Running Head: EMPOWERING INUIT CHILDREN
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I’m Happy Because I’m Safe: Empowering Inuit Children in the Face of Violence
Megan McConnell
Philadelphia University
EMPOWERING INUIT CHILDREN
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Abstract
The Inuit children of Nunavut are a highly vulnerable population in the far northern
territory of Canada. At least 4 in 10 children will experience sexual abuse, and even more
will experience other forms of violence. “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” is a campaign
developed by the Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada that targets Inuit children,
empowering them to speak up against sexual abuse and violence. The program also
works to raise the awareness of the adults interacting with the children. The campaign is
relatively new, and some gaps in understanding exist. The organization was contacted,
but did not respond to the request for information. However, this paper analyzes current
information and campaign development from the perspectives offered by theory, critical
thinking, and systems design. Both strengths and weakness will be presented alongside
factual information about the campaign that strives to give a voice to Inuit children, and
to ensure that their voice will be heard and supported.
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I’m Happy Because I’m Safe: Empowering Inuit Children in the Face of Violence
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines risk communication as “any
purposeful exchange of information about risks between interested parties” (p. 317).
Risk, as explained by Coppola & Maloney (2009), can be understood as “the chance
something bad will happen, and the associated outcome of that possible event” (p. 45).
Risks are faced in every aspect of life, and can range from minimal damage to
widespread consequences.
Risk communication may target a behavior with the intent to eliminate a risk, or
may simply work at reducing the potential consequences. This may occur through raising
awareness, providing resources, or other techniques. In the case of the “I’m Happy
Because I’m Safe” campaign developed by the Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada
(PIWC), the goal is to empower key individuals through education and awareness
reducing violent or abusive behavior toward the Inuit children, and to increase the
number of individuals who speak up for or support the affected children.
This paper aims to explore a specific risk communication campaign in terms of
theory, critical thinking, systems design, and actualization of risk reduction. The elements
of the “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” campaign will be evaluated for efficacy and
specificity. This campaign has strengths such as targeting a clearly identified at-risk
population, cultural contextualization, and the use of tangibles in younger populations.
Weaknesses demonstrate the campaign’s room for growth and refinement. Clear contact
points, specific assessment methods, and a more developed timeline for delivery would
benefit this campaign. Analyzing the interconnectedness of these and other components
will provide the direction and purpose for this paper.
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What is the “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” Campaign?
In recent years, both governmental and private research have garnered growing
attention to elevated violence rates within First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities in
comparison to the general public. This is particularly true in the statistics regarding
family violence, sexual assault, and women.
Skrim (2016) summarized research statistics from Canada’s Department of
Justice. These statistics state that 24% of Aboriginal women will report being a victim of
violence, as opposed to 7% of non-Aboriginal women. Sexual assault statistics are
equally disturbing. The Inuit population, mainly residing in Nunavut, experience
particularly high rates of sexual assault: 96.1 in 10,000 Inuit people will experience
sexual assault. This is in comparison to the overall rate of 7.8 in 10,000 individuals.
Approximately 25-50% of these cases will occur during childhood (para.15-17, 19). To
make these rates a little more understandable, Nunavut Tunngavik Incorporated (2014)
summarized statistics to the fact that 4 in 10 Inuit adults, men and women, have
experienced severe sexual abuse during childhood (p. 18). These abhorrent statistics led
the Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada to create a campaign targeting sexual assault
among the Inuit people of Nunavut.
Initiating the Process
Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, referred to from now on as PIWC for brevity,
have a reputation for effectively communicating with the indigenous communities of far
Northern Canada. Previous campaigns include HIV/AIDS, smoking, and other family
violence campaigns. Though the family violence campaign was effective, it became clear
that a campaign specifically targeting sexual violence had merit.
