The voice for change was turned up in volume even more by CALCASA's April 2001 release of the history-making Strategic Forum Report, A Vision to End Sexual Assault. CALCASA sponsored the Strategic Forum and finalized the collaborative plan to end sexual violence in California. Copies of the Strategic Forum Report are available by downloading the PDF version from this page, or by contacting CALCASA at 916-446-2520 or info@calcasa.org for a printed copy.
Representatives from a variety of fields spent a year developing the aggressive, coordinated strategic plan to alleviate sexual assaults in our state. The report outlines six key goals for policy and grassroots change. Those priority areas include: changing the public perception about rape, providing improved multidisciplinary victim services, overcoming barriers to those services especially as they relate to underserved populations, investing heavily in prevention/education programs, operating the criminal justice system on a victim-centered philosophy, and including men and boys in attaining those goals.
Meeting the aggressive goals of the Strategic Forum will take many voices, and the plan calls for building coalitions with others that can lend power to the fight. Solutions require everyone to recognize there is no place for sexual violence in our families, our schools, our workplaces or our communities.
Since the 2001 release, CALCASA has worked to identify a plan for implementing the strategies outlined in the Forum Report. CALCASA believes as more of us speak out against sexual violence and assault, we are helping prevent generations of victims. We will not solve the problem of sexual assault in California overnight, but we can make powerful strides if we speak out and are united in this common purpose.
