#National Network to End Domestic Violence

[fandomtrumpshate]

2024 Supported Org: National Network to End Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a pervasive, life-threatening crime that affects millions of individuals across the United States regardless of age, economic status, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability, or education level. It can be difficult to measure the scope of domestic violence—and it’s particularly hard during a pandemic when families are essentially confined to homes, where a victim can’t easily escape an abuser. The constraints of COVID-19, historic unemployment and other social factors related to the pandemic contribute to higher stress levels at home, which can lead to increased violence.

NNEDV is the leading voice for domestic violence victims and their advocates. As a membership and advocacy organization of state domestic violence coalitions, allied organizations and supportive individuals, NNEDV works closely with its members to understand the ongoing and emerging needs of domestic violence victims and advocacy programs and make sure those needs are heard and understood by policymakers at the national level.

NNEDV offers a range of programs and initiatives to address the complex causes and far-reaching consequences of domestic violence. It further supports the fight to end domestic violence by providing state coalitions with critical information and resources. From training and technical assistance to innovative programs and strategic funding, NNEDV brings much-needed resources to local communities.

You can support National Network to End Domestic Violence as a creator in the 2024 FTH auction (or as a bidder, when the time comes to donate for the auctions you’ve won.)

[ablackwomansurvivingrape]

"For domestic violence survivors, abortion access is a matter of safety. All people,including survivors, deserve full control over their lives and decisions, including the ability to safely and freely decide whether or not to become, or stay, pregnant. Rolling back this constitutional right is antithetical to fairness, equal rights, personal privacy, and the concept of autonomy."

-Deborah J. Vagins, NNEDV President & CEO

NNEDV National Network To End Domestic VIolence

[abczine]

It's here! 🌍 The Above, Below, and Common Ground Zine, featuring our fave cast of Good Omens characters, is now available!

Download for FREE or with an optional donation. We are fundraising for the National Network to End Domestic Violence, the leading voice for survivors of domestic violence and their allies.

[mj-iza-writer]

So I found this on Amazon, and I'm very excited about this. I love reading from others in the whump community, everyone is so inspiring. This book is a collection of stories from different writers in our community, all in one book.

Also bonus. Proceeds from these books will be donated to The National Network to End Domestic Violence. I just feel like that is so fitting for these books.

I can't wait to read.

The cover is giving me whumperflies.

[goodomenscalendar]

What is this? | Submit your own event or tag us! | Be sure to click through to the original post for the latest updates! Last edited: June 14th.

Ending Events

Good Omens Spooky Bang | Sign-ups close June 10

A spooky Good Omens bang to kick off the autumn season! Whether it's Aziraphale pumpkin-picking, a pumpkin spice latte coffee shop AU, or Hell hosting a Halloween bash, you're invited to the Spooky Bang! Both SFW and NSFW content allowed. - @spooky-bang-good-omens -

Good Omens Fairy Tale Bang | Artist Sign-ups close June 15

This is a Good Omens Mini Bang themed entirely around Fairy Tales! Writing your own or adapting a favorite! All versions of all Fairy Tales and Mythology are welcome! Both SFW and NSFW content allowed. - @fairytalegobang -

The Ineffable Con 5 Zine | Submissions close June 15

Whether you’re a fanfic writer, artist or cosplayer, we want to celebrate your contributions to this ineffable fandom with the TIC5 Zine. SFW and NSFW content allowed! - @theineffablecon - Twitter - Website -

In Love With My Car Zine: Volume 2 | Fundraising ends June 20

A zine dedicated to the vehicles in Good Omens. The zine is free to download with the option of donating to the Mercury Phoenix Trust. Featuring SFW and NSFW content! - @in-love-with-my-car-zine - itch.io -

Good Omens Gotcha for Gaza Fundraiser | Sign-ups close June 20

This is a fan-run fundraiser to help out people in Palestine. We will be recruiting volunteer fan artists and writers to create fics/art in return for donations to Care for Gaza, the Palestinian Children’s Relief Fund, or any Operation Olive Branch family or project. - @goodomensaction -

