September 10th every year is World Suicide Prevention Day
Download the World Suicide Prevention Day Poster.
World Suicide Prevention Day, 2011:
Building Suicide Safer Communities
Livingworks and the Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (CASP) are happy to be partnering this year on planning the theme for this year’s 2011 World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD). This year’s theme is “Building Suicide Safer Communities”.
The Building Suicide Safer Communities initiative will be officially launched on WSPD September 10th. Communities across the country are invited to join in on this exciting and important undertaking. CASP and Livingworks, along with other partners such as the Collateral Damages Project, and the Canadian Mental Health Association recognize that it is critically important for communities to establish their own suicide prevention action plans that are defined by the unique character and needs of their community. Communities across Canada have demonstrated leadership and a commitment to tackle this critical public health issue, doing their part to prevent suicides and ensure that those who are bereaved by suicide have support that is both compassionate and informed. It is time we recognize their commitment, innovations and accomplishments and offer our support and encouragement to communities that wish to do the same.
The Building Suicide Safer Communities initiative promotes communities taking thoughtful and deliberate action to prevent suicides in their community and put processes into place that will sustain local suicide prevention initiatives in the long term. Simple criteria have been established for obtaining a “Building a Suicide Safer Community” designation. It is our hope that over time we will be able build on this initiative and share and learn from the experiences of communities across Canada. Additionally CASP will be developing and promoting new resource material that we hope will help communities and service organizations increase their capacity to support suicide prevention and those bereaved by suicide. For more information on Building Suicide Safer Communities visit www.suicidesafercommunities.com
While communities across our country along with the provinces and territories are doing their part to promote suicide prevention, intervention and postvention it is critical that the Government of Canada do its part and share the burden and responsibility. We urge Canadians to contact their Member of Parliament and ask them to urge our national government to do its part and implement the United Nations and World Health Organization guidelines that call upon every country to establish both a national suicide prevention strategy and national suicide prevention coordinating body. CASP is encouraging all Members of Parliament to support private members bills that will be introduced this fall in the House of Commons calling for a national suicide prevention strategy. The Government of Canada plays a crucial role in suicide prevention not least is helping to build the bridges and critical connections between communities, including communities of practice, sectors and jurisdictions in support of suicide prevention. Promoting communication, and the sharing and translation of knowledge is essential for promoting suicide prevention in our country. We call upon the Government of Canada to provide the necessary systems and mechanisms for the free exchange and sharing of ideas, knowledge and information across Canada to the benefit of all Canadians.
In order to assist communities with their WSPD activities CASP has prepared a poster that can be adapted to reflect the activities and events you have planned. CASP has also developed suicide awareness resource material that can be downloaded from our website or ordered and shipped to you. Space has been left on this material so that your community can include information pertaining to local resources such as crisis/distress lines. This material includes; a post card size handout that reviews warning signs and what to do and also a pamphlet for service organizations on how to be suicide safer. CASP will also prepare sample press releases and letters to the editor for you to use and adapt for your purposes. Use today’s momentum to plan for next year’s event.
CASP has once again used the image of a Kite to commemorate World Suicide Prevention Day. This image is rich with symbolism and meaning. A Kite can represent those who have died by suicide and our connection to them, our ability to heal and hope. This message of hope is central to our message and all that we do.
CASP in partnership with survivor groups has also produced a special pin that commemorates suicide prevention, suicide loss, the strength and resilience of survivors and hope. These pins, which blend the CASP logo with that of a ribbon, are available for purchase through CASP and can be used by community groups to promote suicide awareness in their community and for fundraising. Pins can be purchased for $2.50 each.
Please let us know what events your community has planned for World Suicide Day. We will post those events if you share them with us. You can contact us at admin@casp-acps.ca
See also: www.livingworks.net
