Announcing: The LOVED BODIES, BIG IDEAS Contest

Tired of talktalktalking about how toxic our culture is for girls and women, particularly in relation to their bodies? Craving to take action? Brimming with good ideas but suffering from a lack of support? Then this is your moment.
I’ve been working on organizing an international summit with The Women’s Therapy Centre Institute and we’re thrilled to announce the LOVED BODIES, BIG IDEAS Contest.

We need your BIG IDEA in response to the following question:

What is one bold action that could make the world truly value the diversity of women and girls’ bodies?

All of the BIG IDEAS will be considered by a team of expert judges and the three most thrilling and original ones will be chosen as winners. These winners will be invited to present their ideas in 10-minute presentations at the Endangered Species Summit in March of 2011 in New York City in front of a power-packed audience of media representatives, philanthropists, public intellectuals, activists, therapists, and more. It is our hope that the energy in the room will propel these ideas into real, bonafide action!
All travel and accommodations for the three BIG IDEAS winners will be covered by the Women’s Therapy Centre Institute.

Note: if you don’t win, your idea will not go to waste! All of the BIG IDEAS submitted will be included in our online idea gallery as a resource for body image advocates across the world.

To submit to the contest, please email a 500 word (maximum) BIG IDEA essay to Contest Manager, Shirley Kailas: shirley.kailas@gmail.com by December 1, 2010, 6:00 pm. Please include your name, age, email, phone #, and any organizational affiliation you have on the top of the page.

A few examples of the kinds of BIG IDEAS we’re hoping for include: A nationally-recognized curriculum on body image, disordered eating and exercise, and the limits of the BMI measurement for medical schools, legislation on body toxic advertising during television targeted at children and teens, or a campaign to end diet commercials on a show primarily targeting women.