WhiteRibbon

White Ribbon Ambassadors are crucial to the White Ribbon Campaign. They are committed, dedicated and courageous individuals who promote the White Ribbon message in diverse and unique ways. The Ambassador of the Year Award, which has been in place since 2008, provides an opportunity to:

• recognise the vital role Ambassadors play in the White Ribbon Campaign;
• acknowledge outstanding Ambassadors and identify potential Campaign leaders; and
• showcase different and innovative approaches that Ambassadors take to promote the Campaign.

Ambassador of the Year nominations were received from all over Australia. Each Ambassador was nominated by someone in their community or organisation for their superb leadership in raising awareness and creating change around the issue of men's violence against women.

Eleven finalists were forwarded to the Selection Committee, comprising Nick Mazzarella, 2010 Ambassador of the Year; Christopher Cosier, People and Development Manager at Suzanne Grae; Rosemary Calder, White Ribbon Board Member; and Paul McGlew, Ambassador Program Manager; to select the 2011 Ambassador of the Year.

The Award, sponsored by Suzanne Grae, is about acknowledging and showcasing the broad range of Ambassadors and the diverse approaches they take to promoting the White Ribbon Campaign. All eleven finalists embody the very best qualities of a White Ribbon Ambassador by:

• actively incorporating White Ribbon values into their personal and public lives;
• driving the Campaign in their professional capacity;
• actively recruiting and mentoring Ambassadors in their communities and networks;
• assisting the Campaign through their advocacy and fundraising efforts.

The 2011 Ambassador of the Year Finalists are:

