The appeal: How does your past affect your relationships now?

The deadline: 19th March 2010

The details: In Andreina's own words:

I am a freelance journalist writing an article for a national women's magazine  designed to raise awareness of male rape and abuse, and the effect it has on relationships in adulthood, and would really like to speak to couples about their experiences.

Ideally I would like to speak to young couples in their 20s and 30s about the impact their experience had on their relationships and what advice they would give to others going through something similar. I understand how sensitive the subject is, and please rest assured that I would work closely with any volunteers to make sure they were happy with the experience.

I hope that this story will help to highlight a subject which often doesn't get enough attention, and encourage more people to seek the advice they need to move forward in their lives. If you would like to help me, or if you would just like more information on the project, please do get in touch by email at: acordani@hotmail.com

Many thanks for your help,

Andreina Cordani

(added 9th March 2010)

The appeal: If you were abused sexually by a minister or someone else working within the Church, MACSAS would really appreciate you taking part in their survey.

The deadline: End of 2010.

The details: MACSAS is building up a picture of minister and clergy sexual abuse and exploitation across all denominations. For all you need to know download the following:

• download: MACSAS Survey 2010 - Letter (Word Document version - 29KB)
• download: MACSAS Survey 2010 - Letter (PDF version - 58KB)
• download: MACSAS Survey 2010 - Survey (Word Document version 47KB)
• download: MACSAS Survey 2010 - Survey (PDF version 84KB)

(added 17th February 2010)

The appeal: Are you a female survivor of abuse? Would you like to take part in a film? If the answer to both of those questions is yes then Emma would love to hear from you!

The deadline: End of March 2010

The details: In Emma's own words:

I am a documentary filmmaker and like many am also a survivor of abuse. I am making a film about women who have been victims of abuse in their childhood and am looking for people who can share their experiences. The idea of the film is to break the silence. Silence, not being able to talk freely and openly about these experiences adds shame and secretiveness to an already very painful and traumatic experience, this project is about trying to break that silence and encourage healing and openness around the issue. It is important we keep trying to bring this so common crime in to the open, it's time to talk about it. This project is an opportunity for you to tell your story and to tell it in the way you want to, to give an honest portrayal of what living with this experience means. I am looking for women who would be prepared to share their stories, this is a collaborative piece and you will have an input into how you are filmed. If you feel you would like to take part but are worried about being identified, please don't be put off, I am happy to distort or change faces or voices where needed. The film will form part of my MA at Goldsmiths University and hopefully will go on to be screened early next year at festivals and to other women who it might help. If you are interested I would love to hear from you. Please email me, Emma, at shortsip@googlemail.com

(added 27th January 2010)

The appeal: Please take a minute of your time to help find Madeleine. Spread this special message around the world.

The deadline: As long as it takes!

The details: A new film has been released by the UK’s police organisation for child protection - the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre - aimed at anyone close to the person who was involved in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann. That person could be a relative, friend, work colleague or neighbour. Whoever they are, they have a secret that could reveal what happened to Madeleine.

In order to reach that person, CEOP are asking for the public’s help to share this message virally, via the internet, so that the message is so widespread it becomes one click away to the person who knows something about Madeleine’s disappearance.  The message is then a constant reminder that it is never too late to do the right thing, to stop keeping this secret  and pass this vital information to their local police.

You can view the full message which is part of a short film at http://www.ceop.police.uk/

If you are online and part of an online community, you can help.  Post the link on your social networking site, email your friends and colleagues and  encourage them to share the film, blog and Tweet about the film and link to the website above.  Do anything you can to spread this message around the world. 

The message is available at http://www.ceop.police.uk/ and is in seven different languages – English, Arabic, French, German, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish.

This initiative is supported by Leicestershire Police, Interpol, Europol and international police agencies as well as specialist charities and NGO’s such as the US National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Missing Children Europe and the UK charity Parents and Abducted Children Together (PACT).

So, please help.  Take a minute for Madeleine and help share this message around the world.

Thank you

Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre

www.ceop.police.uk

(added 17th November 2009)

The appeal: If you are over the age of 16 years and want to take part in research that could lead to the development of more effective intervention and prevention programmes for victims of sexual violence then read on...

The deadline: Ongoing

The details: In Dr Nadia Wager's own words:

I am seeking volunteers over the age of 16 years, to complete my research survey. The study is examining responses to various forms of trauma and victimisation. I am not only looking for people who have experienced these types of events, but everyone [male, female, young and old(er), happy and not so happy].

Depending on your own experiences, completing the survey may take between 10 minutes and 40 minutes to complete. I have used a professional secure web-survey provider to ensure that all responses will be completely anonymous and neither email nor IP addresses will be visible.

The study has been approved by the Faculty Ethics Committee as being sensitive to the needs of study participants. The survey asks you to describe some personal experiences that you may, or may not have experienced. Some of the questions are of a sensitive/ intimate nature. Your answers will be treated in complete confidence and privacy. Nonetheless, if you feel uncomfortable answering any of the intimate questions please leave it blank and move on to the next section. Throughout the survey I included a number of comment boxes that can be used for any additional information you may wish to offer. Again, this will be treated confidentially.

Not all of our lives fit well onto questionnaires and thus you may feel that your experience can not be suitably represented by the design of the questionnaire. If this is the case please feel free to explain something in a little more depth using the comments boxes, if you think it would help the me to understand your experience better.

NB. One of the design features of the survey means that you should only move on to the next page if you have completed the one which is visible. There is no facility to go back where you have already been. Sorry this is not my design feature, rather one that is built in by the survey providers. If you would prefer to read all the questions first, it will just mean that you will need to re-register with a new username in order to actually complete the survey.

Please feel free to let others know who you think might be interested in the study. I am seeking to recruit over 2,000 participants in total. Thank you in advance for your time and patience for engaging in this study. It is hoped that the findings from the survey will offer valuable insight that might lead to the development of more effective intervention and prevention programmes for victims of sexual violence.

You can find the study at: https://www.psychdata.com/s.asp?SID=131151

The survey password is - waffle5

Best wishes Nadia

Dr Nadia Wager

Principal Lecturer in Psychology

Buckinghamshire

New University

Queen Alexandra Road

High Wycombe

Bucks

HP11 2JZ

Email: nadia.wager@bucks.ac.uk

(added 20th October 2009)

The appeal: If you think that smear tests should be made as comfortable as possible then Judith Walker would like to hear from you.

The deadline: Ongoing.

The details: Judith Walker is a nurse who is working on ways to make the smear test less threatening and more comfortable. For more information download the following word document.

• download: Taking control of your smear test (Word Document 28KB)

The appeal: If you are an adult who felt unloved as a child and would be happy to have your photograph taken then photographer, Johnny Mobasher would love to hear from you.

The deadline: Ongoing.

The details: In Jonny Mobasher's own words:

How often do you hear in the news that lawyers representing a criminal are pleading for mercy or indeed lower sentences because their client- the criminal- came from a troubled childhood! Should we feel sorry for a manic, an alcoholic child abuser, a drug dealer because HE had a troubled childhood & justify treating his children in the same way?

“I was never loved as a child” will document personal emotional values that some of us have to deal with throughout our lives & in particular during maturity.

I’m looking for 24 “adults” who would like to participate and agree to a portrait session with just a few words that would accompany each picture describing their feelings or message.

Ultimately, I’m hoping that the portraits to be a very positive emotional journey in a public photography exhibition.