The #AmINext campaign: aims to raise awareness about murdered aboriginal women
1,200 indigenous Canadian women have gone missing over the past 30 years #AmINext http:// mic.cm/1tCYfpj pic.twitter.com/Pwmq3dDeOd
A woman spearheading a social media campaign about missing and murdered aboriginal women says she isn't worried about the initiative fading from the public consciousness like other online campaigns have done in the past.
Holly Jarrett said the campaign, in which people are asked to take a photo of themselves holding a sign that reads, "#AmINext," seeks to open up a national discussion on the issue of aboriginal women who have disappeared or been murdered.
Other campaigns have previously gained momentum on social media, such as the recent ice bucket challenge for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an incurable degenerative disease that causes paralysis and death.
Some have debated the effectiveness of such campaigns, questioning the long-term value of posting a video or photo of yourself online.
But Jarrett said a major difference between her campaign and others is that she's not asking for any money she simply wants to raise awareness of an issue.
"I really think that if people understand all of these issues and we start talking about them, I really think the general Canadian public is not going to let these issues go," said Jarrett from Cornwall, Ont.
There is a personal connection to Jarrett's campaign. She is the cousin of Loretta Saunders, an Inuit woman from Labrador who was found dead in a wooded area off the Trans-Canada Highway in New Brunswick, two weeks after she was reported missing from her Halifax apartment in February.
"Since Loretta has been gone, I've always thought that if suburban Canadians knew about this, if you made people aware of what the actual issues are, I really don't think anybody is going to turn a blind eye," Jarrett said.
Public inquiry urged
Jarrett said she is urging people to demand a public inquiry from Prime Minister Stephen Harper into the 1,181 cases of missing and murdered aboriginal women nationwide.
She admits that she doubts the campaign will convince Ottawa to launch such an inquiry, but says what's more important is making Canadians aware of the issue.
"I don't think that this is going to spark an inquiry in itself," said Jarrett. "I think it's going to spark change in other people ... to want to dive into an issue and say, 'Hey, let's Google that."'
Harper has repeatedly turned down calls for an inquiry. The federal government has, however, said it is willing to take part in a roundtable discussion about the issue as called for by the premiers.
Full Article: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/aminext-aims-to-raise-awareness-about-murdered-aboriginal-women-1.2765405
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This is an horrible situation, and has beenon going for decades. Waiting for the Harper government to open an inquiry on anything First Nations is a waste of time.
Keep bringing it up so the people of Canada know the problem.
"Keep bringing it up so the people of Canada know the problem."
Exactly so Kivika, the reason for posting it here, the more who are aware the harder it will be for the Harper administration to sweep the issue under the rug as they have to often been wont to do.
I am totally ignorant of this tragedy. Please enlighten me. Has there been a task force investigating this? What are the possible explanations? Is there a gang of serial killers running around Canada?
pokermike, the history of this is long and ugly. It's one of the reason that Indians in the US fought to add Indian women to VAWA. Which they had been excluded from by our government. Alaska Native women are still excluded from VAWA.
Good for her for trying to get the word out in the open.
Holly Jarrett has opened a door I hope never closes. Go, Holly, go. This is good news and she's getting the information out there. I'm proud of her for taking this on.
Getting this printed on as many venues as possible would do nothin but help. Facebook other web sites go Jolly.
The First Nation's Council has been trying to get the Canadian government to get off their azzes since the 80's - it is absolutely sickening and very disheartening that this is continuing.
Hopefully, social media will extend the awareness and searches in a way that did not previously exist.