	Phil Cooper Community Development Officer, Victorian Aboriginal Community Services Association Ltd Phil joined White Ribbon in 2009 and actively recruits Ambassadors, organises major White Ribbon initiatives and develops safe havens where men can go to learn how to stop the cycle of violence. Phil uses his influence and reach as the Chairperson for the North and West Metropolitan Indigenous Family Violence Regional Action Group and the Co-chair of the Victorian NAIDOC Committee to promote non-violence and respectful relationships. "With the White Ribbon Campaign I saw the opportunity for myself, and men like myself, to utilise a vehicle that was not only reaching a broader audience but had the opportunity for input from key Aboriginal stakeholders to reach my Aboriginal communities in a way that hadn't happened before."
	Peter Daglish Capital Works Officer, Maribyrnong City Council Peter joined White Ribbon in 2008 and his commitment to live the Oath is part of why he is a role model within his community. Whether at home, at work, or umpiring a local football game, Peter strives to speak out against all forms of violence against women. "My most memorable moment in the Campaign was seeing the number of young people involved in last year's White Ribbon Day activities, proving to me that there is a positive message being sent and received by the youth in our community."
	Mick Doleman Deputy National Secretary, Maritime Union of Australia Mick joined White Ribbon in 2009 and has extended the Campaign's reach to all aspects of the MUA's activities. As a result of Mick's advocacy, all male MUA officials, officers and many members have become Ambassadors and taken the My Oath pledge. "As a seafarer I know how lonely and difficult life can be at sea and I have always admired and respected the courage of young women who go to sea in an all-male environment. The White Ribbon model is a fantastic opportunity to raise the consciousness of men in the workforce, and with a predominantly male workforce the maritime industry is a great opportunity for the work of the White Ribbon movement."
	Reece Harley National Policy Director, Left Right Think Tank Reece joined White Ribbon in 2009 and has contributed to the campaign by establishing a presence on the West Australian University campus and continuing that involvement following graduation. Reece has made an enthusiastic contribution to the National Leadership Group and the organisation more broadly. "White Ribbon is a fantastic cause and a powerful opportunity for all Australians. Each one of us has a choice; a choice to remain silent and passive, assigning ourselves to complicity, or to do what we know is right. I look around at my friends, my family and think about that statistic: 1 in 3. It strengthens my commitment to prevent the indignity and harassment, violence and disrespect that we know is all too common throughout Australia."
	Dr Phil Lambert Regional Director, Sydney Region, NSW Department of Education and Communities Phil joined White Ribbon in 2007 and has been instrumental in the development and implementation of the Sydney Region White Ribbon Breaking the Silence Program. Through his leadership, the program has grown in strength. It now provides a forum for both male and female school leaders to explore individual and collective ideas about violence against women, and to develop plans and actions on how best to tackle related challenges in their schools and community settings. "Violence against women and girls is essentially the inappropriate use of power. The Breaking the Silence initiative, undertaken by schools in the Sydney Region is demonstrating that principals can use the power of their position in positive ways to develop respectful relationships in their communities."
	Kevin Maher Industrial Relations Advisor, Central Region Engineering, Abigroup Contractors Pty Ltd Kevin joined White Ribbon in 2007 and is an inspiring example of a man who lives the Oath. Outspoken in his dedication to stop violence against women, Kevin is active in his community and networks. Most recently Kevin developed and launched the Let's Tackle Domestic Violence campaign, an educational early intervention and prevention program that engages and empowers young rugby players and community members. "I felt White Ribbon was an ideal vehicle for me to get involved with because of its message, men standing up and speaking out and condemning men who are violent towards women. I had four daughters and two granddaughters at that time (now four granddaughters) and anything I can do to get the message out was very personal. I was then asked to become involved in the Newcastle White Ribbon Day committee which I happily agreed to do."
	Dr Joseph Masika Senior Manager, Multicultural Health, Advocacy, Counselling and Education, South Australian Multicultural Settlement Services Joseph joined White Ribbon in 2008. Through his work as a White Ribbon Ambassador and Chair of the SA African Network to End Silence on Domestic Violence, Joseph strives to create positive change for new and emerging communities. Joseph works with ethnic groups and their leaders to remove structural and attitudinal barriers to be more inclusive of women's rights. "A memorable moment in my campaign was when I managed to convince African Men to establish a Men's club. The club was accepting of making Domestic Violence a stand-alone agenda in their daily meetings. Also, I was very happy when I established the youth group and when the young people accepted to be peer educators in the community."
	Assistant Commissioner Mark Murdoch APM Corporate Spokesperson for Domestic and Family Violence, New South Wales Police Force Mark joined White Ribbon in 2009 and has demonstrated a commitment to ensuring greater respect and security for women both within the police force and in the communities he speaks to. Mark has undertaken proactive work in the violence prevention space and has led ground-breaking initiatives to support victims of violence. "Given my organisational responsibilities and my personal commitment to eradicating violence against women, White Ribbon Day could be said to be a 365 day a year event for me. Every day I encourage, promote and support the 80 NSW Local Area Commands to not only actively engage their own workforce, but the community to focus attention upon the problem."
	Stephen Page Partner, Harrington Family Lawyers Stephen joined White Ribbon in 2008. A recognised specialist in domestic violence family law, Stephen has been a member of a court based domestic violence assistance program since 1999. Stephen has helped community groups promote equality and combat the scourge of domestic violence. He is an active blogger and lobbyist for positive change. "Domestic violence throughout the world, including in Australia, is a prevalent evil. While we as a society have made great strides in reducing the level of domestic violence, there is still much to do. I am proud to be a White Ribbon Ambassador in drawing the community's attention to domestic violence and in seeking to eliminate it."
	Brian Sullivan PhD Master of Counselling Program, School of Social Work and Human Services, University of Queensland Brian joined White Ribbon in 2008 and donates considerable time and expertise to the Campaign. He promotes the White Ribbon message to students of all ages, his professional colleagues and his personal friends. Brian believes that building respect and dignity between all people is a powerful way to prevent violence against women. "Most men are not violent and yet most men have been silent about other men's violence (me included) and have not been allies of women and children in saying no publicly to sexual, emotional, and physical abuse. The White Ribbon movement has given me and other men that pathway, and it is good to stand with other men, shoulder to shoulder, against men's violence towards women and children."
	John Whop Co-ordinator, Waibe Thursday Island Men's Shed John joined White Ribbon in 2009. He is a Torres Strait Islander and makes sure to wear his white ribbon every day as a symbol of his commitment to the Campaign message. John travels far and wide to spread the word on preventing violence against women – from Darwin, Batchelor, Cairns to Brisbane and Cape York. In the spirit of outreach, John shares the message with community members and tourists alike. John is especially committed to speaking at schools and sharing the message of prevention with children. "Throughout my life, I have spoken out against violence against women. Today, I am committed to our community campaign and programs that promote awareness for NO Violence against Women."

Congratulations and thank you to all these men for their work to stop men's violence against women. They represent the diversity, creativity, and leadership of all White Ribbon Ambassadors and give great strength to the campaign. They are the men we can look to for leadership over the coming year.

To find out more about the White Ribbon Ambassador Program, or to nominate an Ambassador, visit our new Ambassador page here.