Ace Omens Zine: Volume 2 | Pre-orders close June 30

A Good Omens zine focused on ace representation. Featuring SFW content! - @aceomenszine - BigCartel -

AU Roulette | Sign-ups close June 30

A casual fic-writing challenge encouraging authors to play around with different types of alternate universe stories with premises they might not otherwise have considered, with varying difficulty levels of participation for writers of all experience levels! - @au-roulette -

Ongoing Events

Above, Below, and the Common Ground | Fundraising now!

A SFW digital charity zine that celebrates the varied and wonderful cast of Good Omens––human, demon, angel, and anything in between! Free to download or with a donation to National Network to End Domestic Violence. Featuring SFW content. - @abczine - Twitter - Instagram - Bluesky -

Monster Bangers Bang | 18+ | Interest Check open now!

Calling all monster-fuckers! A Good Omens bang devoted to monster banging. - @gomonsterbangersbang -

It Ends As It Began Coloring Page | At your leisure!

Inspired by the fic Don't Fall Away From Me by PhoenixRose314-- This is a colouring page by @avoicebehindthestars! I'm serious, if you feel like colouring it in (and can put up with the utter mess I've made of the plants xD), grab at will. I want you to! :D - Tumblr Post - AO3 Post -

Upcoming Events

Ineffable Eras 4: Before the Beginning | Preorders open June 24

This is our largest volume yet, featuring 42 artists and 16 authors, creating works about Creation, Heaven's War, The Fall and Aftermath, and the Garden of Eden! Both physical and digital editions available-- digital version includes screen reader text! Shipping from United States, expected late September or early October. - @ineffableeraszine - Twitter - Instagram - Bluesky -

GOAD Doppelbanging Weeks | 16+ | Begins June 24

What it says on the tin-- two weeks of doppelgangers banging each other! Artist, writers, creators and everyone in the middle, it’s time to get bizzy! - @goodomensafterdark -

[bfpnola]

about the ongoing hunger strike to ensure that the historic anti-casteism bill passes in california ^^ wanna support?

if you’re on mobile, go to: https://tinyurl.com/Signsb403

other devices, like laptops: https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/

—

sample email below from the mobile link, not my own writing:

Subject: Please Sign SB403 (Wahab) to End Caste Discrimination

I am writing to request the governor to sign the historic bill SB403 introduced by State Senator Aisha Wahab, which would end discrimination on the basis of caste. This bill aims to clarify existing California state law and make explicit that discrimination based on caste is illegal by adding caste to ancestry and defining caste in the Civil Rights Act, Fair Employment and Housing Act, and Education Code.

Caste systems are social stratification where each position is characterized by hereditary status, endogamy, and social exclusion. Caste discrimination manifests as workplace discrimination, housing discrimination, gender-based violence, and other physical and psychological forms of violence.

Caste discrimination occurs across industries, including technology, construction, restaurants, and domestic work. In these sectors, caste discrimination has included harassment, bias, wage theft, and even trafficking. Caste is today inextricably intertwined with existing legal protections in state and federal civil rights laws such that discrimination based on one’s caste is effectively discrimination based on the intersection of other protected identities. However, because of the grave discrimination caste-oppressed Californians face, these existing protections must be made explicit.

Caste is a workers rights issues, a women's rights issues, and racial justice issue. It is also a bill that has bipartisan support. That is why we are joined by Asian Law Caucus, Stop AAPI Hate, AAPI Equity Alliance, Tech Equity, Equality Labs, Alphabet Workers Union, Ambedkar Association of North America, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, AFL-CIO, Californians for Caste Equity, Hindus for Caste Equity, Jakara Movement, South Asian Network, Sikh Coalition, and Sikh American Legal Defense Fund. Every major legal association is in support of caste equity and the lawfulness to make caste equity explicit. This includes the American Bar Association, South Asian Bar Association, National Asian American Pacific Bar Association, and Asian Law Caucus.

