The multiple Grammy award-winning indie/folk band are shining a light on gender equity by opening auctions to support organisations providing services for survivors and advocate for a future without domestic violence.
βOne of the biggest problems with domestic abuse is that people donβt talk about it. Itβs insidious, stigmatized and hushed.β
– Frontman Justin Vernon
Singapore – AWARE
The auction includes a pair of tickets to the respective show, signed βi,iβ LP, signed Asia tour poster, and Bon Iver tee with 100% of proceeds going directly to AWARE, the official partner in Singapore. AWARE (Association of Women for Action and Research) is Singaporeβs leading womenβs rights and gender-equality advocacy group. It works to identify and eliminate gender-based barriers through research, advocacy, education, training and support services. AWARE’s focus areas in 2020 include supporting sexual violence survivors, enabling women to better balance work and caregiving, improving single mothers’ access to affordable housing, and combatting workplace discrimination and harassment. For more information about AWARE, click here to visit.
Thailand – Freedom Restoration Project
The auction includes a pair of tickets to the respective show, signed βi,iβ LP, signed Asia tour poster, and Bon Iver tee with 100% of proceeds going directly to Freedom Restoration Project, the official partner in Thailand. Freedom Restoration Project focuses on empowering women and children who experience domestic violence through services and programs designed to promote safety and a network of support. FRP operates Selah Center, a non-residential centre in Mae Sot, Thailand where they offer limited counselling services and provide a space where victims and survivors can seek refuge and rest. Education on domestic violence is freely given and peer support groups meet on a weekly basis. FRP is also in the planning stages for a high-end secondhand shop. The shop will generate ongoing income for other FRP programs and will employ victims and survivors of domestic violence, giving them the financial freedom to leave abusive partners. For more information about FRP, visit here.
Indonesia – Hollaback! Jakarta
The auction includes a pair of tickets to the respective show, signed βi,iβ LP, signed Asia tour poster, and Bon Iver tee with 100% of proceeds going directly to Hollaback! Jakarta, the official partner in Indonesia. Hollaback! Jakarta was formed after a small group of friends discovered that their own unsettling experiences of street harassment were, unfortunately, not altogether uncommon. In response, the team created a platform for others to share their stories and seek support in a safe, respectful, inclusive place. Hollaback! Jakarta is a part of the global Hollaback! movement that was formed in New York in 2005. For more information about Hollaback! Jakarta, visit here.
2 A Billion is a campaign created by Bon Iver to raise support, awareness, and person-to-person connections in an effort to end gender inequality, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. In 2019, over $185,000 was donated to 2AB Charitable partners through this initiative.
In November, Bon Iver released the official video for βNaeemβ, their first non-lyrical music video for since 2012βs βBeth/Restβ and received four 2020 Grammy nominations β Album of the Year (βi,iβ), Record of the Year (βHey, Maβ), Best Alternative Music Album, and Best Recording Package (Bon Iver Art Directors Eric Timothy Carlson & Aaron Anderson). These bring Bon Iverβs career total Grammy nominations to seven, having won two in 2012 for Best New Artist and Best Alternative Music Album (Bon Iver, Bon Iver).
