Statewide Conference 2024

September 6, 2024 |
Valor

Survivors and advocates joined together from August 28-30, in San Diego, CA for VALOR’s Statewide Conference 2024. From inspiring plenary speakers to moving panels to stimulating sessions, our Statewide Conference embodied its theme of Collective Voice. Collective Action. Collective Power. From connecting Tribal victim advocates and cultural humbling services, inviting janitorial and farm workers to envision their work environments free from sexual violence, and opening our minds to restorative justice, we set the stage for our movement going forward in California and beyond. 

Anabela Aguirre presenting at VALOR's Statwide Conference 2024.Mimi Kim presenting at VALOR's Statwide Conference 2024.Photo of Leann Luna, Sandra Henriquez, and Patima Komolamit at VALOR's Statwide Conference 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sandra Henriquez, VALOR’s CEO, began the conference by highlighting the importance of knowing when to lead and when to follow survivors, as a survivor-led movement. Plenary speakers Anabela Aguirre, Mimi Kim, Elvira Herrera, Leann Luna, and Patima Komolamit shared with us their survivor stories, invited us to open our minds to restorative justice, and how survivors, advocates, leaders, and organizations need to practice resiliency to ensure that our movement sustains itself and is successful in supporting survivors while working to prevent and end sexual violence. 

Elvira Herrera Presenting at VALOR's Statewide Conference 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Statewide Conference sessions discussed legal options for immigrant survivors, connecting to tribal services to support Indigenous survivors, supporting incarcerated survivors, increasing the use of restorative justice and practices, culturally appropriate services, collective action for several different communities, and policy advocacy strategies. Panels included a discussion on collective power, healing through activism, and empowering alliances between rape crisis centers and tribal victim services.

Photo of a group of people playing various instruments.

Plenary speakers and session presenters asked advocates and organizations to move beyond the systems we have held on to for so long while also returning to the energy that brought folks to the streets and demand an end to sexual violence. While we need to harness the collective energy from the past, we also need to acknowledge that we are not the same movement as we were. We must move away from clinging to the criminal legal system as the only option for survivors to find healing after experiencing trauma and increase our options to support survivors’ recovery. The movement was further called on to increase culturally rooted healing not only for immigrant survivors, but also for Indigenous survivors, incarcerated survivors, and formerly incarcerated survivors. While Statewide Conference 2024 is not the beginning of this work, it is now up to us to take these ideas with us and collectively continue them. 

 

“Our collective voices in action are so powerful.” – Latosha Reyna, YWCA Greater Los Angeles

Photo of VALOR staff at Statewide Conference 2024.