That is why we urge you to make history and sign his bill without hesitation. Justice delayed is justice denied. Let's ensure California opportunity for all by ensuring that ancestry and caste discrimination is explicitly prohibited and make history across the country.

Thank You,

[Name]

—

and if you don’t know what caste is? send in an ask @bfpnola or join our Discord server, link in bio, so we can answer you in real-time!

[mariacallous]

In 2022 I wrote an op-ed for NBC News Think about leg hair, of all things. The piece detailed a monthlong experiment during which I stopped shaving. Aside from one paragraph about bodily autonomy and Roe v. Wade, I thought it was a mild article. Boring, even.

The internet disagreed. Within an hour of publication, I started getting angry, all-caps emails. Then it started on Twitter. I was called everything from stupid and self-absorbed to a Sasquatch. I was accused of hating men and pressuring women.

The deluge lasted nearly two weeks. By the end of it, I had dozens of nasty emails, nearly a thousand social media notifications, and zero idea how to handle what I’d experienced.

Unfortunately, these instances of online harassment are becoming more common. In 2021, the Pew Research Center reported that 41 percent of US adults had experienced online harassment; the Anti-Defamation League reported an increase to 52 percent in 2023. Public and semipublic figures are especially at risk, as noted by recent studies on American journalists, Zimbabwean journalists, and female members of parliament in Sweden.

But the truth is, on social media anyone with an account can experience harassment. Here’s what to do if it happens to you.

Document Everything

Knee-deep in hate mail, I reached out to a former thesis adviser who’d written op-eds. How had he handled the trolls?

His reply: Document everything. If you have to report the harassment to a social platform or to law enforcement, you will need a body of evidence that proves the harassment.

Save the nasty emails in a special folder, either manually or by using keywords to filter and route all of the relevant mail automatically.

On social media, screenshot what people say. Doing this gives you lasting digital proof, which is important if the trolling comments disappear later on, either because the trolls deleted them or because someone reported the comments, which led to them being removed. Save all of these screenshots in a folder that can easily be shared with anyone investigating your harassment.

Documenting harassment is common advice, featured in resources ranging from writing-specific organizations like PEN America to wider organizations like the University of Chicago and the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

Don’t Respond

Another common piece of advice is “don’t feed the trolls.” In theory, if you don’t react to harassment, the trolls get bored and leave. Some have argued that this advice has failed us, as it puts the onus on the victim to stop the cyberbullying; it suggests that it’s not the trolls who need to stop but rather the victim who needs to turn the other cheek.

This is a fair critique; social media platforms should build better moderation systems and restrict users who breach standards on harassment. Ideally, events like the 2024 child safety hearing before US Congress will lead to changes that make the internet safer for everyone. In a perfect world, the onus is on Big Tech.

But internet safety is a work in progress, and in the meantime it’s on us to decide how we want to respond. Many of the accounts spamming me were obvious trolls. They had incendiary usernames and profile pictures. Looking at their comments, which were antagonistic at best, I knew I wouldn’t change their minds by responding. Nothing I could write would make them consider my point of view.

So I followed the American Psychological Association’s advice and let the storm pass. I logged off social media and routed the nasty emails into a special folder, out of sight. I spent my energy on things I enjoyed instead, no trolls involved.

Or Maybe Do Respond

Walking away isn’t the best option for everyone. If you choose to respond, there are both indirect and direct ways to address harassment. The former could include muting threads or blocking accounts. You could also report comments or users for behaviors that breach community standards, such as hate speech, threats, and bullying (which most platforms claim to prohibit). These options may prevent the same trolls from harassing you, or another user, in the future.

