As part of IICSI’s ongoing initiatives, advocacy, and activism, we invite you to donate to Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis (G-W WIC). By making a donation to G-W WIC, you’ll be helping to support the most vulnerable, and you’ll also be demonstrating community engagement and activism by participating in a gift culture that ensures that wealth flows towards those who need it most.
This year, our postdoctoral fellow Dr. Sharon D. Engbrecht wanted to work with communities of underserved folx from all walks of life. They wished to give back to those communities from a place of privilege, and as part of the on-going project that seeks to root out narratives of gender-based violence in order to think about how we might end domestic abuse, femicide, marginalization, and discrimination. They were introduced to the planning committee for Guelph’s iteration of “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence” and started working with Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis (G-W WIC). G-W WIC is a feminist, community-based organization that provides “safety, advocacy, prevention, education, and support for women and gender-diverse people impacted by violence.” G-W WIC gives back and pays it forward with a valuable network of other community partners working to make the world around us more just and equitable.
This work, and the work we invite you to continue, is part of IICSI’s Improvising Futures SSHRC-funded project to imagine how we can make better tomorrows. With our international partners and collaborators, we are in a unique position to give back not only to Guelph, but to organizations in our own communities and neighbourhoods that help those most in need. IF 2025 will take place during the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,” which run from November 25th (International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women) to December 10th (International Human Rights Day). Canada’s National Day of Giving also falls during the “16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence,” on December 2nd. Even if you aren’t able to give financially, we encourage you to volunteer, donate, or participate in awareness campaigns.
Each time we have the opportunity to change the world, we should seize it. Each time we have a chance to make the world better, we need to do what we can. These are the improvised moments that make the work we do worthwhile, from research, to community engagement, to ensuring we are taking care of and promoting our local ecosystems of artists and activists.