Calm Your Nerve, Spread Your Love

Photo source from Desmond Wen Xian.

Han Chiang College students are taking a stand in the fight against domestic violence with their very own Deactivation Awareness Campaign.

One of the many taboo subjects rarely discussed in conservative Malaysia, the campaign is one the few daring enough to challenge the public to take heed of the matter.

“Age notwithstanding, we feel that it is our collective duty to spread awareness of domestic violence happening behind closed doors. One might never know if the victim happens to be one’s own mother, daughter or even a close friend.

Public Relations and Advertising students showing their support against domestic violence.- Photo source from Deactivation Awareness Campaign. 

“Domestic violence is a vicious cycle. When a couple argues, it usually starts off tame enough with shouting matches but it is only a matter of time before the rage morphs into something uncontrollable, more violent.

“So with that in mind, our Deactivation Awareness Campaign aims to go back to the very beginning to deactivate the threat before it becomes potentially aggressive and harmful,” said Campaign Programmer, Desmond Wen Xian.

The campaign is in collaboration with Women’s Centre for Change, Penang (WCC) and is a sub-campaign for Penang Goes Orange, an initiative by the Penang Women’s DevelopmentCorporation to educate and eliminate violence against women.

“The effort is to let the victims know that they are not alone in this and that there are organisations that are more than willing to assist them, be it counselling sessions or a place to stay.

“We also endeavour to curb and hopefully eradicate the innate potential violence of would-be abusers by allowing them a sizeable glimpse of the fear, terror and shame these women experience at the hands of their abusers through our Purple Dot Short Film Competition.

The winners of the Purple Dot Short Film Competition posing with their prizes.

“That said our message, at the end of the day, is to spread love, not violence.” 

For further information about these organisations, please visit:
Women's Centre for Change's Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/wccpenang/?fref=nf   

Penang Women’s Development Corporation at http://pwdc.org.my/content/home/index/site:pwdc-link:8360