If you feel safe and want to respond directly, consider counterspeech, a strategy that addresses and undermines hate by redirecting the conversation in a constructive way. Some choose to reclaim hashtags, such as the K-pop stans who in 2020 flooded the #WhiteLivesMatter hashtag with K-pop videos.

Others create larger discussions around hateful posts, typically focusing not on the troll but on the content of their argument (so, not “You’re sexist” but “Saying XYZ is problematic because …”). This is exactly what I did, some six months after my experience, when I wrote about hate mail for HuffPost, focusing on sexism and the importance of dismantling it. Reframing the conversation helped me feel less powerless.

Though organizations like the United Nations recommend counterspeech, some research has suggested that it may be ineffective: While a 2021 study on anti-Asian hate found that counterspeech discouraged hate, another study on racism and homophobia saw mixed results.

Do Something You Enjoy

Whether or not you respond, give yourself time to work through your feelings. Do something you enjoy, like going to the gym, meditating, or playing your favorite video game. Anything goes!

Social support, in particular, is important for processing your experiences. This is because one of the goals of online harassment is to make you feel isolated; intentionally enjoying time with loved ones can combat this. An older 2014 study noted that social support can come from anyone in your life, ranging from your peers to your family. More recently, a 2020 study listed the myriad benefits of social support for those experiencing bullying, including increased confidence and decreased anxiety.

So text your friends and coworkers. Make dinner plans with family. Rant to your partner—or ask for a distraction. Any and all of these can help you feel less alone. You can also seek professional advice via a therapist or a cyberbullying hotline.

If you decide to take an extended break from the internet, ask a friend you trust to keep an eye on your social accounts. They can continue to take screenshots of new harassment and notify you if the frequency of incidents increases.

If the Harassment Escalates

If rude comments turn into stalking, hacking, doxing, or death threats, it’s time to contact the authorities and get legal assistance. Continue to document everything; you’ll want a body of proof to ensure you’re taken seriously. If you’re in immediate danger, call emergency services.

Practicing good cyber hygiene can help you protect your information. To deter hackers, use strong passwords, which are longer than 16 characters and include numbers and special characters. Don’t reuse passwords, and set up multifactor authentication to ensure that you’re notified if someone tries to log in to your account.

To deter doxing, stalking, and further harassment, adjust your privacy settings on social media. If possible, set your accounts to private until the storm passes. Also, depending on the platform, you should be able to limit the ability to reply to your posts so that only people you follow can republish your posts or leave comments. You can also just disallow comments entirely. If you have both professional and personal accounts, keep them separate so that work-related harassment is less likely to follow you home.

You may want to limit who can see your location data on social media, since many platforms tag every post with geolocation data unless you opt out. This is usually something you can turn off in your profiles’ privacy settings. Additionally, browser extensions like Privacy Party can help you keep your privacy settings on social media up to date automatically, so you don't have to think about it.

If things get so bad that you feel it's safest to minimize or erase your digital footprint, paid services like Delete Me can remove identifying information like your address, phone number, and social media activity from hundreds of online databases and data brokers. This makes it much harder for people to uncover this information in web searches. Services like Tweet Delete can automatically delete years worth of social media posts, replies, and likes—either wholesale or within a specific range—from your accounts.

Online harassment can be isolating and terrifying, but with a plan, you’ll be prepared to respond—and to mitigate its impacts on your life.

[mezmer]

Let's go!

Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury in women in the United States, resulting in more injuries than car accidents, muggings, and rapes combined (National coalition against domestic violence: NCADV)

1 in 3 women experience some form of physical violence by a partner, and 1 in 4 experience severe physical violence by a partner in their lifetime (NCADV)

Children who witness domestic violence are more likely to experience behavioral problems, anxiety, depression, and PTSD (American academy of pediatrics)

Women who are pregnant, disabled, or are of minority race are at higher risk of experiencing domestic violence (NCADV)

The national domestic violence hotline reports that on average, nearly 20 people per minute are physically abused by an intimate partner in the US. (Would like to know stats of people who aren't reporting the abuse or rates in other countries, likely impossible to record)

1 in 3 women who are victims of homicide are killed by their former or current intimate partner (NCADV)

In 2019, 1,877 women were murdered by men in the US, and 92% of them were killed by someone they knew (National network to end domestic violence)

[naritaren]

Starting tomorrow, March 5th, at 8am EST, you can bid on receiving a gift fic from me through @fandomtrumpshate How it works is you set a bid for how much you will donate to one of my chosen charities and in return, I will make you a gift fic!

You can find my offerings here. This year I'm offering NJPW, AEW, and Hockey RPF. My chosen charities are: Life After Hate, Middle East Children's Alliance *, National Network to End Domestic Violence *, Violence Policy Center * (* denotes an organization that accepts international donations.) Please make sure to read what I'm comfortable writing and what is a hard no for me. Happy bidding!

[sometimes-men-need-help-too]

Helpline for male domestic abuse victims struggles to cope amid pandemic surge

This was back in 2021 but I wanted to share it anyway

A helpline for male victims of domestic violence is struggling to cope with the volume of calls because of a 35 per cent spike in the numbers seeking help during the pandemic.

Men’s Aid Ireland says it dealt with about 5,500 contacts during 2020, a figure it projects will grow again to 9,000 this year based on a further surge in January and February.

Kathrina Bentley, the organisation's chief executive, said calls are also getting "more worrying and concerning" and their "seriously stretched" three part-time helpline staff are struggling to cope with demand.

“During the last week of January and first week of February, within 10 days we had five very serious suicide situations at the end of the phone,” she said.

“ We had to get Garda assistance for two of them, ring ahead to a hospital for a third and we talked the other two men down.”

The common thread in calls is an abusive relationship, in 95 per cent of cases involving a wife or female partner.

“Hitting me, kicking me, spitting on me, telling me I’m a useless father, telling me I’m crap, telling me I don’t bring in enough income,” she recounted the calls.

“One man said he sleeps in the spare room and his wife soaks his mattress during the day with cold water and leaves the windows open before he comes home from work. So he sleeps on the floor.

“There are pure emotional and psychological games, men who have no access to funds, their partners controlling their finances.”

Funding

Ms Bentley said the organisation sought and was refused funding for a 24/7 helpline from the State’s child and family agency Tusla, which she criticises for allocating 1 per cent of its domestic, sexual and gender based violence (DSGBV) funding to the service.

Along with the Men’s Development Network, it is one of just two Tusla-funded services dedicated to male victims.

Men’s Aid Ireland has €244,000 funding for its six staff operation this year, an increase of €5,000 on last year.

In January, about 600 men contacted the service, and at least 80 calls were missed because the helpline – which runs from 9am to 5pm on weekdays – can only deal with two callers at any one time.

“It is really worrying,” said Ms Bentley. “Every phone call, we can save or change a life, that is the frontline day to day reality of it. Our small organisation took on the war that is the pandemic of Covid, and the war that is the pandemic of violence, but we are in the trenches with no ammunition.”

Ms Bentley said callers include accountants, gardaí, politicians, doctors, gardeners, postmen, the military, tradesmen and the unemployed.

Some are on the minimum wage while others “live in multi-million euro houses and behind the front door is domestic violence”.

Many are victims of coercive control – “a silent, invisible pattern of abusive behaviour over time” – which she says is “catastrophic for families, children as well as men’s lives and their careers”.

Ages range from 19 to 83 years old, but particularly between 40 to 55.

“It is incredible for a man to have the courage to pick up the phone in the first place,” she said.

“How disappointing and heartbreaking it is when no-one answers that phone.”

‘Bad patch’

Citing a report by Cosc – The National Office for the Prevention of Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence – that shows one in seven men experience domestic abuse in their lifetime, and 95 per cent do not contact gardai, Ms Bentley suggested the numbers not seeking help could be as high as “a couple of hundred thousand”.

