By Casey Neill
Wake up.
That’s the message from singer and actress Colleen Hewett, who’ll perform at this year’s White Ribbon Walk in Dandenong.
“I’ll be doing lots of songs that people have listened to for the last four decades of mine, and then throwing in a few others,” she said.
“The performance is not about me, it’s about White Ribbon Day and this violence thing that’s so totally out of control.
“I wish people would just wake up.
“I’m pointing in both directions – men and women.
“Remember the love you had for one another.
“If you’ve got children involved, think of what you’re doing to them.”
The Walk Against Family Violence is designed to show that the community stands united in opposing violence against women and children, and is supporting those who have experienced such violence.
The walk will start in Market Square at Dandenong Market at 10.30am on Tuesday 22 November.
It will proceed through central Dandenong and finish in Harmony Square, where Ms Hewett will also speak about her personal experience with family violence.
“I am passionate. I’m working hand in hand with Rotary and their Violence Free Families project,” she said.
“I just want to keep on spreading the word.”
Walk participants and the wider community can contribute a message on a ribbon to a “wall of hope” and take photos using frames at Dandenong Library to post on social media with the hashtag ‘iwillbreakthecycle’.
“I just want it fixed,” Ms Hewett said.
“I don’t know whether drugs are causing this, I don’t know whether it’s frustration from work …
“Any event, any sign, any ribbon that’s written and pinned onto the fence, all of it is awareness.
“We don’t know whether we’re going to be solving things.
“It’s just a wakeup call to stop it, just stop it.”
