Thank you for a great conference!
Since we began planning the 2023 Colorado Advocacy in Action (CAIA) Conference, we’ve been using the phrase “Back Together!” I knew that being back together in person would change the experience of our conference but I underestimated just how much it would impact me. It was terrific to be with you all this year – truly life-giving. I came to Violence Free Colorado because I believe a coalition’s role is to support, educate, and empower advocates. Since my first day, I’ve been humbled by your good work and the opportunity to walk with you as you serve others. Seeing you all in person, though – feeling your energy, hearing your stories, seeing you connect with one another – reconnected me to our role like nothing else. Thank you for coming back together with us.
We hold incredible power as advocates. Our choices can allow a survivor to feel believed or dismissed, to find support or isolation, to experience opportunity or more oppression. Day to day, however, it’s easy to feel powerless compared to the systems we are seeking to change. When we feel helpless or hopeless, we run the risk of forgetting how much our choices impact those we serve. We can lose sight of how powerful we are in their lives and in the systems we help them navigate. I hope that our time together at CAIA helps each of us stay in right relationship with the power we have – accountable to one another, to the survivors we serve, and especially to those who never seek our services because they do not see us as a safe enough option.
As we return to the busy-ness of our roles and responsibilities, I hope we’re able to carry the community and connection of CAIA with us. I know that advocacy is hard work. It can also be lonely work. Being together is a reminder that there is a community of people who share the belief that the world can change and that we must do the work to make that happen. I hope that CAIA brought each of us into contact with new ideas and new people. I hope you felt cared for and comforted. I also hope you felt challenged and uncomfortable. More than anything, I hope that you feel connected with the people in your organizations, with the reasons you became an advocate, and with the goals you have for yourself and our field.
Thank you all for making CAIA 2023 a huge success! We can’t wait to see you next year!
-Roshan Kalantar
Violence Free Colorado Executive Director