Ms Bentley said callers often don’t see themselves as victims of domestic abuse and hope it is a “bad patch” that will pass because they don’t want the family to break up. “When you ask them how long it has been going on for, and they say three to six years, well that’s not a bad patch in a relationship, that is an abusive relationship.”

In response to calls in a parliamentary question for a 24/7 national helpline, Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman said the Government was currently carrying out an audit of DSGBV services.

There was no comment from Tusla.

[fandomtrumpshate]

FTH 2023 Supported Organization: National Network to End Domestic Violence

Domestic violence is a pervasive, life-threatening crime that affects millions of individuals across the United States regardless of age, economic status, race, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, ability, or education level. It can be difficult to measure the scope of domestic violence—and it’s particularly hard during a pandemic when families are essentially confined to homes, where a victim can’t easily escape an abuser. The constraints of COVID-19, historic unemployment and other social factors related to the pandemic contribute to higher stress levels at home, which can lead to increased violence.

NNEDV is the leading voice for domestic violence victims and their advocates. As a membership and advocacy organization of state domestic violence coalitions, allied organizations and supportive individuals, NNEDV works closely with its members to understand the ongoing and emerging needs of domestic violence victims and advocacy programs and make sure those needs are heard and understood by policymakers at the national level.

NNEDV offers a range of programs and initiatives to address the complex causes and far-reaching consequences of domestic violence. It further supports the fight to end domestic violence by providing state coalitions with critical information and resources. From training and technical assistance to innovative programs and strategic funding, NNEDV brings much-needed resources to local communities.

You can support National Network to End Domestic Violence as a creator in the 2023 FTH auction (or as a bidder, when the time comes to donate for the auctions you’ve won.)

Signups are open!

[deepdowninshipperhell]

Bidding for the Fandom Trumps Hate charity auctions is now open, and will remain open until March 9th at 8:00 PM EST.

I am once again participating as an author under the nick IetjeSiobhan, so if you’d like me to write a fic just for you – and support a good cause – this is your option! You can find my FTH entry here.

To get an overview of my writing, you can find my ao3 account here.

What exactly am I offering?

A written work within the Haikyuu fandom, F1 RPF, or an Original Work.

Word count: 5-10k

Max Rating: Explicit (so whether you’d like something G or T rated or something more spicy is up to you – I’m happy to work with you).

What am I especially interested in?: For Haikyuu, I especially enjoy writing Kuroken or any of the Haikyuu girls in any combination. Generally, themes I enjoy include (but are not limited to) Mutual Pining, Secret Relationships, Idiots to Lovers, Fantasy, Shapeshifting, and Omegaverse. I am also happy to write kink content and darker themes, but if you have a very specific theme in mind, it’s probably best to dm me before bidding to ascertain that I’d be a good fit for writing it!

What am I unwilling to write?: I feel uncomfortable writing ships I have not written for before (you can check my ao3 to get an overview). For F1, there might be exceptions to this rule – best dm me if you have something specific in mind! Femslash ships are also generally exempt from this rule. Additionally, I am unwilling to write angst without a happy ending, unrequited love, MCD, and themes of heavy mental illness, such as self-harm and eating disorders.

Other notes: I both enjoy working with very specific prompts, very loose ideas, and anything in-between! If you only have a vague thought, that’s fine for me and I’ll most likely have a lot of fun with it, but if you’d like to be more involved and have a very specific idea, I’d also be delighted about working with that! I generally tend to check in several times during the writing process, even if I don’t have immediate news or anything that requires input, just to let you know how things are progressing!

