What you can expect from AVP this semester
The Anti-Violence Project team knows this has been a really rough year for us all, and we want you to know that we’re still here for you, regardless of your experience of (or relation to) violence and oppression. From COVID-19 upending our daily routines and impacting our health, to the recent wildfires blanketing UVic in a layer of noxious orange smog, we all need support and community more than ever. Here’s how you can access our support services, workshops, and other activities this fall.
Support
We are continuing to provide our support drop-in hours, Monday through Thursday from 11am to 1pm and 3 to 5pm. Call 778-400-5007 to speak with a trained peer support staff person, or you can leave a voicemail message outside of our drop-in hours, and we’ll get back to you as soon as we can. You can also email us for support at . If you would like to schedule an appointment to talk outside of our drop-in hours, please feel free to email or call us!
Please let us know if there’s any other mediums or platforms that you’d like to receive support by. We’re currently looking at potentially offering support over video-conferencing as well, so stay tuned for updates about that option.
For more information, check out our Support page on our website.
Workshops
After a few successful trial runs of online versions of our workshops earlier this year, we are ready to provide our Understanding Consent Culture and Supporting a Survivor workshops online this fall to the general community. Both workshops are filled with opportunities for discussion and learning new practical skills. Whether you’re learning about consent and support for the first time, or these are topics you’re familiar with, these workshops offer the chance to cover some basics and dive into the nuances.
All of our workshops are open to anyone – students, faculty, staff and community members. Our workshops are free, but registration is required, and participants will receive a secure Zoom video-conferencing link to your email. UVic students also receive co-curricular credit for attending AVP workshops, which looks great on your transcript.
For more info and how to register, check out our Workshops page on our website. If you attend one of our workshops this semester, you’ll be entered into a draw for a $100 gift card! Our first Consent workshop is next week, Wednesday September 23rd, so register soon!
Sexualized Violence Awareness Week
AVP has once again partnered this year with other organizations and offices on campus to deliver Sexualized Violence Awareness Week, September 21st to 25th. This year, the week will focus on how to engage consensually online, and will feature conversations with Black Lives Matter activists, sex educators from the Gender Empowerment Centre, the first meeting of the AVP Men’s Circle this semester (see below for more details), and more!
Check out the Sexualized Violence Awareness Week website for more information.
Men’s Circle
The AVP Men’s Circle is a space where men and masculine-identified folks, including (but not limited to!) transmasculine, genderqueer, and non-binary folks, can meet to learn, discuss, and connect with others with similar and shared identities! Together, we will explore the systems and structures that uphold gender-based violence, share lived experiences and stories, and work on strategies for dismantling and challenging gender-based violence, dominant constructions of masculinity, and other structures of oppression on campus and in the larger community.
Join us for our first session of the school year on Wednesday, September 23rd at 6pm! Open to staff, faculty, students, and community members. For more information and to register, check out our Men’s Circle page on our website.
Volunteer training
As we were not able to host our usual Volunteer Training in May, we are putting together a series of online workshops for this fall that prospective volunteers can attend to learn all about AVP’s work. Stay tuned to find out more about these workshops!
Outreach and other activities
Our outreach coordinators, Kemi and Serena, have been busy with planning fun activities for you all. Here’s some of the things we’ll be doing this fall:
- Instagram Live Q&A’s about sexualized and gender-based violence
- Zine Show and Tell’s
- Craft tutorials
- Care packages for survivors (inspired by Good Night Out Vancouver’s amazing work, stay tuned!)

While we can’t offer you an in-person high-five right now, we at AVP would just like to offer you all congratulations on making it through your first week at UVic online. We know this is a really overwhelming time right now, and we’re happy to chat over the phone or email to support you or connect you with all the wonderful community resources out there in these trying times.
With care,
Alexia, Kemi, Marwo, Paloma, and Serena
The Anti-Violence Project