Pink Shirt Day 2018

Today is Pink Shirt Day - a day to recognize bullying, in all of its' forms and everywhere it occurs - in public, in the workplace and at home

The history of this day goes back to Nova Scotia in 2007 when local Grade 9 student Charles Mcneil was bullied for wearing a pink shirt during the first day of school. Subsequently, David Shepherd and Travis Price of Berwick, Nova Scotia then bought and distributed 50 pink shirts to support Charles Mcneil. Since then, it has grown all across the world. It is also referred to as "Anti-Bullying Day". in 2012, the United Nations declared May 4th as "Anti-Bullying Day"

2018's Pink Shirt Day theme is "Nice Needs No Filter" and a focus on "Cyber-Bullying"

More details can be viewed here

And if I might - a little personal testimony here:

From 1993 - 1997 was the period of high school and it was where I suffered either bullying or intimidation and back then, the consequences were not as easily understood as they are today.  A couple of years ago -- an individual, whom I won't name here, reached out to me and asked for forgiveness for his actions where he/I were in the same high school - Columneetza Senior Secondary in 1995-97.  After so many years, I felt it was important to forgive him and move on.  Primarily because, most in their teenager years don't appreciate the consequences of their actions until many years later, which this situation reminded me of a story I heard at an economic development conference I attended in Salmon Arm in April 2015 around how poorly Nelson Mandela was treated in South African prisons and later on became the President of South Africa -- Mandela asked the same guards who treated him poorly to attend his presidential inauguration and it was noted at the end of the story  -- That is forgiveness

Tips I've learned over time experiencing bullying whether in school, in the workplace or elsewhere:

1) Take time for yourself/allow a period to cool down/take a holiday to achieve balance
2) Build support networks in your workplace - also important for those serving in local, provincial or federal governments
3) If you have a Code of Conduct in your workplace (like the Cariboo RD does) and suffer humiliation, bullying or intimidation -- make use of it and try to get the behaviour corrected...

I hope for the day that bullying, in all its' forms, will be something left in the past and where everyone is accorded respect and feels safe in their workplaces/homes and where difference of opinions are welcomed

~SF