Which organisations is my auction open to benefitting this year?: Bellingcat *, Civil Rights Education and Enforcement Center *, In Our Own Voice *, Life After Hate, Middle East Children's Alliance *, National Network to End Domestic Violence *, Never Again Action *, Razom *, Sherlock's Homes Foundation *, Violence Policy Center *, Environmental Org: Pollinator Partnership *, Environmental Org: Wildlands Restoration Volunteers, Environmental Org: Coral Restoration Foundation * (*-marked organisations can be donated to internationally)

The Minimum Bid for my auction: $5

If you’re not interested in my works, (or even if you are,) do check out the other great offers this year! The FTH auction was a great joy to participate in last year, and I cannot recommend it highly enough. And hey, have I mentioned yet that it’s for a good cause?

[abczine]

Calling all angels, demons, humans, and everything in between!

🌍 Welcome to the Above, Below, and the Common Ground Zine 🌏 The ABC Zine is a collaborative charity project dedicated to the supporting cast of Good Omens! We are fundraising for the National Network to End Domestic Violence.

AVAILABLE IN ONE WEEK! Watch this space!

[letsdocuboutit]

- Let's Docu 'Bout It -

Ep 1: Pamela, a love story

Follows the life of pop culture icon Pamela Anderson, including never-before-seen archival footage and personal journals. This week I recap and delve into her celebrity documentary including some more in depth info from her autobiography Love, Pamela.

Listen here or wherever you listen to podcasts!

Spotify - Apple - Amazon - Castbox - iHeartRadio - RadioPublic - Google

RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network)

LifeWire

National Network to End Domestic Violence

[seedsofwinter]

FTH 2024 Auction - Final day!

Here's my link one last time! I'm hoping to raise a nice amount for either National Network to End Domestic Violence or Pollinator Partnership (beeeees!) Both of these organizations accept international donations.

I have 2 fandom auctions, one for deep content editing up to 10,000 words (Good Omens, Venture Bros, Our Flag Means Death), and one for a less than 5k fic up to Mature rating by me (Venture Bros or Good Omens).

My ONLY actual "unwilling to address" is tooth-rotting fluff for the edit; and beyond that, I'm open to whatever in the fic, but check my current fics on AO3 to see what I tend to write that might match your needs. (Basically, I'm good with anything, but I might not be well-tested in some harder topics, and I don't write smut often.)

[plethoraworldatlas]

Blue Ajah Fourth Age

The Blue Ajah has fought for many diverse causes throughout its history, yet always it has stood for justice and bending the politicking of Mardhol's squabbling nations away from calamity and towards peace. Though it remains among the smallest Ajahs, it's impact throughout wider Tower politics is historic. Over time, it's sisters have gained the reputation of Seekers of righteous Causes who lose themselves in their endeavors that range from ending famine caused by abusive nobility in small villages to saving the very world at the Last Battle itself. Over the centuries of the Third Age, however, it's common mission grew muddled by the independence each of its sisters were given in their operations. At the dawn of the Fourth Age, the Blue has begun reorganizing to ensure some form of common justice stands for all peoples under the Dragon Peace.

