Joachim Ostertag has worked with men who are abusive toward women for over 23 years. This summer, he is exposing the issue of male violence against women with a bike tour from Owen Sound, Ontario to Vancouver, BC called “Change the Cycle.” After more than 5200 km, the solo tour will end in Vancouver on August 10, with a community bicycle rally from UBC to the memorial stone for missing and murdered women at Crab Park.
Join the event on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/events/612348912138427/
The Change the Cycle Bike Rally will start at the UBC fountain at 12 noon and will end with speeches at 2 pm at the memorial stone in Crab Park. Everybody is welcome to join the event.
Change the Cycle has engaged communities along the route – particularly men – to become active in making changes and speaking out so that all women’s lives will be safe. The tour includes the Highway of Tears from Prince George to Prince Rupert to shine light on the fact that First Nations women are victims of abuse and homicide at rates several times higher than non Native women in Canada.
Change the Cycle has allowed Joachim to connect and talk with people on the way, listen to their stories, and discuss and share men’s and women’s visions for change on his blog. The campaign is also a fundraiser for the Men’s Program in Owen Sound in order to extend the program’s highly successful services for preventing violence against women.
Event: Bike rally to end violence against women
Location: UBC Fountain to Crab Park (see map on “Rally” tab or Facebook)
Time: Noon at UBC Fountain, 2:00 at Crab Park