“New campaign aimed at reducing domestic violence”

BELGRADE “New campaign aimed at reducing domestic violence” How did you come up with an idea to launch the campaign with such a shocking video? Were you afraid of a possible condemnation by the public? We were not afraid of a possible condemnation by the public because we had already had experience with provocative and disturbing videos. Such approach gives better results and works better in Serbia, as we have seen in campaigns against breast cancer or against hunger when we were accused by people in top positions of disturbing the public. Our response is that the reality is the one that disturbs the public and our campaign is based on the reality that is hidden but is well-known to every forensic expert or a police officer specialized in violence against women. A concrete cause was a horrific statistics in the beginning of 2013 – 11 murdered women and two children as victims of domestic violence. Despite everything that is done and everything we ourselves have done such as campaigns, five new safe houses, a new legislation, this dynamic of crimes was threatening to be record-high. Saatchi & Saatchi agency proposed a concept of the campaign and a creative solution for a video and we have decided to react immediately. The creative team was extremely efficient and very soon we got an excellent video that went viral. I was very interested in innovations in the campaign spreading. We started an experiment with an intention to try the range of the use of new media. We have an extremely valuable experience that can be used by activist on social networks and mainstream media, like B92 TV. The video is very popular, public debates have been open, comments that reveal the complexity of the issue, emotions and empathy with victims and what is most important – additional media pressure on the system’s institution that should be the first to deal with violence. I believe we have encouraged the victims to seek help precisely from them and that their courage will additionally help police and judiciary to approach the issue more responsibly. How did you feel about the debate that started in Serbian and world media? We did not expect the video would be viewed more than 3.8 million times. We could not have projected such a reaction because this was an experiment for us. It is obvious that the video’s authors have made a product that hit the nerve and made people react immediately, become active, see the video several times, to ask questions and discuss it… Many of them offered direct help, physical protection, to beat up the assailant, and not only from Serbia but from the region and the world. The debate that started showed the universal nature of the problem on a global level and assessment of the video, concept of its launch and the achieved results represent a recognition to our partners in the campaign – Saatchi & Saatchi, Direct Media PR, DM Digital and ipyro. The video did not go viral and reached Huffington Post, mainstream media in Canada, France, Italy, Britain, Australia by accident. There have been some really wonderful reactions, a man listed 70 things a person should do in case of domestic violence, very striking situations from various countries have been released, personal confessions and experiences. Everybody on our team dropped all other things in order to devote ourselves to the explosion in order to make sure it did not take some bad, counterproductive course and so we could get as much as experience from very dynamic events of the video going viral, but at the same time we made sure not to jeopardize the video’s nature and its course through difference platforms around the world. The experience will be valuable in the future and I believe to other activists and media who are trying to maximally use digital opportunities at their disposal when it comes to social campaigns. After the campaign launch, what are the next steps? What is the campaign’s ultimate goal? A TV video has been launched that calls on victims to report domestic violence to the police and website www.sigurnakuca.net started working with all information that a victim of the violence could need – SOS numbers, safe houses, Social Work Centers, police. The ultimate goal of the campaign is a better and more efficient functioning of the system – police, prosecution and courts in protection of victims. Without this improvement violence cannot be reduced. Assailants need to be intimidated by not allowing them to hide from the law and justice. We demand that the prosecution and courts drastically sanction the assailants and not make the victims of the violence victims all over again. This needs to stop in Serbia. An important link in achievement of the goal is reporting violence. The video directly shows that violence never stops, that the end is horrible and that one must not wait – the first hit or the first psychological torture needs to be reported to the institutions. In order for the institutions to understand the size of the problem, every case of violence needs to be reported and every victim needs to requests their rights. By forgiving violence it only magnifies. Witnesses of the violence, who have the same task, will help. To stop being silent witnesses or to look the other way, but to help the victim by protecting them from the bully and call the police immediately. The system needs to be aware of the proportions of the problem because they will never have enough capacity without it. We will use the campaign to encourage further spreading of the safe houses project because they are necessary as a part of the protection system, as first aid. The first concrete reaction to the campaign is the fact that we will sign an agreement on the construction of the Srem Safe House in Sremska Mitrovica next week as a part of the network of regional safe houses in Vojvodina which works in an excellent coordination between local self-governments, Social Work Centers, provincial government and the B92 Fund. We are negotiating the construction of a safe house in Vranje where the local self-government has shown great interest in the project and we have a donor there. Do you expect help from the state or some international organizations, bearing in mind that domestic violence is a global problem? We need to create a wide coalition that will permanently deal with the solving of the issue. The police, judiciary, Social Work Centers, local self-governments, NGOs and foundations, as well as various ad hoc groups and activists need to be in that coalition. Only a wide action can make the state and competent institutions be efficient. “Unfortunately, there are often negative examples, like a decision of a local self-government in Serbia not to accept a donation of modern building of more than 300 square meters, excellently equipped and video surveillance to found a safe house because they could not secure funds for maintenance that amounted to only EUR 30,000 on the annual level. I hope there is a chance to change the scandalous decision that perfectly shows lack of concern of the competent authorities.” Is it possible for a global campaign against domestic violence to start from Serbia? We will offer the video for free to all those who have seen the campaign so far, and there are more than 3.5 millions around the world already, to localize it and use in their countries because it is universal and effective. There are already some interested organizations in the region and we are working on translating the messages so I expect there will be a lot of those who will take the video for free and use it in their societies. Sigurna kuca/Safe House website Veran Matic (file) Nase novine B92 Fund Board of Directors President Veran Matic spoke about B92 Fund’s latest campaign against domestic violence in an interview for the daily Nase Novine. B92 Fund Board of Directors President Veran Matic spoke about B92 Fund’s latest campaign against domestic violence in an interview for the daily Nase Novine.

