The annual day is about working together to stop bullying by celebrating diversity and promoting kindness and inclusiveness.
It’s about taking a stand by creating a community where all people feel safe, valued and respected, regardless of gender identity, sexual orientation, age, ability, religion or cultural background.
Celebrated annually around the globe, Pink Shirt Day started in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying after a student was harassed for wearing pink.
Safer Mid Canterbury has planned five projects to mark the day. They include a colouring competition for primary school pupils, which will be judged by members of the Ashburton Art Gallery.
Entries will be on display at the library.
Safer Mid Canterbury will join with Community House and other agencies in Ashburton for a morning tea.
It will under take a presentation at Ashburton Intermediate School as part of the school’s Pink Shirt Day activities.
It hopes every workplace will encourage their staff to wear a pink shirt or other pink items to work on Friday.
Workplaces can take photos of their teams in their pink attire and submit them into a draw for a morning tea shout.
In collaboration with the library, Te Kete Tuhinga, Safer Mid Canterbury has also organised a display featuring resources about bullying.
Safer Mid Canterbury spokesperson Brenda Kingsford said there was a difference between bullying and abuse.
"Pink Shirt Day is about being an upstander, not a bystander.
"The campaign is about raising awareness of bullying which isn’t just verbal, its also mental, emotional, physical, financial. It’s about being kind and inclusive of friends and those around you.
"There is an increase awareness of bullying and some of this has bought about by social media,’’ Kingsford said.
- Pick up The Pink Shirt Day colouring competition at primary schools, Community House Mid Canterbury, Safer Mid Canterbury and the library, Te Kete Tuhinga. Entries must be dropped off at the library by May 31.
- Entries for the workplace pink shirt photos are to be emailed to rachael.price@safer.org.nz to go in the draw for a morning tea shout.
By Dellwyn Moylan