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By 2013, enough information was collected and presented to gain funding from
the Children and Families Directorate (CFD), a division of Aboriginal Affairs and
Northern Development Canada (AANDC). The stated goal of the campaign was to “assist
in reducing Inuit children’s vulnerability to family violence” by building on preexisting
Inuit-specific resources already targeting family violence and sexual abuse (Pauktuutit
Inuit Women of Canada, 2013, p. 2). This major goal would be accomplished through
four primary goals.
Campaign Goals
The first goal of this ongoing campaign, as the PIWC states, is to raise Inuit
children’s awareness of sexual abuse, help them identify abuse, and know what support
systems are in place for children who have experienced assault (2013, p. 3). Rae (2011)
emphasizes the need for support systems for Inuit children because of negative factors
like the imposition of non-Inuit values, culturally incongruous justice systems, residential
schools, and the potential loss of culture (p. 4). What works for non-Aboriginals clearly is
inadequate or even inappropriate for Inuits.
Next, the “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” campaign targets an adult audience.
These adults may be parents, adults in positions of responsibility or authority, or
individuals of respect within the social construct of the Inuit people. The campaign shares
knowledge on how adults can interact with and support children who have experienced or
are suspected to have experienced sexual abuse (Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada,
2013, p. 2).
Two final goals aim to support individuals who are responsive to the information,
whether it is individuals in the target audience or others who show interest. First, the
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campaign is to support governmental initiatives that address sexual assault detection and
support. Last, the campaign desires to coordinate with local activities to maximize the
impact of the campaign and the number of individuals reached by the information
(Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, 2013, p. 2).
These four goals integrate to create the theme “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe”.
When children feel safe from violence and abuse they are more likely to experience a
positive environment generating happiness. However, the open ending interpretation
maintains flexibility allowing this theme to carry over to consequent campaigns targeting
other safety issues for Inuit children. Though this campaign is young and has not yet been
formally assessed for efficacy, PIWC suggest that campaign partners intend to build on
this theme in the future to include neglect, witnessing violence, and other harmful
situations (2013, p. 5). It is unclear how long it might be before these themes are
incorporated. The key questions in determining future growth are, “How well is the
current campaign is working?”, and “Are its goals being met?”.
Evaluating Development and Strategy in Terms of Theory
Successfully communicating risk is no easy task. There are a number of factors to
consider: behavior being targeted, the audience of the communication, the methods used
to convey the information, and any special factors that deserve attention. The leaders of
the campaign are another critical component. By breaking down a campaign into these
parts and evaluating them through the lens of theory and critical thinking, one can gain
insight into how well the campaign has been designed and how much it will achieve.
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The Three Primary Campaign Goals
Coppola & Maloney (2009) articulate three goals of a communication campaign.
These goals are raising public awareness, guiding public behavior, and in a strong
campaign warning the public (p. 16-17). “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” focuses strongly
on the first goal, vaguely addresses the second, and completely neglects the third. In
reviewing the published communication plan and the website, it becomes clear that the
primary task is to elucidate the issue rather than directly target behavior change.
Goal One.
“I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” is clearly oriented to be a public awareness
campaign. Coppola & Maloney (2009) describe the purpose of the first goal as being “to
notify the public about their exposure to a hazard risk and to give them an accurate
impression of how that risk affects them personally” (p. 17). Though quite a new
campaign, the communication plan excels in developing methods to communicate risk to
the target audience.
The planning document provides a table that proposes unique communication
tools for each of the target audiences: children, adults close to children or in a position of
power, and the general population. For example, in this table the tools used to target
children tend to focus on tangibles and take-homes. These may include stickers, t-shirts,
post cards, or pamphlets. Adults are likely to receive informative pieces such as flyers,
social media posts, emails, and PSAs similar to the children (2013, p. 6-7).
When comparing this document to the website (which seems to be the only access
to information available to the general public), it is clear that some of these techniques
are used, while others seem to be strangely absent, or at least unavailable to communities
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outside the target community. For example, the campaign initiated a coloring competition
to connect children with community partners, and helps children learn the phrase, “I’m
Happy Because I’m Safe.” This competition includes providing activity kits and
displaying winning pieces around the community and on the PIWC website (Pauktuutit
Inuit Women of Canada, 2013, p. 8).
