Guest post by Nicolas Nadeau, senior coordinator, RespectEd: Violence and Abuse Prevention program
“Our Pink Shirt Day speaker has just cancelled, and I'm kind of freaking out, could you do it?”
I had met the teacher on the other end of the phone two years prior, having trained a group of her students during one of my very first two-day bullying prevention workshops. My fear of speaking in front of an assembly was trumped by my inability to say no, so I soon found myself preparing my very first auditorium presentation for Pink Shirt Day.
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Stepping into the school a few days later, I had not expected such flamboyance. The school caretaker had covered all the overhead lights in pink cellophane, which now projected a pinkish hue in the hallways, as though an anti-bullying Instagram filter had been set upon the school. Rosy balloons festooned the gymnasium, while students raced around in their pink attire.
Clearly, Pink Shirt Day had come a long way since its beginnings in 2007. If events such as this are now sprouting all around the world, it speaks to the universality of the problem, but also of the growing movement to find solutions.
With solutions in mind, I presented to three school assemblies that day, telling the story of my work at the Red Cross, and of my visits to communities all over Quebec and Canada. My personal highlight took the form of a familiar face, a student who had participated in a Red Cross training years ago, and had since moved on to college - where he started his own anti-bullying club.
In colour psychology, pink is a sign of hope. That day, I think even the most cynical observer would have felt hope, even if the lights weren't covered in cellophane. Let's keep this going.
Join in our Twitter Chat on Bullying Prevention (#RedCrossPinkChat) today (February 25) at 9 p.m. EST and be part of the movement to end bullying, whether it takes place in-person or online (cyberbullying).
The Red Cross Day of Pink is a day to raise awareness of bullying issues and to encourage people to stand for respect for every child. Find more information on bullying and abuse prevention.