Language Is Key to Change

Ending Domestic Violence

Gigi Tsontos

June 30, 2016

As members of the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, both as an individual and through Radiant Futures, I share the commitment of our recent conference “Shifting the Lens”.  The sessions discussed everything from how to engage in advocacy to how do we effectively take our movement to the next phase through change.

Change and language are KEY to capacity building to making a movement move. Over the last several years, I’ve focused my development on how to language what I do, what we do, and what Radiant Futures does. Creating requests for change and focusing on the request vs the process have been a challenge. With two Masters, a Bachelors, Certificates in leadership, and a desire to learn. I struggle with this concept.

Language is not easy. Recently I was reminded of Churchill’s words” If you want me to speak for two minutes, it will take me three weeks of preparation. If you want me to speak for thirty minutes, it will take me a week to prepare. If you want me to speak for an hour, I am ready now.” Considering this I am always ready to speak, but am I prepared. In the movement to End Domestic Violence. We ( you, me, us, and them) need to discuss language.

Today, Ted Talks are 18 minutes of passion from speakers like  Leslie Morgan Steiner who share a story, a moment, time, and energy with you. These speakers take opportunity to engage on a topic that is meaningful. I’ve learned from TED that if we don’t know our passion we cannot speak to the heart of a situation.

So, why all this in response to Language of Ending Domestic Violence? Because as the face of an organization who’s vision is to End Domestic Violence, I have found that passion creates the opportunity for that change. In the recent months we’ve been watching as candidates argue their vision for our country. We’ve been engaged in conversations about Brexit, violence, and more, but have we discussed how LANGUAGE has the capacity to create that change? I don’t believe so as a culture.

My request is that we start this conversation and make it our mission to END VIOLENCE. Take action this month to decide on one way you can LANGUAGE the violence of our culture in an effort to change it. Share your thoughts on Radiant Futures’s Facebook and help us END violence by changing culture.

Gigi Tsontos, LCSW MPA,  Executive Director of Women’s Transitional Living Center, Inc gtsontso@radiantfutures.org 714-992-1939×106