By Vickie Skorji | Lifeline Director
Dear Friend,
It is nearly the end of the year and over the past few months TELL has been busy making noise about suicide prevention, mental health, LGBTQ+ issues, disaster preparation, cultural adjustment & supports for young people with special needs.
In September we made a lot of noise about mental health issues and in particular suicide. Our Tokyo Tower climb sold out again, and despite an impending typhoon, 500 people took on the challenge to climb the 600 steps and make a noise about suicide prevention issues in Japan. We also held suicide prevention walks in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Kobe, Kyoto, and Sendai, in which volunteers handed out cards in English & Japanese highlighting the warning signs & how to support someone who might be struggling.
As part of World Mental Health Day, TELL, together with Juri Watanabe, (Miss Kyoto in this year's Miss World Japan competition), asked for people to be part of our #GiveHeartsforLife campaign. This campaign encouraged people around the country to write words of support and encouragement to those struggling with mental health issues using the hashtag#GiveHeartsforLife and to share these messages with TELL’s social media platforms (@telljapan) throughout the month of September & October.
TELL also celebrated Stress Down week with workshops, yoga, and mindfulness activities, and in October around 200 people proudly walked with TELL in the Osaka Pride march. Over the last few months of the year, TELL will be making a noise about domestic violence, child abuse, suicide survivors, men’s mental health and the importance of volunteers.
Finally, we would like to give you an update on the situation surrounding sexual abuse in Japan. Earlier this year hundreds of sexual abuse survivors marched in nine cities around Japan to protest a series of acquittals for several alleged rapists. The women are demanding changes by the government to better reform the current anti-rape laws. While important reforms were made in 2017, the law still currently requires prosecutors to prove that violence or intimidation was involved or that the survivor was "incapable of resistance." to prove rape. This means as far as the Japanese legal system is concerned, in a case of sexual assault, incest or rape, “no” only means “no” if the survivor backs it up with violence and loud resistance, something many survivors particularly young survivors are not able to do.
As we work towards our funding goal, TELL will continue to fight for a culture of respect and equality for all in Japan. Thank you, for your support of TELL and our work in Japan. We hope you feel proud of your contributions and the difference you are helping to make in Japan.
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