RES 143 Draft 01 2018-2020 - Laserfiche WebLink

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4�J�LY,OF M.*4 COUNTY OF HAWAII STATE OF HAWAII �►t oF.N'.P . RESOLUTION NO. 143 14 A RESOLUTION SUPPORTING THE DESIGNATION OF THE FOURTH WEDNESDAY OF APRIL AS INTERNATIONAL DENIM DAY AS A PART OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAI`I'S RECOGNITION OF SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS MONTH. WHEREAS, Sexual Assault Awareness Month is observed every year during the month of April to promote sexual violence prevention and education initiatives across the nation that seek to raise the public consciousness; and WHEREAS, International Denim Day was founded in 1999 by Peace Over Violence, a 501(c)(3)nonprofit dedicated to building healthy relationships, families and communities free from sexual,domestic, and interpersonal violence; and WHEREAS, International Denim Day was inspired by the women of the Italian Parliament who wore jeans to work the day after the third division of the Supreme Court of Appeals in Rome overturned the rape conviction of a 45-year-old man who sexually assaulted his 18-year-old driving student because, "jeans cannot be removed easily and certainly it is impossible to pull them off if the victim is fighting against her attacker with all her force;" and WHEREAS, International Denim Day occurs on the fourth Wednesday in April as community members, elected officials, businesses, and students organize to wear jeans as a symbol of protest against the societal myths and destructive behaviors that perpetuate sexual violence; and WHEREAS, in 2018, the YWCA of Hawai`i Island Sexual Assault Support Services program reports having responded to 2,150 crisis calls from or on behalf of victims of sexual violence in Hawaii County, opening 329 cases and providing 1,929 hours of therapy to 167 people, and performing 58 forensic medical exams; and WHEREAS, Mayor Harry Kim has proclaimed every fourth Wednesday in April, beginning April 24, 2019, as International Denim Day in the County of Hawai`i; now,therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE COUNTY OF HAWAII that the County of Hawai`i stands in solidarity with local and global counterparts recognizing International Denim Day as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and encourages everyone to wear jeans on the fourth Wednesday in April, beginning April 24, 2019.