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The inaugural national day for adult survivors was held on Friday 13th November, the first day of an international Child Abuse Prevention Week.
Forget-me-knot Day will be held on the second Friday in November every year. It is a day on which ASCA asks all Australians to unite in support of the more than 2 million Australian adults surviving child abuse. ASCA’s inaugural Forget-me-knot Day saw communities and individuals from around the country engage in the symbol of the tangled knot. To read more about the launch of Forget-me-knot Day and the various activities please click on the links at the side. The Forget-me-knot Day Appeal will remain open till the end of 2009 so please do send your donations in or donate now.
Testimony from a survivor
I really related to ASCA’s recent campaign about the silence that surrounds child abuse, and that minimising its impact continues the damage. I thought it was a very powerful message that abuse cannot be just "gotten over" and many adults who appear to be high functioning are in fact aching below the surface. I am a successful corporate writer, but since beginning to process the impact of the repeated violence and cruelty that I witnessed and experienced as a child, I have also returned to my first love – writing from the heart.
When I received ASCA’s blue knot in the mail, I tied it onto the zip of my hand bag and have fingered it often. It has given me courage to continue the journey of taking care of myself. My goal is that next year, I will go so far as to wear the knot on my shirt at work and help to continue to break the silence.
Thank you for the work that ASCA is doing to raise awareness of the lasting impact of violence towards children, and the fact that it remains hidden deep below the surface of many adults. I am beginning to experience the optimism that comes from acknowledging the extent of the damage done to me and being more open about the struggle to untie its knot.
Naomi
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