Initiative Collective

The New York Initiative crest

About

The Initiative Collective is "a grassroots group of volunteers who have banded together across states and countries to empower people in their communities" – in other words, is a citizen infrastructure group dedicated to citizen empowerment.

It was founded in 2009 as The New York Initiative with a mission of protecting sex workers in New York City from the Long Island Serial Killer. Their emphasis was on providing the workers with services rather than physical presence or defense.

The group received some press attention in July, 2010, but their first public mission statement appears to be an ad on the New York edition of Craig's List, the complete text of which is here.

They are apparently a sub-project of the Real Life Superheroes (RLSH) movement (New York Press described them as a "splinter group", but there is no evidence of factionalism between NYI and RLSH.)

Contact

• email: NYInitiativespam@spamgmailspam.spamcom
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NewYorkInitiative
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/321Initiative

Services

This appears to be a public service poster created by or for the NYI.

• a set of specific instructions for safe dating, using a friend as emergency backup
• for those with no friend available, they provide the following:
  • a phone number to call
  • a set of code words and numbers (to signal danger without necessarily tipping off a dangerous date)
• practical martial arts training
• improvised weapons training (e.g. pens, phones, keys)

All of their services are provided free of charge.

Links

Reference

• Wikipedia: no information as of 2011-04-29

Related

• 2011/04/26 [L..T] Real-Life Superheroes Offer Sex Workers Protection From the Long Island Serial Killer “Real life superhero vigilantes in New York – the New York Initiative – have decided to step in and have sworn to do everything they can to protect sex workers from the Long Island Serial Killer. They are offering brute-force, no questions asked protection – because they believe police are inadequate...”
• 2011/04/16 [L..T] To all Ladies: Free Protection and Safety System, (Long Island Killer) - m4w - 29 (NYC) This is the New York Initiative's Craig's List ad offering assistance to New York City sex workers in defending themselves from the Long Island Serial Killer.

Writings by

• 2011/04/16 [L..T] To all Ladies: Free Protection and Safety System, (Long Island Killer) - m4w - 29 (NYC) This is the New York Initiative's Craig's List ad offering assistance to New York City sex workers in defending themselves from the Long Island Serial Killer.