Buiding a Bigger Wave - Together!
The Building a Bigger Wave Ontario Network was founded in 2011 to provide the infrastructure that connects Violence Against Women Coordinating Committees and their allies in Ontario. The Network facilitates the sharing of knowledge and expertise, creates opportunities for advocacy and collaboration, and engages VAWCCs and their partners in strategies and projects working to end violence against women and children.
The goals of the BBW Network are:
All Violence Against Women Coordinating Committees are invited to be members of the Network, along with other individuals, organizations and coalitions that agree with the BBW goals and values and share our common goal of ending violence against women.
Network Structure
The Network is a flexible structure that supports dialogue, common understanding, sharing of information and a shared learning approach. The Network’s structure engages and supports the broadest possible inclusivity of VAWCCs, individuals, and allied organizations.
A Coordinator Network meets monthly between September and June.
Advisory Team
The Coordinator Network serves as the advisory body.
Steering Committee
The Southwest Region VAW Coordinating Committee (SWRCC) serves as a steering committee for the Network. SWRCC is a regional committee with representatives from 10 VAWCCs in the southwest of Ontario. SWRCC meets monthly (since 2005) and first conceived the development of a provincial network. to support the work of VAWCCs in Ontario.
Working Groups
Working Groups are convened as needed. They carry out tasks for the Network, as decided by the Advisory Team or the Network membership as a whole. Any BBW member can be part of a working group and bring their expertise to the group.
In the past, the Network has the following Working Groups:
Coordination
The Coordinator(s) provide administrative support, leadership and management support for the Advisory Team, and liaison with funders. The Coordinator(s) organize and document meetings and provide support to the Working Groups. At present, there are two people sharing Coordination for the Network.
Provincial Forums
The BBW Network organized two provincial forums (2011 & 2015) to bring together VAWCCs, supporters and allies to:
Decision Making
The Network uses a consent model of decision making. In a consent model everyone agrees to live with the decision, even if the decision is not their first choice. If a member of the group cannot live with the decision, the group continues with discussion until a decision is found that everyone can live with. Decisions are made and the work is advanced at meetings by ‘who ever shows up’ and by reporting fully to all committee members so they are keep abreast of developments. This style of flexible working and thinking together and decision making unites people working towards a shared goal in complex situations and environments.
Sharing of Information and Resources
Information is shared and communicated with Network members and their allies through:
Evaluation and Review
The Network evaluates the work of the Network for relevance and the value of its work as part of the Building a Bigger Wave Forum gatherings. The Guidelines for Working Together are reviewed annually.
