NASAH is the New College branch of the PEARS Project at the University of Toronto.
The PEARS Project is a grassroots, trauma-informed coalition that provides support and resources to survivors of sexual violence across the University of Toronto. Founded and led by survivors, PEARS recognizes survivors as leaders in the field and the voices which need to be heard to implement policy change. By formalizing a community and resource network that is by and for survivors we can better support one another and increase access to legal, mental health, and capacity-building supports. NASAH works collectively and through various individuals across New College and in various professional faculties where applicable. The members (general and executive) at NASAH work to produce thorough and accessible peer support, university recommendations, and research and data collection.
NASAH’s goals are to:
- Create and train teams that will work independently within New College to provide 1-on-1 peer support and connect survivors to resources.
- Run educational programming.
- Promote an anti- oppressive culture of consent, using survivor centered values, through prevention and response based mechanisms.
- Ensure that survivors’ voices are heard and that meaningful, empirical based policy changes are developed and enforced.
- Work towards addressing systemic rape culture on post- secondary campuses.
- Build alliances with faculty, student unions and other organizations on the campuses in order to reach more students, normalize sexual safety education, and make resources easily accessible.