A CALL TO MEN Keynote Panel

Afua Addo, Jesus “Chucho” Ruiz Vai Sevoi – Eudeve (Opata) Tlamanalcah, Jane Ralph and Lina Juarbe Botella  

Unapologetic Anti-Racist Movement Now

As we hear the urgent demands of the Black Lives Matter movement and we witness the racial unrest all over the world, we must recognize we are in an historical moment. We must critically ask ourselves: How will we move forward? How can we build together? Or even more boldly – are we willing to do what it takes to build together? We must think more intentionally as domestic violence advocates. We must get clear and define our position on racism, anti-Blackness and white supremacy, and accept that these issues impact our service delivery at every level of intervention and prevention. This conversation will explore what it will take to create a critical mass of unapologetic anti-racism domestic violence leaders in the movement to end all forms violence against ALL women and girls.

Afua Addo

Afua Addo is Deputy Director of Programs & Training with the Perception Institute and a justice and trauma informed consultant who formerly served as the Manager of Gender & Family Justice Initiatives at the Center for Court Innovation. In this role she oversaw strategy, training and continuum of support for NY State Human Trafficking Courts, NYC HTIC Service Provision Task Force and served on the NY State Fatality Review Board and Close Rikers Initiative: Women & Girls Off Rikers. In 2016 OVW awarded $1million to operate Project SAFE providing in-depth TTA on the impact of trauma on Black women’s criminalization and victimization relative to historical resilience. Afua also consults with A Call to Men, V-Day and the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Afua got her start in criminal advocacy as Coordinator of the Criminal Court Advocacy Division, Afua provided direct court advocacy and alternatives to incarceration to young adult survivors of domestic human trafficking and child sexual exploitation. Afua began her career in healthcare and educational strategic planning with Health & Hospitals Corporation NYC and Department of Education, respectfully.

Over the last twenty years, Afua has served as an advocate while also pursuing art as a professional vocal/performance artist. In 2015 she participated in The White House roundtable on the impact of mandatory minimums on women and girl survivors- exploring the impact of criminalizing policies on African-American women and girls. She returned to the White House in 2016 to join the Office of Violence Against Women in discussion of Girls of Color and Intervening Public Systems: Interrupting the Sexual Abuse to Prison Pipeline. In addition to coordinating services for women and girls, Addo has partnered with various organizations to provide support for boys and young men of color survivors.

Afua serves on the board of Girls for Gender Equity and consults on a range of projects while providing individual mentorship to up and coming advocates. Afua continues to build on creativity and liberation!

Jesus “Chucho” Ruiz Vai Sevoi – Eudeve (Opata) Tlamanalcah

Jesus “Chucho” Ruiz Vai Sevoi – Eudeve (Opata) Tlamanalcah is the son of Leonor and Juventino, partner of Maria Molina Vai Sevoi, and father of six children. Over the past 20 years, Chucho has transformed the lives of countless youth through a La Cultura Cura approach through grassroots organizing and youth engagement and later as an employee of Chicanos Por La Causa (CPLC). Additionally, Chucho has served as a central facilitator of la tradición through his affirmation and maintenance of Nahua cultural practices and way of life, commitment to social justice, and obligation to the Tucson community. Chucho has served as a central facilitator of la tradición Nahua within the Calpolli Teoxicalli, a constellation of Nahua familias in Tlamanalco.
Chucho has always answered the call to meet the needs in of the Chicana community as cultural advisor, authentic community leader, and “barrio intellectual.” Chucho has worked to create indigenous solidarity by building intertribal relationships with indigenous communities across Turtle Island. In the last five years, Chucho has been intentional in engaging men and boys through his work with CPLC, implementing A Call to Men’s Live Respect Coaching Healthy Manhood curriculum in several local high schools and also collaborating with local organization Emerge! Center Against Domestic Abuse, and specifically with Emerge’s Men Education Program, as a co-facilitator. During the COVID-19 pandemic Chucho began the CHANTLACAH O.G. (Homies, Original Gente) virtual hangouts for young men/male-identified youth of color to discuss healthy manhood.

Jane Ralph

Jane serves as Executive Director for Construct Inc, providing affordable housing and support services in the south Berkshires. They served as Executive Director of the Clarina Howard Nichols Center serving those affected by domestic, sexual, stalking, and trafficking violence in north central Vermont. Jane has worked with housing and homelessness in Washington D.C., and Kansas City, as well as Vermont. Jane also worked in LGBTQIA+ advocacy at the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation. Jane’s educational background is in music education with a bachelor’s degree from University of Wisconsin-River Falls and a Master of Divinity from Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Primary interests include building compassionate community through intersectional approaches to racial justice, ending white supremacy culture, and social change. Jane has served as Human Right’s Commissioner in Kansas City, on national boards of Project Equality and Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, as chair of the VT Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence board, and as a white lead in Women of Color Network technical assistance and change work.

Jane and their partner, Ellen Maxon, are both originally from Wisconsin and, as such, are avid Green Bay Packer fans. They have four children and five grandchildren. They enjoy music, books, good food, theater, and many seasonal New England/Berkshire outdoor activities.

Lina Juarbe Botella

Lina Juarbe Botella is an advocate and community organizer with more than 25 years experience working to end violence against all women and girls, all who reside at the margins of the margins. Lina currently serves as Director of Community Engagement for A Call to Men. She is responsible for leading our Training Institutes for Racial and Gender Justice, community partnerships and outreach, and works closely with schools and organizations to implement A Call to Men’s Live Respect Coaching Healthy, Respectful Manhood curriculum. She received the Living Legend Award for community organizing and her work against racism. She also received the Voices of Courage Award for her advocacy and leadership working alongside clergy sexual assault survivors. She received the Unsung Heroes award for her commitment, service, and leadership in the Latino community. She is the proud mother of eight beautiful children. Lina was born and raised in Puerto Rico, and lives now in Wisconsin.