2300km Run Across NZ For Survivors of Interpersonal Violence

Ending Silence: Finnish Researcher To Undertake 2300km Run Across New Zealand For Survivors of Interpersonal Violence

San Francisco, USA, December 10, 2016—Changing the story around interpersonal violence is long overdue and one Finnish researcher is opening the dialogue in a remarkable way.

In November and December of 2017, Emilia Lahti will run 2300 kilometers across the length of New Zealand, averaging 50 ultra marathons in 50 days to address interpersonal violence. Along the route of her run Lahti, an overcomer of domestic violence herself, will organize events and take part in media education.

The ultra run is part of a global project for nonviolence in families and beyond. Called Sisu Not Silence, the project consists of in-person events and online media content that highlights the strength of individuals who've overcome emotional, physical or sexual hurt. Interpersonal violence is one of the most pervasive yet under-recognized human rights issues in the world, affecting hundreds of millions of individuals across the globe each year from every social class, income group, race and culture. Furthermore, UNICEF estimates conservatively that 275 million children worldwide are exposed to violence in their homes.

Sisu, also the focus of Lahti’s doctoral dissertation at the Aalto University School of Science and Technology in Helsinki, is an age-old Finnish word that denotes endurance and determination in the face of adversity.

In preparation for the run, Lahti is traveling to New Zealand and Australia in February and March of 2017 to speak at events and connect with collaborators. The campaign has an Indiegogo Generosity fundraising page that can be found at bit.ly/sisunotsilence.

“The goal of Sisu Not Silence is to create a paradigm shift in how we as a global community speak about interpersonal violence and individuals who have been subjected to it,” Lahti says. “Choosing sisu over silence is about creating a world where communities hold compassion and justice in high value and take collective responsibility to build futures that allow people everywhere live free from fear – including the place that should be the heart of all safety: our homes.”

Sisu Not Silence aims to promote a culture of zero tolerance to abuse of any kind, dismantle the shame imposed on individuals who've been forced to endure it and build empowering narratives that depict overcomers of abuse as bold, courageous individuals with bright futures ahead of them.

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Social media #sisunotsilence

Website: emilialahti.com Fundraiser: bit.ly/sisunotsilence
Video: youtube.com/watch?v= Instagram: instagram.com/sisu_lab Facebook: facebook.com/sisunotsilence Twitter: twitter.com/EmiliaLahti
Blog sites: sisulab.com and medium.com/@EmiliaLahti

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