A tremendous and heartfelt “thank you” from KNOM and from our guests to all of our callers who shared their experiences of harm and how they’ve tried to help. In our calls we heard from Gail in St. Mary’s, who shared with her the grief of losing her son; we heard from Bridie in Nome who spoke to the importance of interventions; Roger in White Mountain who asked, are our communities up to the challenge in addressing harm and working toward solutions; to Mary in Emmonak who spoke to the importance of speaking up and telling someone if you or someone you know is being sexually abused; to Randy in Nome who voiced his frustrations with intervening and how that has not always turned out as he had hoped; and to Larry in Emmonak who encouraged people to invoke a power greater than themselves in difficult times.
In addition to our guests Panganga Pungowiyi with Kawerak Wellness and Kari van Delden, M Ed., with UAF Cooperative Extension Service, we also featured Doug Modig, a cultural consultant with the Rural Providers Conference.
Harm can come to people in small ways and more serious ways. People’s choices can lead to harm, either to themselves or to others. Sometimes a situation just doesn’t seem right, and we feel like we should do or say something. Other time we see things escalate in front of us, or we pick up on signs before someone actually gets hurt.
This week on Sounding Board, we’re talking about ways we protect one another from harm in all its forms, and what we can do stop it when we see it happening.
- How do you look out for other people in your community?
- What ideas can you share to help take care of each other and keep people from getting hurt?
- How can we be proactive in shaping our communities to make them safer?
We all have a part to play. Silence and inaction don’t solve anything, but by speaking out and doing something to help, we make our communities safer, healthier, and happier.
Join KNOM on Sounding Board with guests Panganga Pungowiyi with Kawerak Wellness and Kari van Delden, M Ed., with UAF Cooperative Extension Service.
Listen and call in with your thoughts on harm and helping each other, on Thursday, March 26, at 10 a.m.
