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No Name-Calling Week

No Name-Calling Week: January 19th-23rd of 2015

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No Name-Calling Week was inspired by a young adult novel entitled The Misfits by James Howe. In the book, students organize a “No Name-Calling Day” at their school. This small idea motivated GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing to take the idea and make a powerful statement with it. GLSEN, Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing, and over 40 national partner organizations created the No Name-Calling Week Coalition. In 2004, No Name-Calling Week was in schools, inspiring young adults to take the pledge nationwide and encouraging educators to launch an on-going dialogue about ways to eliminate name-calling in their communities by giving them the necessary tools.

Now, across the United States, schools participate in educational activities focused on ending name-calling and verbal bullying during the fourth week of January each year.

So, what can we contribute to this cause? What are some ways we can end verbal bullying and name-calling in our workplace, social life, and on social media? How can we set good examples and encourage young adults to join the cause?

Be kind. Even something as simple as a smile can change someone’s whole day. In our MOVE2STAND training, we talk about the impact our actions have, how they mirror ripples in the water. When we spread kindness, compassion, and empathy, others will do the same. We determine our cultural climate. The same can be said for hate, cruelty, and indifference. As adults, we nurture and teach the young adults in our life to be kind by doing it in our own lives. At STARS, we believe in the power of friendship and compassion. We believe these have the power to turn lives around. Having one person in your life, one person in your corner, can mean the difference between wanting to end your life or enduring. As a way to celebrate No Name-Calling Week we want to encourage you to BEE A FRIEND; offer friendship to people who spend their daily lives feeling invisible; to the young adults who do not have someone in their corner; to the victims of bullying.

STARS and GLSEN both want to spread the same message; love rather than hate; happiness rather than sadness; compassion rather than cruelty; empathy rather than indifference; friendship rather than rivalry.

Just like our students, we want to encourage you to take the No Name-Calling Week Pledge and inspire others to do the same. When you take the pledge you commit to:

  • Not bully others or partake in name calling and encourage others to do the same
  • Intervene in situations where someone is being called names or bullied
  • Support efforts to end bullying and name calling
  • BEE A FRIEND: Reach out to someone and offer your friendship for a year with the hopes of it blossoming into something more!

To learn more about No Name-Calling Week check out their website and to find out more about the BEE A FRIEND campaign, visit our website.

JOIN THE DISCUSSION

Tweet us @STARSNASH using the hashtag #STARSNONAMECALLINGWEEK and tell us how you are making a difference!