The Lotus Collective

1. Provide information for all victims in relation to the crime, what to do if your child tells you, what to do if you are an adult who later in life remembers being a child victim, is it too late to report? what to expect when reporting, what to expect once reported, what to expect from counsellor support, what to expect from the parties involve (ie police, health, child services, others), what to expect from the police process (including forensics, devices, interviews, other), what to expect in relation to timeframes, what to expect from the court process, what to expect from your reaction (the cycles you are likely to go through), what are you entitled to (support, compensation, assistance)
2. Provide people to support victims in all of the above areas via phone, in person, via zoom style interactions. Provide support people with tools to assist the victims.  Provide in person and virtual options for groups of victims to come together to have a discussion, in their specific area of Victimisation.
3. Provide an avenue for victims to release, to express, to expunge, to exorcise, to renew, to rebirth, to evolve, to incorporate, to believe, to be beautiful, to be valued, to be creative……..safely and without judgement.
4. Provide victims with funding to assist with all the ongoing expenses which will occur due to being victims.
5. Provide a voice to victims of child sex abuse.
6. RAISE AWARENESS
7. Long term goal….. to provide a phoneline or online way for all victims to be able to communicate through.

Engage the media, develop awareness, raise funds. A couple of ideas:

a. Annual gala dinner

b. Lotus week: Commencing with Lotus day and followed by White Lotus day, Pink Lotus day, Blue Lotus day, Red Lotus day, Purple Lotus day, and Green Lotus day

c. Series of children’s books with strong story line and key messages (like “If you think it’s wrong, you be strong” or “In any circumstances, if you think it’s wrong, don’t take any chances, speak up be strong”)

d. Origami lotus making during Lotus week, send in a picture of all you have made, how you displayed them, who saw them

e. Lotus week art competition.

f. Charitable walk/bike ride…..First one, Ride – Canberra to Tumut.

Symbolism of the Lotus and why it was chosen:

Symbol for Rebirth and Purity: The lotus flower is a symbol of rebirth as it closes its petals at night and would bloom again in the morning every day when it emerges from murky waters perfectly clean and beautiful, so it is also a symbol for purity. The meaning of the lotus flower holds such power because it can offer hope and strength to people struggling in their daily lives. It is a symbol that shows that no matter where you start off in life and no matter what you’re going through, you have the ability to rise above, overcome all negativity and find bliss as you emerge from your struggles.  The lotus flower’s daily resurrection is certainly interesting, and surely symbolic of revival. (This makes it the perfect gift for anyone recovering from injury or a traumatic experience.) But the flower also has a fascinating will to live. A lotus seed can withstand thousands of years without water, able to germinate over two centuries later.

Blue Lotus flower is a symbol of peace, inspiration, depth, confidence, sincerity, wisdom, and rest. Many people put blue Lotus flower in their bedrooms so that it can bring them peacefulness and nice dreams.  It symbolizes knowledge, learning and intelligence. The blue lotus flower is never fully opened, and its center is not seen. This represents the continual need to gain wisdom, learn and expand the mind in order to reach enlightenment.

White Lotus flower signifies the victory of awakened mind. Purity, spiritual perfection, innocence, goodness, heaven, faith, and illumination are represented by white Lotus flower and that is why it is so common in religious ceremonies. In some cultures, it is a symbol of the womb of the world.  It symbolizes the heart of the Buddhas, and also represents overcoming obstacles of the human nature.

Pink Lotus flower is a symbol of harmony, romance, love, tenderness, relaxation, affection, and flirt. This calm and gentle-colored flower is associated with women and femininity. Another name for pink Lotus flower is the true flower of the Buddha. Everywhere where Buddha stepped, pink Lotus flowers were left behind him.

Red Lotus flower is, as you can suppose, associated with passion, romance, love, power, and domination. If you are looking for the right way to express your emotions and prove your love to someone you truly care about, red Lotus flower will send your message. As red Lotus flower is associated with our general emotions and heart, you can gift it to anyone you love, no matter if that is romantic love, towards a member of a family, or a friend.  It is usually depicted with its petals open to represent the heart being open and filled with love.

Purple Lotus flower’s main and the strongest meaning is mysticism, but it also represents wisdom, royalty, creativity, extravagance, and dignity. This type of Lotus flower is also linked to esoteric scents and it is used in many rituals. Buddha teaches us of the noble eightfold path (his main teaching), while the eight petal of purple Lotus flower represents it. He shows us the way that leads to awakening and represent the different mystical and spiritual journeys taken on the path to enlightenment.

Gold Lotus flower is a symbol of complete and total enlightenment, the gold lotus often represents the Buddha. It represents having reached full enlightenment and having achieved all that can be achieved.

Green Lotus flower a green Lotus flower is a beautiful gift for anyone trying to improve their life and start good habits.

Please click here to donate to the Lotus Collective.