“New campaign aimed at reducing domestic violence”

How did you come up with an idea to launch the campaign with such a shocking video? Were you afraid of a possible condemnation by the public?

We were not afraid of a possible condemnation by the public because we had already had experience with provocative and disturbing videos. Such approach gives better results and works better in Serbia, as we have seen in campaigns against breast cancer or against hunger when we were accused by people in top positions of disturbing the public.

Our response is that the reality is the one that disturbs the public and our campaign is based on the reality that is hidden but is well-known to every forensic expert or a police officer specialized in violence against women.

A concrete cause was a horrific statistics in the beginning of 2013 – 11 murdered women and two children as victims of domestic violence. Despite everything that is done and everything we ourselves have done such as campaigns, five new safe houses, a new legislation, this dynamic of crimes was threatening to be record-high.

Saatchi & Saatchi agency proposed a concept of the campaign and a creative solution for a video and we have decided to react immediately. The creative team was extremely efficient and very soon we got an excellent video that went viral.

I was very interested in innovations in the campaign spreading. We started an experiment with an intention to try the range of the use of new media. We have an extremely valuable experience that can be used by activist on social networks and mainstream media, like B92 TV.

The video is very popular, public debates have been open, comments that reveal the complexity of the issue, emotions and empathy with victims and what is most important – additional media pressure on the system’s institution that should be the first to deal with violence. I believe we have encouraged the victims to seek help precisely from them and that their courage will additionally help police and judiciary to approach the issue more responsibly.

How did you feel about the debate that started in Serbian and world media?

We did not expect the video would be viewed more than 3.8 million times. We could not have projected such a reaction because this was an experiment for us. It is obvious that the video’s authors have made a product that hit the nerve and made people react immediately, become active, see the video several times, to ask questions and discuss it… Many of them offered direct help, physical protection, to beat up the assailant, and not only from Serbia but from the region and the world.

The debate that started showed the universal nature of the problem on a global level and assessment of the video, concept of its launch and the achieved results represent a recognition to our partners in the campaign – Saatchi & Saatchi, Direct Media PR, DM Digital and ipyro. The video did not go viral and reached Huffington Post, mainstream media in Canada, France, Italy, Britain, Australia by accident. There have been some really wonderful reactions, a man listed 70 things a person should do in case of domestic violence, very striking situations from various countries have been released, personal confessions and experiences.

Everybody on our team dropped all other things in order to devote ourselves to the explosion in order to make sure it did not take some bad, counterproductive course and so we could get as much as experience from very dynamic events of the video going viral, but at the same time we made sure not to jeopardize the video’s nature and its course through difference platforms around the world.

The experience will be valuable in the future and I believe to other activists and media who are trying to maximally use digital opportunities at their disposal when it comes to social campaigns.

After the campaign launch, what are the next steps? What is the campaign’s ultimate goal?

A TV video has been launched that calls on victims to report domestic violence to the police and website www.sigurnakuca.net started working with all information that a victim of the violence could need – SOS numbers, safe houses, Social Work Centers, police.

The ultimate goal of the campaign is a better and more efficient functioning of the system – police, prosecution and courts in protection of victims. Without this improvement violence cannot be reduced. Assailants need to be intimidated by not allowing them to hide from the law and justice.

We demand that the prosecution and courts drastically sanction the assailants and not make the victims of the violence victims all over again. This needs to stop in Serbia.

An important link in achievement of the goal is reporting violence. The video directly shows that violence never stops, that the end is horrible and that one must not wait – the first hit or the first psychological torture needs to be reported to the institutions. In order for the institutions to understand the size of the problem, every case of violence needs to be reported and every victim needs to requests their rights. By forgiving violence it only magnifies.

Witnesses of the violence, who have the same task, will help. To stop being silent witnesses or to look the other way, but to help the victim by protecting them from the bully and call the police immediately. The system needs to be aware of the proportions of the problem because they will never have enough capacity without it.

We will use the campaign to encourage further spreading of the safe houses project because they are necessary as a part of the protection system, as first aid. The first concrete reaction to the campaign is the fact that we will sign an agreement on the construction of the Srem Safe House in Sremska Mitrovica next week as a part of the network of regional safe houses in Vojvodina which works in an excellent coordination between local self-governments, Social Work Centers, provincial government and the B92 Fund. We are negotiating the construction of a safe house in Vranje where the local self-government has shown great interest in the project and we have a donor there.

Do you expect help from the state or some international organizations, bearing in mind that domestic violence is a global problem?

We need to create a wide coalition that will permanently deal with the solving of the issue. The police, judiciary, Social Work Centers, local self-governments, NGOs and foundations, as well as various ad hoc groups and activists need to be in that coalition. Only a wide action can make the state and competent institutions be efficient.

“Unfortunately, there are often negative examples, like a decision of a local self-government in Serbia not to accept a donation of modern building of more than 300 square meters, excellently equipped and video surveillance to found a safe house because they could not secure funds for maintenance that amounted to only EUR 30,000 on the annual level. I hope there is a chance to change the scandalous decision that perfectly shows lack of concern of the competent authorities.”

Is it possible for a global campaign against domestic violence to start from Serbia?

We will offer the video for free to all those who have seen the campaign so far, and there are more than 3.5 millions around the world already, to localize it and use in their countries because it is universal and effective. There are already some interested organizations in the region and we are working on translating the messages so I expect there will be a lot of those who will take the video for free and use it in their societies.

Sigurna kuća/Safe House website