Rights of the Dragon and Courts

While the Gray Ajah concerns itself with diplomacy and the letter of the law, the Blue has always adhered more to the spirit of justice and honor. The Gray is split on whether the new direction of the Blue makes them a closer ally or a pompous rival who has involved themselves in their work without knowing the realities of what it entails. Even the sisters of the Blue are split on what the nature of their common missions should entail, or whether they should be so common as many chafe under stronger centralized control. Today, the mission of the Blue Ajah is to secure that all people under the Dragon Peace are protected from injustice, from both outside forces and domestically. For centuries during the Third Age the Blue fought to protect commoners from the violence of weak and feudal nations, to save as many from the darkness of lawlessness with the torch of order and civilization; Now, the sisters have determined that in this new Age, some of those "lights" are as twisted as that evil that once took Aridhol, and that it is not enough for some number of people measured in a mathematical formula to survive, but that all most be given equal right to truly live. When the Blue Sitters in the Hall announced their great mission, it caused uproar; Using the existing framework in the documents of the Dragon's Peace, they desired to form a common court of law amongst the nations of Mardhol. Even further, using the language the Dragon Reborn had included in the document's clauses, they sought to one day bring the leaders of the nations together once again, this time with representatives for their people to create a Charter granting all people, commoner and nobility, Rights under the Dragon. Styling themselves as the Ajah that mentored the Dragon Reborn, the Blue's newspapers and pamphlet campaigns have been leveraging their vast connections and intelligence network to grow support and tangible action done to forward their goals.The Tower is split on the issue; Many outright consider it foolish to unite separate nations under the law and consider radical movements for equality dangerous. More moderate sisters support some of the ideas, but consider the Blue doing so under the Dragon's Peace and wanting these Courts and Charter to exist outside the influence and political machinations of the Tower to be borderline treachery against the Hall itself.In the meantime, the common Blue sister has taken up the roles of Traveling Magistrates, pushing for nobility to face punishment for crimes equally as commoners, and for the end to cruel and excessive punishments. Others have styled themselves as investigators, reporters even, rooting out secrets and publishing stories of corruption and tyranny, calling people to support areas stricken by disaster or to rally against injustice.

Eyes and Ears and Printing Presses

The Blue has been one of Ajahs that has adapted to the press best. Alongside their reformists and muckraker investigative reporters, much of their presses are dedicated to use informing commoners of their existing rights and trying to rally support for expanding them. Pamphlet campaigns calling for commoner action against cruel and abusive factory bosses, posters and letters rallying communities to aid the poor as they fight for the governments to provide for their people, and educating people on the ideas of equality are merely some of their most famous escapades. Even with the world growing more tumultuous, their spy network keeps them informed and gives them ways to influence the choices of the ruling nobility toward their goals. Their new mission has cut off some of their direct influences, however, and the more progress they make towards their common goal, the more it seems they encounter pushback from those who do not desire their changes. While they have worked with the Aiel peacekeepers and Wise Ones in the name of protecting the Dragon's Peace and worked together for their missions, even the Aiel are uncertain of whether they would fully support a common court; Some Aiel feel it would weaken their role as peacekeepers to allow others to keep a Peace of law alongside them. The Blue Ajahs rivals and critics slander them as busybodies who have no right and no idea how to actually run governments; With their own presses printing propaganda to slander the Blue Ajah, and other Ajahs not always feeling obligated to stand against slandering the Tower by slandering the Blue, the Blue has gotten into serious conflicts in the presses. Losing grip on old political favors, some sisters of the Blue have turned towards gather favor from more radical movements such as reformers or Republicanists or even truly radical New Dragonsworn whose clubs advocate for the end of old nations and the beginning of a untied Dragon Empire. These relationships too stress the Blue's reputation and waning power amongst its older alliances.

Amyrlin

Unlike the other Ajahs, the Blue has formally withdrawn proposing any new Amyrlin candidate; The Blue Sitters have announced that they can no longer participate in worsening the chaos the Hall has created in the Tower and the World, and will not worsen it by suggesting new candidates. The Blue has sworn to support another Ajah's candidate should they present a worthy woman who has other Ajah's support. Before this, many older sisters and even newly raised sisters were proposed; Part of the reason the Blue has taken the stance it has is because of how many of these proceedings have placed the futures of many promising sisters in jeopardy over proceedings most did not even know were going on for years now. The Blue Sitter believed their announcement would turn the tide and get the other Ajahs to agree one another candidate with their built in support, but so far little had changed. The First Selector has had sisters come to her and request she and the Sitters propose new candidates to the Hall, hoping to curtail the current chaos; Most do not now of these meetings, but if they knew, many would be against breaking their word and potentially worsening the chaos.

Extra notes

Less from me here because the Blue is fairly more straightforward than most other Ajahs. Sorry for the Delays, I've been busy. Please ask anything you'd like to know about! And feel free to interact!!