The 2014 10th Anniversary Joyful Revolution Gala: ARE WE THERE YET?

Are we there yet?

We’ve heard it a million times. Every day, every kid in every backseat wants to know when the long journey to the grocery store, to grandma’s house— to wherever—will end.

At the Joyful Heart Foundation, and in this collective movement, we are also on a journey. The destination? The end of sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. We, too, ask, “are we there yet?”

On May 29, 2014, we were joined by our community of supporters at the Joyful Revolution gala, a celebration of our 10th anniversary—what you’ve made possible along our journey, what is to come, what the end of violence and abuse looks like. 

As our evening began, over 600 guests poured into the vast space of Cipriani 42nd Street, which was transformed into a physical map of our journey: the signposts of courage, fearlessness and perseverance that have made it possible floating up from the tables, a vast installation showcasing the moments over the course of our collective movement—40+ years old—to end violence, including those from Joyful Heart’s own journey, and a guide of what the future looks like when we arrive at the end of our journey.

As guests entered the vast space of Cipriani 42nd Street, they stepped into a map of our journey, created by David Stark Design. Our gratitude to our photographers, Michael Parmelee, Gus Philippas, Kristina Loggia, and Michael Webber for capturing the beauty of the evening.

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We were joined by many bright spirits who have helped light the way including: our Board of Directors, National Advisory Committee, Hawai‘i Advisory Committee, Los Angeles Committee, Hawai‘i Hearts, fearless corporations who have made addressing these issues a priority, and many individuals whose support has made our work possible.

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Before the program began, guests mingled in throughout the space. An evening of togetherness and celebration, the mood was joyful as guests reconnected with one another, explored our journey throughout the space and posed for photos.  

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As the program began, guests were called to dinner with a special beatbox track piece commissioned for our celebration, performed by the incomparably talented Adam Matta. Our host Ali Wentworth, accompanied by her husband George Stephanopolous, then kicked off our program, thanking our incredible event co-chairs who made the evening possible—Lise Evans, Nancy Jarecki, Heather Mnuchin, Sukey Novogratz and Carrie Shumway—sharing more about our work, and introducing Joyful Heart’s CEO, Maile Zambuto.

In her remarks, Maile spoke to the distance we've traveled, and the long journey still ahead of us.

"At Joyful Heart, and in our movement, we are also on a journey. The destination? The end of sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. We, too, ask, 'Are we there yet?'

"We are not. And not even in our lifetime will we get there.  

"But I will tell you: I have been immersed in these issues all my life and working for change for over 20 years. The terrain has been rough.  And yet as I stand here, I have a deep knowing in my bones, in my mind and in my heart that this violence will end. And I see the end in the distance. "

One bright light guiding our road ahead is Philippe Dauman, President and CEO of Viacom and the evening’s Heart of Gold honoree for his extraordinary support and vision in elevating sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse to a national public platform. 

Viacom has a long history of using its media platforms to make a difference, and is now focusing its megaphones on bringing greater awareness and action to the issue of domestic violence and sexual assault. Led by Philippe, Viacom is taking on a leading role in the NO MORE movement, creating a version of NO MORE PSAs using its celebrity talent in a unique collaboration to reach the company’s diverse audiences. 

Mariska Hargitay, Joyful Heart's Founder & President, was honored to present him with this year's Heart of Gold award. She said of Viacom, and of Philippe:

"We have heard it so many times, in response to pitches about partnering with us: ‘Not a good fit for our brand.’ ‘Too much of an ick factor.’ ‘These issues just aren’t relevant to our audience.’ And then  we find this on a certain company's website: ‘We pride ourselves on being social disruptors, leading our industry peers in tackling difficult issues and turning moments into movements.’ …That company, is of course, Viacom.

"A company can't inspire engagement like this unless, at the heart of that company, is someone who is deeply engaged. And that person is Philippe Dauman."

In his speech, Philippe pointed to some of the troubling statistics learned in the Avon Foundation for Women's 2013 NO MORE study: More than half—57 percent—of Americans say they have never had a conversation about domestic violence or sexual assault. Three out of four parents with children under the age of 18 said that they have not had a conversation with their children about these issues.

"We want to help these young people find their voice and join the conversation. And, through our brands, Viacom is uniquely positioned to reach them. We know about their ability—hunger, even—to influence change.

"In television, we talk about reach, about how widely we can spread a message. It can be rewarding to look into the distance to see the impact we have. But often, the evidence is much closer at hand.

"We need look no further than the experiences of our VIACOM talent who signed on for the NO MORE PSA shoots. They were deeply and undeniably affected, and grateful to have the opportunity to play a role. And then, the day the NO MORE spots were being shot, a production manager at Viacom came into the green room when she heard the folks from Joyful Heart were in the building. Her best friend had been killed by her husband, leaving two small children. She wanted to talk, to connect, to express thanks. 

"Like many of our employees, she is proud that our company is committed to this issue. I am, too."

The new NO MORE PSAs will begin airing across Viacom’s networks—MTV, VH1, BET, Spike, Comedy Central and more—beginning this summer. They will be available for co-branding for non-profit organizations and colleges later this summer. To learn about the latest updates, join our conversation using #viacomsaysNOMORE on Twitter.

As Philippe exited the stage, Christie’s auctioneer Lydia Fenet took to the mic to lead the audience through our auction program of the evening. The fantastic packages included island getaways, fashion shows in Paris, dinner with world-renowned chefs and more. And with every experience donated, the funds raised are able to directly support our work. 

Lydia then moved on to the programmatic auction, during which guests could raise their paddles to support Joyful Heart’s programs in any amount. She brought up some “reinforcements” to the stage, including last year’s Heart of Gold honoree and Joyful Heart board member Sukey Novogratz. Chris Shumway, husband of board member Carrie Shumway also spoke on our work to end the backlog of untested rape kits. He was even joined by Detroit Prosecutor Kym Worthy and Mayor AC Wharton of Memphis, where Joyful Heart is now providing critical support as it works to end its backlog of 12,000+ untested rape kits.

With the immense support of our community, we were able to raise nearly $2 million. If you would like to add to this total with your donation, email mh@joyfulheartfoundation.org or make your donation here.

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While we’re not there yet, we see the end in the distance. Yes, it’s still in the distance, but we can see the end of violence and abuse. And we are ever watchful for the signposts that tell us we are traveling on—and creating—the right road: a transformed national response to the issues we address; unflagging support for our community of survivors and healers; and measurable, undeniable evidence of a reduction in sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse. 

As we look towards our future—from our exciting milestone ahead as we release the new NO MORE PSAs with Viacom, to the end of violence and abuse that is at least a lifetime away from now—we extend our deep gratitude who make our work possible—yesterday, today and tomorrow. We recognize our fearless Navigators, those who have stood with us from the beginning and without whom we would not be where we are. 

We extend our gratitude to Philippe Dauman and Viacom for their commitment to traveling this road with us towards a transformed—and transformative—conversation about these issues on a national level. 

And we honor each one of you for sharing this moment with us, for being our bold and vital community, and for joining us in forging the road ahead.

We will get to the end of this violence—together.

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