Goal Two.
There is little evidence that the components targeting behavior change are
effective. In the communication plan, the PIWC state that they intend to educate family
members and adults in positions of responsibility to identify abuse and provide proper
supports to abused children. The targeted behavior change would be adults taking the
initiative to help abused children. Information published in the communication plan and
online is quite nondescript. There is no information on what actions should be taken or
how these behaviors will be encouraged. At best, this goal is idealistic since it does not
have any real mechanism for action.
Goal Three.
In this campaign, there is no relevant information pertaining to public warning.
From a theoretical viewpoint, Coppola & Maloney describe a warning as a
communication “issued to alert an audience about a change in risk concerning an
increased or certain likelihood of occurrence, and to provide them with authoritative
instruction on appropriate actions they may take in response” (2009, p. 19-20). This goal
could be included in the “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” campaign in the occurrence of a
specific event, such as a child molester or abductor. In this case, the catchphrase and its
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established reputation could then be used to warn about a specific threat. However, the
planning committee for this campaign does not mention any such considerations.
The Steps to Creating an Effective Campaign
When determining the efficacy of particular campaigns there are a number of
factors to be considered. As illustrated by Coppola & Maloney (2009), these factors can
include being trustworthy, authoritative, motivated by the best interest of the audience,
accurate, consistent, repetitive, rational, accessible, simple, and solution-oriented (p. 3638). When comparing the “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” campaign to these objectives, it
would be accurate to say that approximately half of these objectives have been met.
This campaign naturally incorporates many of these factors through established
relationships between the Inuit people and the PIWC, who are largely Inuit themselves.
Walker (2012) suggests one key to success in a communication campaign is to engender
trust and influence with interpersonal relationships (p. 423-24). This gives the PIWC an
advantage as leaders in the campaign. While partners and stakeholders in the campaign
may not all benefit from these dynamics, the PIWC act as the primary face for the
campaign reducing the risk that less trustworthy partners will tarnish the trust and
authority provided from a first-hand experience with the culture and social issues.
Ensuring its priorities are in the best interest of the audience is slightly more difficult.
The statistical presence of broken homes creates difficulty in communicating the
importance of change when most of the community has had similar experiences. This
minimizes perception of self-interest on the part of the campaign. Conversely, using
adults’ negative experiences to emphasize the campaign goal relevancy could be a strong
tactic currently unexplored by the campaign.
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Significant research exists on family violence and sexual abuse in Inuit
communities, which provides a solid foundation for the campaign’s development. It is
difficult to evaluate how that information is presented because the material is inaccessible
to individuals outside of the communities, barring the little that is published on the PIWC
website. Consistency and repetition are equally difficult to assess. Accessibility to
information seems to be a bit higher to Inuit communities than that of the general public,
especially in consideration to language barriers. All campaign information has been
published in each of the relevant dialects to ensure that all Inuit communities have access
to these resources. The content itself is definitely simple to understand, but it is
sometimes unclear what solution the communication is trying to achieve. Many of these
issues could and should have been addressed during the development phases.
Step One: Early Planning.
In terms of early planning, the campaign can be seen as successful. The problem
and target population is clearly defined. Further growth in this area is dependent on the
development of culturally specific risk assessments. Harris, Cousineau, Pagé,
Sonnichsen, & Varrette (2009) published a report on behalf of Correctional Service
Canada evaluating the feasibility of a culturally specific risk assessment targeting
violence, but there is little in the way of assessment for abuse of any nature, particularly
in children. The authors do however point out the importance ensuring response is
delivered so that “they can benefit from it, taking into account each offender's abilities,
cultural needs, experiences, and learning style” referred to as the responsivity principle
(para. 20). This is equally as important in communicating safety awareness to children.
