The White Ribbon Campaign is the largest effort in the world to end men's violence against women. This year, the annual White Ribbon Week will be held from Monday through Dec. 6.

Monday, which marks the start of White Ribbon Week each year, is the International Day for the Eradication of Violence Against Women. This is the 11th year the campaign has been in existence.

The White Ribbon Campaign is a great opportunity for men on this campus to take a stand for this important issue, said Yemi Mahoney, who is involved in organizing White Ribbon Week at UD.

'I am hoping this week will encourage (men) to get involved in working to end violence against women,' Mahoney said.

The Sexual Assault Peer Advocators (SAPE) passed out white ribbons Wednesday in the KU lobby. Through the campaign, men are encouraged to wear a white ribbon during the two weeks in November and December to show their concern for men's violence toward women.

The ribbon is a symbol of non-violence, peace and remembrance of victims of this kind of violence. The ribbon is also a personal pledge never to commit, condone or remain silent about violence toward women.

'The white ribbon is not a badge of purity,' Mahoney said. 'It does not mean you have never been violent. It does not mean you have perfect relationships. It simply means that you think violence against women is unacceptable.'

The main goals of the campaign are to get as many men as possible to wear a ribbon during White Ribbon Week, to undermine social acceptance of violence and to promote nonviolent behavior in men. The campaign is mainly targeted at men because men are part of the problem of violence, but also because they are part of the solution.

According to Michael Flood's speech during the White Ribbon Week launch in Australia, approximately 95 of 100 cases of domestic violence were committed by men, as well as 98 out of 100 cases of rape. The campaign wants to show that men are not naturally violent, and that they can work toward eliminating violence against women.

The launch of the campaign occurred in Canada in 1991, two years after 14 women were tragically murdered at the University of Montreal because of their gender. Originally begun by the Canadian women's movement, the White Ribbon Campaign has now inspired men in several different countries to start campaigns of their own. Dec. 6, the anniversary of the massacre, is now considered Canada's National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women.