Safe City Pledge
Each of us carries the capacity to influence a safe space. Each of us can take a small step, towards big change. What is your Safe City Pledge?
सुरक्षित शहर बनाने की शपथ I
"आप की शपथ क्या है ?
सोचें , लिखें , तस्वीर खीन्चार तुरंत हमें भेजें I
Safe City Pledge, was initiated in December 2012 in response to Jyoti Singh’s Gangrape and Murder. The campaign called on citizens to recognise and act from their place of power and capacity. The movement emerged in the midst of public anger and outrage after the Delhi Gang Rape, leading citizens to step in with a commitment to end violence against women. Safe City Pledge affirmed the idea that each citizen has both the power and ability to influence change, calling for a 360-degree approach to building safe cities, places and communities. It called in, citizens across roles and professions to identify, recognise, articulate the one small thing each person can do to make a safe space.
January 1st, 2013 citizens, organisations, and allies, across 12 cities and towns in India and internationally, self-organised, and mobilised, fellow citizens to become Action Heroes/ Theyroes/ Sheroes by taking the Safe City Pledge. Civil society organisations and groups led the action. Solidarities pledges from organisations globally poured in, including Stop Street Harassment, Southhall Black Sisters.
January 19th, 2013 Blank Noise facilitated a 24-hour Tweetathon. The Twitter action facilitated tweets for the entire duration. Thousands of citizens in India and beyond, pledged affirmative action. A team of 24 volunteer facilitators curated the Tweetathon. A group of volunteer Action Sheroes themself organised to work towards the same. Read more about the Safe City Pledge Tweetathon featured in the Atlantic.
2012- 2013 Safe City Pledge interventions included mobilising public action with a pledge on Republic Day and participating in public events including One Billion Rising. Public talks. Events across the year included workshops and talks with schools. The idea led to multiple collaborations and feminist partnerships, community events including one on masculinities in Nehru Place, New Delhi with Breakthrough.
Safe City Pledge offered a way to spark engagements across the country and in places including the newsroom, the metro, schools, college campuses and the streets. It became a methodology of conversation, and engagement and sparking the imagination of how each of us could act in our citizenship and humanity.
Building Safe City Pledge rested on thousands of volunteers. The organising included individuals such as Pallavi Sen, Shivangini Tandon, Peter Griffin, Danish Hussain, Nilanjana Roy, Annie Zaidi, Jasmeen Patheja, Yamini Deen, Viveka Chauhan, Bhamati Sivapalan, Maria Del Rio and many more.
““ मैं आगे चलकर नगर वासियों के सहयोग करके उनके सामने आई हुयी परेशनियों में सहयोग दूँगी जिस तरह मैंने अपनी पढाई जारी रखने के लिए अनेक परेशानियों का सामना किया और अन्य लड़कियों को पढाई का मौका मिला और वह भी पढ़ने लगीं . मैं सभी के साथ होने वाली अपमान जनक , भेद भावों छेड़ खानी बलात्कार आदि के साथ आत्मा के सहयोग दूँगी .
” I want to help citizens. I fought hard so that I could continue my education and to go to college. My fight led to more girls getting the opportunity to go to college. I want to help those who experience insulting caste based discrimination; street sexual violence and rape.
This is my Safe City Pledge””
An Action Shero and also the Cnn Ibn Citizen Journalism Awardee, 2013 is from Alwar in Rajasthan. She is 19 and a Dalit. She was stalked, molested and abducted by men from an 'upper caste', just because she wanted to go to college. She fought back. Three of the men have been arrested. She has also been given police protection. She continues to assert her right to education and justice.
Press
The Safe City Pledge Tweetathon 24 hours , 24 curators, and thousands of personal pledges on twitter, channelled collective rage to tangible , personalised action. Read more about the Safe City Pledge Tweetathon featured in the Atlantic.