Knoke & Trocmé (2004) discuss available risk assessments for children through the
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Centre of Excellence for Child Welfare, and concerns are present over scope and
accuracy (p. 2). Culturally specific contexts are not considered in this assessment. This
lack of proper assessment tools handicaps the early planning stage from inception. For
future development the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO) produces a
very relevant report on Inuit Child Welfare and Support that may help in developing
culturally relevant resources (2011).
Funding is less limiting than assessment tools. The PIWC states that funding for
the campaign was awarded through the AANDC. Had this not been the case, PIWC could
have applied for funding from the relatively new Family Violence Prevention Program
budget through Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada. According to their website, the
current budget for 2016 has been increased to $33.6 million over five years in addition to
the $8.3 million support shelters for First Nation families. $10.4 million has been allotted
to building new shelters and renovating old shelter in addition to the over $40 million
dollar budget in place to run said shelters. Though funding would appear to be focused on
shelters, the program states that one of its two objectives is to support public education
campaigns working to end family violence, including sexual abuse, in First Nation
families (Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada, 2016, para. 1-2).
One thing the program did well in the early planning phase was to recognize the
influencing factor of the abuse cycle, and to target children rather than adults, who
according to Coppola & Maloney (2009) “are more likely to change their attitudes” (p.
90). According to Paletta (2008) 66% of those who committed sexual assault had
experience some sort of violence in their past (p. 25). Therefore, the cycle of abuse is a
relevant external factor to campaign strategy developed by PIWC. This probably builds
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off of PIWC’s previous experience with their two-year campaign against family violence
targeting all individuals. This campaign effectively functioned as the market research
phase gathering information on youth response and the need for an age-specific
campaign. The resultant document published by PIWC (2006) explores how cultural and
social differences are important in communicating awareness, and even provides an
activity sheet and a list of collaborators that provide further resources.
Following the general campaign, there was reason to believe a campaign focusing
primarily on children and those interacting with them would be both relevant and
meaningful. Other campaigns such as the Red Cross RespectED programs existed at the
time, but none were designed specifically for Inuit youth; those that did exist were not
necessarily being utilized in the target communities. The “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe”
campaign was designed with three realistic goals to fill a very important educational and
risk-filled gap.
The program is designed to fit in with other continuous initiatives by the same
group such as “Believe-Ask-Connect”, “The Hidden Face”, and many others including
those sponsored by other organizations. The specifics of how this collaboration can be
achieved, and the overall campaign project management, are unclear. The organization
has made no comment on request for this information.
Step Two: Strategy Development.
The developed campaign strategy is quite strong in its diversity and analysis of
alterations needed to typical mechanisms of communication in order to be culturally
relevant. The coloring contest is one such strategy to communicate the intended message,
but there are many more. According to PIWC, before any such tactics are implemented
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media was to be targeted first. In their 2013 planning document, PIWC planned to
approach media outlets with relevant material and information, including PSAs, to ensure
the full utilization of these mediums from campaign launch forward. Cultural gatherings
are another large part of Inuit society. These are prime opportunities for spokespeople to
interact on a personal level with the Inuit communities and promote the message of “I’m
Happy Because I’m Safe”. Ensuring the presence of resources such as the Red Cross
CARE kit in schools was also critical. Bringing a sensitive topic to light means great
vulnerability, and those likely to encounter traumatized children need resources to
address these issues, resources like the CARE kit (p. 8-9).
Use of social media and internet platforms are critical in modern day campaigns,
and this was certainly not ignored. However, with unclear campaign timelines it is
difficult to analyze whether internet resources are being appropriately utilized to their
maximum effect. One integrative approach suggested by the PIWC not realized up to the
point of this paper is the use of posters with cartoon Inuit children—Uliipika and Isaaci—
to spread the message that Inuit children are not alone, and should not be afraid to speak
out. These poster children would then be used in other PSAs and internet tools to
integrate multiple modalities into a single, appealing and relatable image. These children
would also have Facebook and Twitter accounts that Inuit youth could follow. The
accounts would promote cultural pride and encourage children to find and use their voice
(2016, para. 1).
