Governor Jay Inslee proclaimed July 11, 2019, as Survivor Support Day. On this day of celebration, we ask everyone to wear purple to honor the multidisciplinary teams that support young survivors of abuse. At the heart of these teams are child advocacy centers expediting justice and healing for children, assisted by AI-based technology made in Washington to help these centers deliver on their mission.
This cause was brought to the governor’s office by a Seattle-based tech company called VidaNyx, highlighted earlier this year in Thrive Global. July 11 marks the one year anniversary of the founding of VidaNyx. In just one short year, over 12,000 children have been protected in 30 states with over 170 agencies experiencing digital transformation in child abuse cases.
Technology for Public Interest – #Tech4PI
Creating Technology for Public Interest – #Tech4PI is much more than creating software or “tech for good.” It is about addressing the multiple dimensions associated with social problems. The governor’s proclamation is an example of advocacy efforts underway that are part of a growing body of work defining the Tech4PI movement.
Tech4PI is a field dedicated to leveraging technology, data sciences, ethical AI and proven sustainability models to support public interest organizations in the delivery of their mission. In addition to advocacy efforts, Tech4PI includes policy and regulations improvements in creating technology to address urgent issues in society. Tech4PI also encompasses other important principles such as:
- Driving change through a collective impact approach. These complex problems require the private sector, government, NPOs and funders to work together
- Transforming data into knowledge through Ethical AI with a relentless focus on measurable impact at a systemic level
- Building long-lasting operational capacity with solid sustainability models in place
Protecting Children and Celebrating Survivors
The proclamation from Governor Inslee is an important step in the context of creating empathy and human connections, using the power of storytelling to drive engagement, inclusion, and inspiration that moves people from awareness into action.
Just a year ago, we were not aware of the size of the problem related to child sexual abuse and neglect in the US, and we were not aware of the fantastic job done by the 850 Child Advocacy Centers helping the survivors to heal and be PTSD free, that help justice to be served and that work on important activities related to prevention, education and community outreach. Becoming aware of this important issue moved us into action and created Tech4PI serving centers across the US.
Anger and sorrow will not make a difference in the world, but Tech4PI can. If you are ready to create Tech4PI, how do you get started?
The “how” of Tech4PI entities is not as important as the “why.” C-corps, B-corps, LLCs, and 501c3 can all be builders of Tech4PI as there are a variety of ways to capitalize the venture and ensure sustainability in the long run.
The critical path is to understand the problem from a systemic point of view, listen to different perspectives from individuals on the ground and approach the creation of a potential solution as a venture, as opposed to a product. This requires all of the support and expertise that any venture requires which will demand the patience to plant the seeds of change and watch them grow.
We have fertile ground in Washington. Seattle has the chance to be known as the Tech4PI capital of the world. We already birthed the coffee revolution and the cloud revolution — two things the Tech4PI movement couldn’t live without!
Take action and get engaged!
And just think, if one of every ten WTIA membership organizations sponsored or created a Tech4PI initiative in the next 12 months, Washington could build over 100 new Tech4PI ventures that are sustainable mission-driven enterprises addressing social problems at scale.
On behalf of the child advocacy centers on the frontlines helping hundreds of thousands of survivors every year, we’re grateful for Governor Inslee’s support and can’t wait to wear purple on July 11. Together, we can help survivors #shine each and every day. For more information on how to help survivors of child abuse and assault in our state, you can visit Children’s Advocacy Centers of Washington.
Here is the full text of the proclamation for Survivor Support Day on July 11:
WHEREAS, child advocacy centers and their multidisciplinary teams – law enforcement, mental health, child protection agencies, attorneys, child protection services, victim and family advocates – work tirelessly on over 700,000 cases of child abuse in the US every year, helping victims heal from abuse; and
WHEREAS, these dedicated individuals deserve honor for their care and compassion serving our communities in facilitating justice and healing; and
WHEREAS, these individuals brighten the future of advocacy by utilizing innovating tools for more efficient case management and by creating policies and practices with changing technology in mind; and
WHEREAS, survivors of abuse find resiliency and the ability to persevere to overcome in the face of trauma; and
WHEREAS, supporting the work of child advocacy centers and providing agencies with state-of-the-art technologies allows for expedited justice so the healing process can begin;
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Jay Inslee, Governor of the state of Washington, do hereby proclaim July 11, 2019, as
Survivor Support Day
in Washington and I encourage all people in our state to join me in this special observance.
Signed this 1st day of July 2019
Governor Jay Inslee