboro, NC
Julie will offer a workshop at the "Critical Issues Seminar:Women of Wisdom" event offered by the N.C. Council of Churches. Hear about the scope of the problem and how scriptures have been used to control rather than comfort & assist victims. Learn how to support victims and encourage churches to take action. REGISTRATION INFO →

WEBINAR: Julie will be the webinar guest of Dr. Riane Eisler, internationally known for her bestseller The Chalice and The Blade: Our History, Our Future. Tentatively set for May 22, 2018 11:00AM PST, the global webinar will focus on ending violence against women by embracing gender equality and shifting world societies from a domination to a partnership model. Dr. Eisler is President of the Center for Partnership Studies and is internationally known as a systems scientist, attorney working for the human rights of women and children. She has received many honors, including honorary PhDs, peace and human rights awards. She lectures worldwide, with venues including the United Nations General Assembly, the U.S. Department of State, Congressional briefings, universities, corporations, conferences and events hosted by heads of State. The webinar will be offered by the Center for Partnership Studies; see webinar details on their website. 

 

SPREAD THE WORD

Julie seeks a deeper understanding of what survivors of human trafficking want and expect from DV agencies. Please share this link with survivors of human trafficking who have sought services in DV agencies or shelters who may be willing to provide feedback that will inform best practice responses. Thank you!

 

SPECIAL DEDICATION

This newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Julie's late friend Joye E. Frost. Joye made the world a better place and was a ray of light for victims in the dark world of crime. She was the Director of the Dept. of Justice Office for Victims of Crime (DOJ OVC), appointed by President Obama, and a passionate victim advocate.  Joye and Julie bonded while touring and speaking throughout Kosovo in 2011 when Julie trained and consulted for the Dept of State, and Joye represented DOJ OVC during Crime Victims Week. Joye urged Julie to become an Expert Consultant for the DOJ OCV Training and Technical Assistance Center (TTAC), where she has since often provided services. Joye's contributions to crime victim advocacy were enormous, and her legacy will live on in the substantial innovative improvements she brought to crime victim services.