While social media has its strengths, Aboriginal communities are often distrustful
of more traditional media outlets. It is common for indigenous people to feel as if media
has misrepresented them, and they have some truth behind their claim. Only the most
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basic of public relation material finds its way into mainstream media. This constitutes as
a lack of opportunity to bring widespread attention to a very important issue. One must
wonder if fear of being misrepresented, which so often happens, creates hesitation to
utilize outside media as a tool.
In addition media usage, communicators are critical to a successful campaign.
Identifying key communicators and spokespersons in the development stage can allow
for continuity throughout the campaign. PIWC (2013) identify potential spokespeople
such as “prominent people/role models, political leaders, Elders, health and social work
professionals, Pauktuutit board and staff, Advisory Committee members, and/or child
sexual abuse survivors and former abusers who are ready and able to speak out” (p. 9). In
reality, there is no clear identification of a spokesperson. Nowhere on the website or in
relevant documents is there appropriate contact information. Available resources also fail
to identify an individual who can be reached in regards to the campaign either with
questions or as someone seeking to respond to the campaign. This is extremely
problematic as it disrupts the campaign by creating a sense of helplessness. When there is
no person to seek out individuals may give up completely on the idea of change.
Individuals become stuck in the precontemplation or contemplation phase, as defined by
Coppola & Maloney (2009, p. 168).
Taking the First Step Forward, and Not Two Steps Back.
Having extensively reviewed many components of the campaign, it still seems as
if very little is actually known. Perhaps the greatest reason for this is that lack of
communicated project management leaves the actual implementation of the campaign
wide open for debate as to when and where things actually occur. All the while, perhaps
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the more insidious problem, and likely to destroy the campaign, is a seeming lack of
evaluative processes. Nothing seems to be in place to determine how well the project is
working, or what might be changed in the campaign to make it more effective.
If the relevant leadership plans to wait for governmental statistics and research to
change, time will be wasted that could have been used to reach individuals in more
meaningful methods. From a basic standpoint, the goal is not directly to reduce sexual
abuse and violence, though this hopefully will result, but rather to empower children to
recognize abuse and speak up. The campaign also seeks to empower Inuit communities to
address abuse victims. While simple surveys may gather some of this information, there
are other creative methods that might be utilized to determine the campaign’s efficacy.
The starting point to creative evaluation is asking how to measure empowerment.
Merriam-Webster defines empowerment as a transitive verb meaning something
that promotes self-actualization or influence over a situation (n.d.). If one were to visit
many First Nation and Inuit communities in particular, it would immediately become
clear that fear and discontentment. This fear, much of which is directly the fault of nonaboriginal individuals pressing their agenda and social and cultural values, is very real.
In communities filled with abuse and emotional trauma, perhaps a good indicator
that the “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” campaign is empowering individuals is by
assessing quality of life and general measures of well-being before, during, and after each
stage of the campaign. This measure in combination with typical survey methods may
actually provide a better picture of the influence such a program is having on the target
community. This would follow the one-group pre-test post-test design of an experimental
study. Other methods including control groups, while ideal to measure the effect of the
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campaign itself is difficult when the nature of the issue is so serious. Withholding
information that might help children feel safe seems ethically questionable. A one-shot
case study may also be an appropriate method of evaluation.
Assuming this program is both achieving the goal and garnering a positive result,
the next step is to ensure one step forward does not become two steps back. Evaluation
plays a role in this, but at this stage program support becomes critical. In general, public
education campaigns can be both expensive and involved. Creating partnerships and
program support is what ensures a successful program can continue to achieve its goal.
Many areas of the PIWC website and campaign documentation claim that the PIWC
associates frequently with other entities. Still, all of the available information seems to
point to an organization that is functioning without clear support. Without clarification
from program officials it is impossible to simply give the benefit of the doubt.
Outside of the “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” campaign there are many entities,
some previously mentioned, that are joining in the fight to restore Native communities.
Among these, a particular ally stands out in resources, potential funding, and even
personnel. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) (2016) have taken great steps in
preventing family violence, and bring their own partnerships to the table including those
like celebrity Shania Twain. Their website provides a number of excellent resources for
family violence and sexual abuse prevention. Canada’s Department of Justice also
provides funding to certain campaigns. Interestingly, new legislation is making such
campaigns both more visible and capable of receiving greater supports. Paletta & Burnett
(2008) states that the Nunavut Family Abuse Intervention Act will help provide key
infrastructure to address the disturbing violence statistics for this Canadian territory (p.
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7). PIWC (2013) lists a number of potential partnerships, but it is uncertain if these
program supports or other community stakeholders ever panned out (p. 4). It seems that
currently the campaign relies on its government grant from the AANDC.
Critique
Considering all that has been discussed, it seems that the next important step is to
evaluate the whole program with its component parts flawed or well executed. Applying
critical thinking, organizational theory, and systems thinking one can appraise both
strengths and weaknesses to “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe”. There are several aspects of
the campaign that seem incongruous or in need of clarification.
There seems to be some sort of contradiction in regards to the focus of the
campaign goals. Media and documentation seems to identify family violence as the
problem behavior. This would indicate the inclusion of many types of violence and
abuse, yet the goals are worded quite specifically to address sexual abuse as is some
information on the PIWC website. In addition, the development of the campaign appears
to have put all the eggs in one basket focusing on awareness almost exclusively, while
neglecting behavior change and the potential for a warning component to the campaign.
This seems less like targeted action, and more like lack of creativity and maximization of
resources. Raising awareness and empowering children to speak out against abuse sexual
or otherwise is critical, but the issue does not resolve without some significant behavioral
changes.
Evaluating the second primary resource, the PIWC website, provides some more
concerning questions. As previously mentioned, there is no specific contact protocol in
place. Those wanting more information or needing assistance, as is part of the campaign
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goal to provide, must go through the general info or phone system to receive any
direction as to who may be an appropriate contact. A final critique is that it appears,
according to the website, that phase two of the “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” campaign
has launched; yet it feels as if phase one is incomplete. Perhaps it is lack of information
available outside of the community, but it seems that many of the initiatives mentioned in
the communication plan were not fully implemented. Even more troubling is that phase
two addresses online safety. This is definitely important to children, and it is congruous
with the intention to build on the theme to include a number of safety concerns.
Nevertheless, what happened to all the other components of phase one? Were they
executed but not documented? With poor public access and no official response from the
organization there is no way to answer these significant questions.
On a more positive note, the campaign was well structured and delivered in an
appropriate manner in reference to the target audience. Significant effort was invested in
ensuring culturally sensitive approaches were taken, assisted by the fact that the
sponsoring organization has an in-depth knowledge of such factors. The PIWC lists these
considerations to include language barriers, potential increase in abuse reporting
necessitating increased services, societal values (i.e. reluctance to interfere in the personal
life of others), regional differences between the Inuit people, and undesirable effects such
as increased risk of suicide brought about by perceived scrutiny of personal trauma and
relieved traumatic experiences (p. 6). This was probably so well executed due to the fact
that this is not the first campaign the PIWC has run in Inuit communities. On a side note,
the consideration to elevated suicide risk is a good example of the necessity of systems
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thinking. Changing one factor may very well lead to a change in the overall dynamic.
This and considerations to abuse cycles contribute to the beginning of a wicked problem.
There was great consideration to contextualizing material to be relevant to
children. Using tangible like t-shirts, color pages, and stickers was a robust practice to
ensure that children would internalize the message. Often children see posters and
pamphlets as an equivalent to school or as adult material and lose interest. When a prize
or tangible is involved, children are much more motivated to work for the achievable, or
in this case internalize a message through an obtainable object.
The Human Factor
As the evaluation of this campaign begins to wrap up the last important factor to
analyze is the ability of human presence to widely vary dynamics. The best campaign
may have all the theoretical components and answers, but will still require two things—
strong leadership and human engagement in the message being communicated. This is
often where a campaign can go terribly wrong.
Leadership
Similar to any project, in order to achieve the maximum success a campaign must
have strong leadership. The leader is responsible for coordinating all the component parts
into a single, elegant campaign that not only meets objectives, but also is capable of
change and flexibility over time and with evaluation. Ulmer (2012) says,
“Communication is crucial but only one part of managing crises effectively. There are
other knowledge and skills that are essential to producing effective crisis
communication” (p. 529). Risk communication leadership is of course based on
communication, but a strong leader must be able to assess the community for current
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needs, identify stakeholders and important contributors, address problems as they arise,
and organize all members of the initiative into a cohesive whole. A leader must have a
vision for the campaign that will guide the decision-making process. Often where a
program begins is not where it ends.
While questions remain unanswered about deeper structural components to the
“I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” campaign, the early development stage shows PIWC
taking the leadership role as an entity. The real conundrum is where other organizations
played a role, and who within the PIWC was responsible for the overall leadership of the
program.
Personal Investment
From a disaster standpoint, leadership always works its way from the most local
up the chain before reaching federal assistance. Risk communication needs to function in
a similar manner. The purpose of the campaign is to communicate an issue that is
currently not prioritized. However, utilizing individuals or stakeholders as part of the
planning, development, and implementation of the program provides invaluable feedback
while also creating community investment. Communities who feel personally invested
are usually the most resilient and open to change. “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe”
accounts for the extra component of cultural value to community. By involving key
community members such as elders, teachers, and others mentioned previously, the
campaign automatically gains more trust and authority. Additionally, citizen engagement
increases the likelihood that the message will be internalized. A person who has engaged
and become motived to change may then take the message back to another individual
who has experienced abuse. They are now personally invested in the outcome.
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Motivation to Change
Personal investment does not automatically equal change in behavior. The
campaign must ensure that the material includes some sort of call to action, whether
through direct suggestion of a behavior or though making a behavior appear negative to
encourage termination of said behavior. This is where the “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe”
campaign falls short. Many resources rely on self-motivation to read information and
reach out to an unidentified party. It is far more effective to lead and ask others to follow,
than to wait for someone to take the first step, and this is the pitfall the renders the
program paralyzed. Creating forums for dialogue, issue-specific activities and events, and
behavior-oriented goals would have strengthened the campaign design. Nonetheless, the
campaign deserves recognition for any step taken to protect children who are extremely
vulnerable as a population.
Conclusion
Today, the Inuit people of Nunavut are a highly vulnerable people group,
experiencing tremendous abuse and violence. Perhaps tomorrow, with the help of
campaigns like “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe”, Canada will see these people restoring
safety and happiness to their communities. “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” has stood in a
gap that few wish to acknowledge exists. The identification of an at-risk population, the
cultural sensitivity show, and creative use of tangibles are all great strengths. Though
contact points and assessments could be stronger, the campaign is seeking to give
children who have or are currently experiencing abuse a voice—something they may not
know they had. Maybe in the future the Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada will provide
more information that will clarify knowledge gaps that appear as possible planning
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failures, but their current resources are also critical support components that strengthen
the campaign. As Canada takes notice of this important issue and funding increases,
campaigns such as “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” will only grow. Currently “I’m Happy
Because I’m Safe” is in its second phase, but perhaps soon they will introduce more ways
for children to be happy and safe. Tomorrow, we may look and the issue will have been
solved, but today “I’m Happy Because I’m Safe” is working to empower Inuit children
reminding them they have a voice that will be heard.
EMPOWERING INUIT CHILDREN
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f
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EMPOWERING INUIT CHILDREN
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